Customer Reviews

Lock On No. 18 - Grumman F-14A/B Tomcat

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Verlinden's Lock On No. 18 is by far the best reference book I have come across regarding the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Most of the photos were taken aboard the U.S.S. Forrestal and follow the carrier operations of VF-31 "Tomcatters" and VF-11 "The Red Rippers". There are nearly 100 color photographs throughout the book detailing every aspect of this plane from nose to tail, including on-board computer systems, weapons systems, landing gear, powerplants, and several pages alone dedicated to the cockpit interior. If you are in need of reference material for model building or if you just have an interest in navy combat aircraft this would be a great book to have.

The pictures are incredibly detailed, and the book covers every inch of this mighty figter. Top notch photography.

This is a great book in a compact size. Lots of great pictures. Great detail for the modeler and a must for the Tomcat fans. Its a small book but is packed with great photos.

As the wife of a retired AE (Aviation Electrician) who spent his entire 20 year Navy career working on the F-14 Tomcat, I have learned a bit about this particular aircraft over the years (the basics, mind you!). However, I was disappointed in this book because of the many technical errors that both my husband and I found in the book. For example, on page 16 there is a picture of two men working on a Tomcat, one wearing a green shirt and one wearing a red shirt. The caption for this picture refers to an ordnanceman in a green shirt. However, even I know that the man in the red shirt was the ordnanceman. My husband went on to point out several more discrepancies in the book.

The saving grace of this book is the photography, which is very detailed. Our son is a jet nut and loves looking at the photos of the F-14 and is quickly learning to identify many of the different parts of the jet. Also, the photos bring back a lot of memories for my husband.

To recap: If you like photos of the F-14, this is a great book. If you are knowledgable about the technical aspects of this jet, you may be disappointed by the many errors.