Introduction

Detail and Scale have been producing books since 1978 and produced a 114 books, including the old Detail and Scale Cougar book from 1983 which had 72 pages. With the advent of technology D&S have gone digital and their second book (the first being the F3H Demon) on the F9F Cougar now has over 400 pages.

About the book

Contents
• Developmental History
• Cougar Variants
• Flying the Cougar
• Cougar Details
• Cougar Paint Schemes
• Cougar Squadrons
• Modeler's Section

Bert Kinzey (author) and Rock Roszak (Illustrator) have produced an outstanding book on the swept wing Cougar, which coincides with Kitty Hawks 1/48th TF-9J (F9F-8T) release of this important naval fighter.
With over 400 pages, 500 photos, 43 colour profiles, colour illustrations, pilot reports, and walk around and variant chapters, this is the most comprehensive book on the F9F Cougar ever produced, and your tablet, Kindle or whatever you read it on won’t weigh any more, and at this price it is a steal.
The book covers the birth and development history of the aircraft which came about due to the presence of MiG 15 over the skies of Korea.
The Cougar variants chapter has every version of the Cougar that was built, explaining the differences, roles and use. This chapter is split into eight sections with each variant having their own write up. Each section has colour and black and white photos.
Flying the Cougar has stories from five former pilots, who flew every type including the drone version.
Cougar details are a modeller’s dream chapter, with walk around photos and illustrations of the various components and airframe from all versions.
The Cougar paint schemes covers the interior and exterior of the Cougar, giving FS numbers where appropriate. The section starts off with the interior colours for the cockpit, and uninhabited areas and the use of primers for the aircraft.
The book goes through the four exterior paint schemes used over the aircrafts history.
Photos and artist illustrations are used throughout.
The chapter Cougar squadrons is broken down into nine sections and lists all the Navy, Marine, Reserve and Test and Evaluation squadrons who flew the aircraft, with photos and captions for a lot of the units who flew the Cougar. There is a lot of information regarding tail codes, unit markings, colour schemes and identifying features for each squadron, in these nine sections of the chapter. Aircraft profiles for various units are given in each section.
The modellers section covers every kit of the Cougar produced from 1/144th scale up to the Fisher models resin 1/32nd scale F9F.
Each model has any accuracy issues addressed. Although Kitty Hawks 1/48th Cougar hadn’t been released when the book went too press, D&S did manage to get test shots of the kit. D&S provided research material to Kitty Hawk for the new 1/48th Cougars, but how they use the material is down to Kitty Hawk.

Conclusion

Detail and scales second digital book is a comprehensive guide to the F9F Cougar and its variants.
No doubt as it is only available in a digital format that will upset some people, but if this was released as a paper bound book the price would skyrocket.
The good thing over the digital version is the chance to enlarge photos, which in a normal book would be smaller due to page limits.
You can go to any section in the book via the menu hyperlinks, search for text and add your own notes.
For anyone who wants to build a authentic Cougar this is a must have book.
The book can be bought via the Amazon or iTunes website. You will need a tablet or a book reader to be able to view it.
I have got this book on my Lenovo tablet with a Amazon Kindle app installed.
Images supplied by Rock Roszak and are a mix of the Kindle and iPad versions.

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