Book Review of
SAAB 37 Viggen
Author: Mikael Forslund
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications)
Yellow Series No. 6147
ISBN: 978-83-66549-72-2
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $50.00
Yellow Series No. 6147
ISBN: 978-83-66549-72-2
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $50.00
HISTORY:
The Saab 37 Viggen (Swedish for "the Bolt" or "the Tufted Duck" is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service in 21 June 1971. It was the first canard design produced in quantity. The Viggen was also the most advanced[vague] fighter jet in Europe, albeit slower than the earlier MiG-21bis, until the introduction of the Panavia Tornado into operational service in 1981.
The Saab 37 Viggen is a Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated by Saab in 1952 and the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967. Viggen entered service on 21 June 1971. It was the first conard design produced in quantity.
Several distinct variations of the Viggen were produced to perform the roles of strike fighter (A)37, aerial reconnaissance (SF 37), maritime patrol aircraft (SH 37), and a two-seat trainer (SK 37). In the late 1970’s, the all-weather fighter-interceptor aircraft JA 37 variant was introduced. In November 2005, the Viggen was retired from service by the Swedish Air Force, the only operator, having been replaced by the newer Saab JAS 39 Gripen.
This book is the most comprehensive on the Viggen yet published in English, with: 207 color and 26 black and white photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before, walk-around photographs of the preserved aircraft, illustrations from contemporary manuals, and original color artwork.
The cover art shows a color photo of a JA 37 Viggen of F-17 Squadron at high altitude in a cloudless sky. It has the yellow squadron no. 17 on the side of its nose, followed by the Swedish Air Force roundel, that is a blue circle, outlined in yellow, with 3 yellow stars on it, arranged in an inverted triangle. It has a white circle over a orange triangle, over a yellow 22 on its rudder sides. It is in a splinter camouflage pattern of brown and two shades of green, over a light grey undercarriage, has a jet-black nose cone and is carrying a light-grey belly fuel drop-tank.
One corner of the cover art shows MMP’s logo, which is a black square with a cartoon character of a white mushroom, with a face on it, a pair of glasses draped on its top and a propeller for its nose. Over MMP BOOKS.
THE BOOK:
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is based in the UK. This book was printed in Poland in English.
It is of soft-cover of 208 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
There are 22 data lists. Color profiles included are: 32 side-views, one 2-view, three 3-views and four 4-views. Many camouflaged Viggens are shown, others that are either solid green or overall light-grey. One solid green one has white ghost illustrations on its wings and sides for an air show.
There are photos of weapons, the undercarriage, fuselage sections, fuel tank locations and many of the cockpit interior. Which include line drawings of them too.
This is a really neat book on the Viggen. It will be of great interest to modelers planning to building a Viggen and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All MMP book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Saab 37 Viggen (Swedish for "the Bolt" or "the Tufted Duck" is a retired Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated at Saab in 1952 and, following the selection of a radical delta wing configuration, the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967 and entered service in 21 June 1971. It was the first canard design produced in quantity. The Viggen was also the most advanced[vague] fighter jet in Europe, albeit slower than the earlier MiG-21bis, until the introduction of the Panavia Tornado into operational service in 1981.
The Saab 37 Viggen is a Swedish single-seat, single-engine, short-medium range combat aircraft. Development work on the type was initiated by Saab in 1952 and the resulting aircraft performed its first flight on 8 February 1967. Viggen entered service on 21 June 1971. It was the first conard design produced in quantity.
Several distinct variations of the Viggen were produced to perform the roles of strike fighter (A)37, aerial reconnaissance (SF 37), maritime patrol aircraft (SH 37), and a two-seat trainer (SK 37). In the late 1970’s, the all-weather fighter-interceptor aircraft JA 37 variant was introduced. In November 2005, the Viggen was retired from service by the Swedish Air Force, the only operator, having been replaced by the newer Saab JAS 39 Gripen.
This book is the most comprehensive on the Viggen yet published in English, with: 207 color and 26 black and white photographs of the aircraft in service, several of which have never been published before, walk-around photographs of the preserved aircraft, illustrations from contemporary manuals, and original color artwork.
The cover art shows a color photo of a JA 37 Viggen of F-17 Squadron at high altitude in a cloudless sky. It has the yellow squadron no. 17 on the side of its nose, followed by the Swedish Air Force roundel, that is a blue circle, outlined in yellow, with 3 yellow stars on it, arranged in an inverted triangle. It has a white circle over a orange triangle, over a yellow 22 on its rudder sides. It is in a splinter camouflage pattern of brown and two shades of green, over a light grey undercarriage, has a jet-black nose cone and is carrying a light-grey belly fuel drop-tank.
One corner of the cover art shows MMP’s logo, which is a black square with a cartoon character of a white mushroom, with a face on it, a pair of glasses draped on its top and a propeller for its nose. Over MMP BOOKS.
THE BOOK:
MMP (Mushroom Model Publications) is based in the UK. This book was printed in Poland in English.
It is of soft-cover of 208 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
There are 22 data lists. Color profiles included are: 32 side-views, one 2-view, three 3-views and four 4-views. Many camouflaged Viggens are shown, others that are either solid green or overall light-grey. One solid green one has white ghost illustrations on its wings and sides for an air show.
There are photos of weapons, the undercarriage, fuselage sections, fuel tank locations and many of the cockpit interior. Which include line drawings of them too.
This is a really neat book on the Viggen. It will be of great interest to modelers planning to building a Viggen and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All MMP book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.