This first of a two volume set of US combat aircraft over Vietnam exemplifies the excellence that we’ve come to expect from Mushroom Models Publications White Series aircraft reference books. This heavily illustrated edition covers 14 of the most important fighter, bomber, attack and tactical reconnaissance aircraft flown by the US Air Force in southeast Asia. The second volume will cover Navy and Marine Corps aircraft. What you get in these pages is a top notch design description and thorough Vietnam combat history for each of the following aircraft, including many specialized sub-variants and special missions:

• F-100 Super Sabre
• RF-101C Voodoo
• F-102A Delta Dagger
• F-104C Starfighter
• F-105 Thunderchief
• F-4 Phantom II
• F-5A Freedom Fighter
• F-111A
• A-1 Skyraider
• A-7D Corsair II
• A-37 Dragonfly
• B-52 Stratofortress
• B-57 Canberra
• RB/EB-66 Destroyer

The book is lavishly illustrated, primarily with color photographs of each type while in theatre and many of the notable individuals who flew and serviced them - considerable coverage is given to Col. Robin Olds’s leadership of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (including the origin of the “SCAT” name for all of Olds’s aircraft), and this is the first I’d heard of Brig. Gen. James Stewart’s combat B-52 mission over South Vietnam in 1966. Tables are also included listing the squadron/wing to which each type was assigned, with the corresponding base location and the assigned two-letter tail code where applicable. The highlight of the book are the many excellent left and right side color profile illustrations. The F-4 and F-105 sections also include top view and spot close-up illustrations. It should be noted that for many of the aircraft, the color photos show good topside views of the aircraft camouflage patterns.

While this by no means a complete or comprehensive encyclopedia of USAF Vietnam combat aircraft (not covered here are combat cargo, gunship or strategic reconnaissance aircraft, nor any helicopters), it is probably as good a “one stop” major USAF Vietnam aircraft reference as you liable to ever see. The photos are large, clear, and numerous, and the color profiles are outstanding. This is a long awaited and highly recommended publication. My grateful thanks go to MMP Books and IPMS for the opportunity to review this excellent book.