The Saab 37 Viggen was designed to a Swedish air force requirement for an integrated weapon system with high performance, great versatility, and STOL capability. It was intended to replace the Saab 32 Lansen attack plane and the Saab 35 Draken fighter. To meet the requirements of a multi-roll aircraft, Saab came up with a radical configuration for the day. The design used a conventional low-set delta wing extending from mid-fuselage to tail pipe, with small clipped canard wings mounted forward of the main wings and above the intakes. This single-seat aircraft was powered by a single license-built version of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine equipped with a thrust-reverser. This innovative design package created a plane capable of Mach 2 at high altitude and Mach 1 at low altitude while maintaining short-field takeoff and landing capabilities. A total of 329 Viggens were built, and from 1970 to 1990 they were the backbone of Sweden's air defense.

Squadron's new hardback Walk Around publication, Saab 37 Viggen, contains many sharp black and white photographs along with many bright and crisp color photographs. The front and back covers are the work of Don Greer. The cover is particularly attractive as it depicts a Viggen just at lift off. Between the covers, the material is generally presented in order of Viggen production and variant. All the photographs are of working Viggens, either in the air, undergoing some sort of maintenance, or on the flight line ready to go. The reader will find engine details, fuselage details, armament and ordnance details, and landing gear and cockpit details. The cockpits of various Viggen models are thoroughly detailed via photographs and line drawings with accompanying numbered callouts. A number of armament loads are very well detailed. Each photograph in this book is accompanied by a thorough explanation. Supplementing the photographs are 4-view line drawings of two Viggen variants. Each is accompanied with a comprehensive set of specifications. Seven color profile drawings are a highlight of this book. These depict various color schemes, camouflage patterns, and unit emblems. The importance of this book in the modeling world cannot be ignored. If a modeler wants to take the construction of a Saab 37 kit to the next level, this book is an absolute must.

I would like to thank Squadron Signal Publications for submitting this book for review and thank IPMS/USA for allowing me to do the review.