Softbound and printed on high quality paper, authors Alexandros Anestis and George Papadimitriou have got the balance just right for a modelling reference; a short history to whet the appetite, scale plans of several versions, descriptions of colour schemes accompanied by a set of attractive profiles... but, above all, photos! 170 detailed walkaround photos covering every aspect of the aircraft.

The photo coverage breaks down into the following sections:
Forward fuselage (including the cockpit)
Landing gear
Rear fuselage (and engine)
Wing
Armament

The detail and quality of the photos is excellent. All in colour, they are well printed and an excellent size for easy reference on the workbench. Each photo is accompanied by a detailed caption highlighting points of interestCoverage of each section is excellent; for instance, there are approximately 30 photos devoted to the cockpit area and ejector seat, 20 views of the undercarriage and wheel wells, 4 pages devoted to armament - the list goes on. As you'd expect from this publisher, many of the shots are of Greek aircraft (I even recognise the exhibit outside Athens' War Museum featured in our own walkaround), but Starfighters from other airforces are featured too.

Following the photos is a handy list of all the F-104 operators, with details of which versions they used and a service history, plus a quick reference table showing all the squadrons of the various airforces which have flown the type. Next come 2 pages of scale drawings by Richard Caruana for the F-104C, G and S, along with the cockpit section of the TF-104G.

If the photos of the ejector seats don't satisfy you, the book contains 2 pages of colour artwork by Vincenzo Auletta showing the notorious early C-1 downward-firing ejector seat and it's more conventional replacement, the C-2, plus the Martin Baker seat installed in most European 'Gs. The artwork is excellent, well captioned and will be a real boon to modellers in combination with the earlier photos.

Last of all comes a colour section. The various schemes worn by Starfighters over the years are described, along with FS references for the colours and then illustrated by 27 colour profiles by Richard Caruana and Mihalis Solanakis. There's a real variety of schemes shown, from standard service aircraft of many airforces through to spectacular Mount Olympus and Tiger schemes on a pair of Greek 'Gs towards the end of their careers. 3 aircraft are treated to full 4-view treatment - it's a shame there aren't more, but they give a good idea of the camouflage carried on the other aircraft.

Conclusion

It's really hard to fault Periscopio's F-104 Starfighter volume. At 12 Euros it represents very good value for money and they've got the balance just right for modellers, with excellent colour photos and helpful background history, plans and profiles. Highly recommended for all fans of the "missile with a man in it".

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