AMX: Brazilian-Italian Fighter-Bomber Book Review

By David L. Veres

Review

Including development machines, about 200 AMXs ultimately saw service with the Italian and Brazilian air forces – some still with the latter.

Now Harpia tells the whole terrific tale in AMX: Brazilian-Italian Fighter-Bomber – available in North America from Casemate.

Conceived as a tactical fighter-bomber, AMX was optimized for a wide range of roles – including attack, interdiction, close support, reconnaissance, training, and, in rare instances, air-defense. Examples saw combat over Afghanistan, the Balkans, and Libya.

Author João Paulo Zeitoun Moralez broadly divides text into three parts over 144 picture-packed pages:

• design & development of single- and two-seat versions
• Italian service as the A-11 “Ghibli”, popularly dubbed “Rat”
• Brazilian service as the A-1

Commentary competently chronicles the fascinating story. Production. Airframes. Systems. Power-plant. Specifications. Performance. Avionics. Ordinance. And more.

Historians and hobbyists will love it. Dozens of crystal clear photos, detail shots, and archival images support the study. And lots of color art – profiles, badges, ordinance insets, unit badges, and insignia – also augment the account.

Clean and concise, text proved informative and, in some cases, even entertaining. But translation sometimes bordered on quirky. I don’t think, for instance, the author really meant “consecrated”.

Extended, explanatory captions accompany most illustrations. And tables further recap commentary. An abbreviations list, references, and four appendices complete contents.

This superb AMX study nicely complements the author’s two previous Harpia volumes: EMB-312 Tucano, Brazil’s Turboprop Success Story and EMB-314 Super Tucano – Brazil’s Turboprop Success Story Continues.

Building Kinetic’s or Hobby Boss’ 1:48-scale AMX kits? Anticipating Italeri’s 1:72 version? You need this book.

Robustly recommended!

With thanks to Casemate for the review copy.