de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1/FAW.2 Book Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

Barracuda Graphics has released their first title, this covering the de Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.1 and FAW.2. Subtitled as "an in-depth photographic study", the author has compiled 226 color and black & white photographs of the aircraft to compile a very detailed photo walk around of the aircraft. If you've seen the photo walk arounds published by Reid Air Publications (F-15, F-16, A-10), Wings & Wheels Publications, and DACO Publications, this title provides the same in-depth treatment of the Sea Vixen using a number of airframes around the UK.

The title features an introduction providing a brief history of the Sea Vixen written by Chris Bucholtz and illustrated with a number of nice period photos showing the Sea Vixen in action.

Coverage of this title is broken down as follows:

• History of the de Havilland Sea Vixen

• Fuselage
  • Forward Fuselage
  • Upper Fuselage
  • Lower Fuselage
  • Airbrakes
• Radome
• Cockpits
  • Pilot's Cockpit
  • Canopy
  • Observer's Cockpit
• Intake and Exhaust
• Landing Gear
  • Nose Gear
  • Main Landing Gear
  • Main Landing Gear Bays
  • Arrestor Gear
• Wings
  • Outer Wings
  • Wingfolds
  • Flaps
  • Weapons and Tanks
• Tail Booms
  • FAW.1 Tail Booms
  • FAW.2 Tail Booms
  • Tailplanes
• Sea Vixen D.3 XP924

The photo coverage around the airframe is thorough with a look even under the radome. These detailed photographs are put into context with technical diagrams out of several airframe technical manuals to help illustrate what you're seeing in the photos. The photo coverage ends with beautiful color photos of several Sea Vixens flying around the airshow circuit including the Red Bull Sea Vixen.

This a nicely laid out title that will help you with your next Sea Vixen project, especially the two 1/48 Sea Vixen kits scheduled for release later this year from Airfix.

Thanks to Barracuda Studios for the review copy. You can order a copy of this nice monograph here.