F9F Cougar in Detail and Scale

Printed Book

Reviewed by Floyd S. Werner Jr.

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The Cougar has been covered by Detail & Scale twice before.  Once in printed format in 1983 and then again in 2014 as a digital book.  The digital book was amazing.  I previously reviewed it, but I’ve since gotten rid of my iPad so without that I needed another way to view it.  Enter the new age of Detail & Scale.  What was once old is new.  Printing costs have been lowered to allow the printed editions to become available again.  The new book is available through Amazon. 

Because the original Cougar digital book was so big, it required that the book be broken down. This new edition is softbound and has 102 pages with 270 photos, of those 192 are color.  In addition, there are 23 color detail and aircraft line drawings.  The next book will be in the Color & Markings Series.

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The new Kitty Hawk F9F Cougar is a really nice looking model but until now there were very limited references on the aircraft. Detail & Scale’s newest digital book is the perfect one stop shop for this kit and this aircraft. Everything, and I mean everything, you could want to know about the Cougar is included in this book. Detail & Scale has become known for their extensive research and this book is no different on that aspect. With the price of printed material being so high and with the benefits of computer digital books, this is the perfect marriage of information and technology.

The chapters are broken down into developmental history, Cougar variants, Flying the Cougar, Cougar Details, and the Modelers’ Section.

The developmental history follows the Cougar from its Panther beginnings to the ultimate Cougar F9F-8P (or TF-9J). Each version is covered in the text and pictures. All the changes between the versions are covered in detail.

The Cougar variants further details the deployment of the Cougar throughout its history. Some interesting variants existed such as the F9F developed to be deployed on a ‘flex deck’. That is an interesting idea that never panned out for the Navy.

Flying the Cougar section talks to a couple of pilots who flew the aircraft in testing and in service, including a photo recon pilot, instructor pilot and a drone pilot.

The third section is the heart and soul of Detail & Scale books are known for, the detail section. The chapter is lavishly illustrated with photos of the various details of the F9F.  Every variant is covered in the photos.  This is a wealth of knowledge for the modeler. 

Then comes the Modeler's Section.  This is a staple of the Detail & Scale series. 

If you want to know about a particular scale, or company model, you’ll find it in here by people who actually built it up.  1/144, 1/82, 1/72, 1/52, 1/48 and 1/32nd scales are all covered.  What is nice is that the latest models have been included.  What is extra nice is that it breaks down the Kitty Hawk kit and tells you exactly how to accurize it.  The entire chapter contains invaluable information for the modeler. 

This printed digital book is a great reference from a well-known historian and author, Bert Kinzey and artist Rock Roszak.  This is another excellent reference that keeps with the tradition of Detail & Scale.  I don’t think there is a way to improve this edition.  Of course, if you have an iPad or Kindle you can still get the digital edition, but if you are old school and want a real book in your hands this is THAT book. 

Thanks to Detail & Scale or the sample.

Review Copyright © 2020 by Floyd S. Werner Jr.
This Page Created on 20 January, 2020
Last updated 20 January, 2020

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