It has been over twenty years since the initial F-16 In Action book (#53 in 1982) has been produced, and in those years a lot has happened to what was initially designed as a light fighter. The type is now into the F-16E/F variant, the company is now Lockheed instead of General Dynamics, and the aircraft has spawned a number of near-look-alikes in Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

The full story of the F-16 from the first prototypes up to the current production aircraft are covered, though I must say a bit more briefly than before, thanks to the huge number of variants and all the different nations that are flying the aircraft. Not only the US but those manufactured overseas are also covered, and this includes all the usual updates and modifications made to the type.

There is a section on pods, pylons and weapons, though this section pretty well sticks with US developed bits and pieces. The photo selection is well done and comes from a number of sources. I can't really call myself an F-16 expert, but I only found one photo glitch and that was one of the ex-Pakistani AF F-16As shown as representing an F-16N. The photo of the F-16I 'Sufa' is one that shows it without the Israeli built CFTs that are kept on the aircraft pretty much all the time.

As is usual with the In Action series, there are color drawings in the central pages. However, there is a bit of a change in this edition in that they are not profiles, but show the aircraft in flight as depicted from different angles. Frankly, I prefer to see profiles as these depictions not only don't seem as crisply drawn as the previous profiles, but only allow for seven aircraft to be shown instead of the usual 10. I also noticed that Lou Drendel's artwork does not seem to be as well done as in earlier books. It is almost as if they are done in colored pencil instead of ink.

Overall, a very nicely done volume, and one that I can highly recommend as a super primer on the subject.

July 2005

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