Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle: All-Weather Attack Aircraft [Hardcover]

Steve Davies (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 18, 2003

The F-15E looks set to remain in USAF service beyond 2030. It has proved to be the safest tactical fighter ever procured by the Air Force, and its 16,000-hr service life could well see it in use beyond 2030. It is arguably the best all-round combat aircraft in the world and has a magnificent operational record gained in combat during Desert Storm, Balkan operations and the war against Terrorism. This book traces the history and development of the Strike Eagle from its conception as a replacement for the F-111 in 1984 to the present day. Every aspect of the aircraft and its operation are examined including airframe, powerplant, avionics and weapon systems. Design plans, photographs and color profiles give graphic portrayal of this meanest of mean machines.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steve Davies is a freelance aviation journalist and photographer living in Cambridge, England. He is the author of F-15E Units in Combat 1991-2005 (Osprey), F-15C Units in Combat (Osprey), F-15C/E Units in OIF (Osprey), F-15E Strike Eagle: All Weather Attack Aircraft (Airlife), and F-15 Eagle & Strike Eagle: Combat Legends (Airlife). He is also a regular contributor to the aviation press including International Air Power Review, Combat Aircraft, Air Forces Monthly, Aircraft Illustrated and Air Pictorial.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: The Crowood Press (December 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1840373784
• ISBN-13: 978-1840373783
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,095,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steve Davies is a military and commercial aviation photojournalist based in Cambridge, England. He began writing in 2001, and has since authored seven critically acclaimed books and co-authored four more. His freelance writing includes a plethora of articles penned for the world's leading monthly and quarterly aviation publications, and he has also worked on a range of aviation supplements that have sold millions of copies globally. He has worked as a subject matter expert for a range of military aviation documentaries commissioned by terrestrial television channels in the UK and North America, and by the History Channel. His photography has been used not only by the aviation press, but also by leading defence contractors and aviation corporations.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Decriptive, entertaining and a pure delight to read., January 1, 2004

By 

"mickjorgo" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle: All-Weather Attack Aircraft (Hardcover)

Steve Davies has certainly done more than his fair share of homework for this excellent book. As an ex-military jet pilot, I have a greater than average knowledge of the workings and history of military combat aircraft, yet I was constantly surprised at the level of detail that this book went into.

Luckily the text remained easy to understand, and the reader quickly appreciates the technology available to today's most potent weapons delivery aircrew.

Accounts from a variety of experienced Eagle aircrew constantly verify the Author's statements, and make for a more enjoyable read - sometimes placing the reader right there in the ejection seat. From initial test flights to the latest combat missions in Operation Enduring Freedom, there are 'war stories' worthy of telling in any Officers' Mess Bar.

Whilst the majority of the photographs are in Black and White, there is also a generous Full Colour section with magnificent photographs. For the modellers, there are eight detailed colour plates of Eagle colour schemes.

You would only learn more about the F-15E Strike Eagle by actually joining the USAF - and even then being one of the lucky few.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for the Strike Eagle Enthusiast, December 30, 2003

By 

Clint (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle: All-Weather Attack Aircraft (Hardcover)

Alternate title for this book - "Everything You Want to Know About the Strike Eagle, but Were Afraid to Ask".
As an F-15E pilot, I was amazed at the amount of technical detail contained in the book. Davies practically walks you through every system in the aircraft and explains them from the ground up.
Outstanding photography - nearly every page has a photo, some that are absolutely amazing.
My favorite aspect of the book is the stories told by Strike Eagle aircrew interviewed by Davies. Included are some I had heard before and some I had not; combat missions into Iraq in Desert Storm, ONW and OIF, an F-15E air-to-air kill with a laser guided bomb, and a 15.5 hour sortie are just a few to name.
This book is a great read for those who are F-15E fans, but the technical jargon could be a little confusing for the average Joe (though it comes with a full glossary to reference).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure Chest for F-15E Fans, December 30, 2003

By 

Szabolcs Serflek - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle: All-Weather Attack Aircraft (Hardcover)

Being the best all-round combat aircraft in the world, the F-15E Strike Eagle is a very popular war machine and is a good subject to write on.

Have you already read books on the Strike Eagle and have you already spent hours on the Internet looking for info? If yes, then it's good for you. But if not, then please don't do it! Read this book first!

I myself tried the `yes' variant before, but even after all my research this book surprised me with its richness of info and its level of detail. This kind of stuff is very hard to find even in small pieces, not mentioning to have them all in one place.

It covers the F-15E from every angle possible, giving you history, (lots of) technical details, combat records (and some stories even), details, specs and insight into the Strike Eagle community. Very military style, full with abbreviations, it requires attention. And it's technical, yes, expect deep water.
Nice and well chosen pictures illustrate it (there are lots of them, unfortunately not all of them in color), including special close-ups of parts of the jet (again something you will not find everywhere).

Packed in a neat hard-cover "casing" you will get 200 pages of intense information and feeling, like a jet blast from the twin engine of the Strike Eagle. Deep insight into the trade and very good connections with the Strike Eagle community - that's the feeling I got from it... and the inability to put it down!

So get a copy and see it for yourself. You will be glad that you did.