Continuing with their Allied Wings selection of monographs, we now have about all there is to know about the Grumman FF. This somewhat revolutionary two seat fighter was the first production naval aircraft to have retractable landing gear and a fully enclosed canopy. Its all metal fuselage was also somthing of an innovation at the time.

Like all in this series, this one covers the full history and unit operation of the Grumman FF. This was the first in a long line of Grumman Naval fighters that ended recently with the retirement of the F-14 Tomcat.

In addition to the historical section, there is a listing of every airframe and its individual history. In the case of an early demise, the accident report is included in this section. There are also several pages of full color profiles for the modeler and photos galore of this tubby Grumman aircraft.

Detail photos are included as are a full range of section colors as used on the pre-war aircraft. The book ends with a listing of those who lost their lives flying the FF, a list that is quite short compared to other aircraft types, but expected as fewer than 30 of these aircraft were built.

Overall a monograph that is superb and one that any enthusiast or modeler who has an interest in the type must have on their shelves. I know you will be as pleased as I with this edition.

December 2008

Review book courtesy of www.raf-in-combat.com. Visit them for other great titles

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