Jaguar
Royal Air Force, Armee De l’Air,
Indian Air Force

by Robert Pied and Nicolas Deboeck

Duke Hawkins Aircraft in Detail 001
HMH Publications

Reviewed by John Miller

The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force.

Originally conceived in the 1960s as a jet trainer with a light ground attack capability, the requirement for the aircraft soon changed to include supersonic performance, reconnaissance, and tactical nuclear strike roles. A carrier-based variant was also planned for French Navy service, but this was cancelled in favour of the cheaper Dassault Super ‘Etendard. The aircraft were manufactured by SEPECAT (Société Européenne de Production de l'avion Ecole de Combat et d'Appui Tactique), a joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation, one of the first major joint Anglo-French military aircraft programs.

The Jaguar was exported to India, Oman, Ecuador and Nigeria. The aircraft was used in numerous conflicts and military operations in Mauritania, Chad, Iraq, Bosnia, and Pakistan, as well as providing a ready nuclear delivery platform for the United Kingdom, France, and India throughout the latter half of the Cold War and beyond. In the Gulf War, the Jaguar was praised for its reliability and was a valuable coalition resource. The aircraft served with the French Air Force as the main strike/attack aircraft until July 1st, 2005, and with the Royal Air Force until the end of April, 2007. It was replaced by the Panavia Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the RAF and the Dassault Rafale in the French Air Force.

(Edited from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEPECAT_Jaguar)

I still like books. Many (most) modeling references are now available for viewing on phones, iPads, laptops, you name it. And that’s great for some folks but I still prefer the look and feel of a book, especially one for detailing a model. That said, I was quite jazzed when I saw this series of aircraft detail books at the recent IPMS National Convention in Las Vegas. Having long been an admirer of the SEPECAT Jaguar, my hand reflexively grabbed for the book while the other grabbed for my wallet. I know you understand.

I was not not let down. This is an awesome reference for the scale modeler. The book is comprised of beautifully reproduced detail photographs taken as though the camera had been wielded by a modeler with a super-detail job in mind.

Coverage of the aircraft is divided into sections starting with the “Forward Fuselage” section and working progressively aft to the “Horizontal Tail” section. Each section contains numerous, crisply focussed photographs that are augmented with descriptive text that is both informative and well written. Details and notable, country-specific differences between Jaguar airframes are highlighted and explained.

The Sections:

1. Forward Fuselage

2. Air Intakes

3. Wings

4. Cockpit

5. Fuselage

6. Front Landing Gear

7. Speed Brakes

8. Main Landing Gear

9. Vertical Tail

10. Aft Fuselage

11. Horizontal Tail

12. Maintenance

13. Pylons

14. In Action Shots

Of note is the extensive coverage of ejection seat details in the Cockpit Section. Everything you need to see in order to replicate the Jaguar bang seats is there; awesome.

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A real plus and a bit of a novelty as far as detail books go is the “Maintenance” section wherein airframe and wing access panels have been removed revealing all the wiring/piping/conduit details. Super detailers will love this section.

This is a quality book. The detail abounds on every page and the text provides useful information on country-specific variants and derivatives. The pages have a nice semi-matte finish and with 250+ photographs, this book provides all the details required for even the super detailers out there. Highly recommended!

--John

Review book provided by my wallet, again.

For more on this review visit Modelpaintsolutions.com.

Review Copyright © 2021by Model Paint Solutions
This Page Created on 30 September, 2021
Last updated 30 September, 2021

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