No surprises in the format of this publication, it is in the “standard” In Action format, the book contains 79, softbound, A-4 size pages of B&W and Color photos and accompanying text, included are 2 “centerfold” pages of color profiles, along with multiple line drawings of design variants and aircraft components. The text and photos are an excellent “photo essay” of the MiG-15 in all its various designations.
The publication has 79 pages, 73 of which a packed with mostly color photos of the MiG-15, in service with forces other than Soviet. Most books have text with an accompanying photo to show you what is being talked about; this book is just the opposite, as it has great photos, with a text caption to let you know what you are looking at - very well done. Many of the photos show the aircraft as it was deployed with various forces and covers its deployment, to the end of its service as Junk, in a War Memorial Junkyard. Poignantly, the last photo in the book is of a MiG-15bis in USAF markings.
Conclusion
The photo essay, with some line drawings, does an outstanding job of showing various modifications / improvements and well documents how and why this aircraft came to be known as “the aircraft of the soldier”.
This book is not a heavy read, but more of a photo album with captions. This review is probably longer than the Introduction in the book. For anyone interested in this “early days” jet fighter, I highly recommend picking up this Walk Around.
SUMMARY
The MiG-15, NATO codename Fagot, was the first jet fighter produced by the MiG Design Bureau. The first prototype flew in 1947 and the first produce unit flight was in 1948. Designed originally as a heavily armed bomber interceptor; the MiG-15 soon became the versatile, multi role backbone of the Soviet and many other Soviet Bloc countries Air Forces. The 5 State factories of the Soviet Union turned out MiG-15A’s, B’s (the MiG-15bis), the Czechoslovakian company Letov and Aero turned them out as S-102’s and S-103’s, the Polish company PZL turned them out as Lim-1’s and Lim-2’s, while the Fagot-B was known as the J-2 in Chinese service.
About Chuck Shanley (CRS) FROM: CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
I've been building kits since about the mid 1950's. I've built all kinds of subjects, but for the past 20 years or so I've seemed to focus mainly on 1/72 Aircraft and Armor. Why 1/72, mainly for space conservation I build alot.
I build primarily for my own enjoyment, and Armorama has helped to en...
