Author : Robert L. Shaw
Pages : 417
Photos: 0
Published 1986
This is a hard book for me to review; I know it is invaluable, that everything is well laid out and precisely described but……….. It does read at times like an engineering manual, you know; da, da, da, da, da, daa, de, dum; de, dum, de, dum.
It is iconic.
The bible on fighter combat.
Everything is covered; weapons, basic maneuvers, one vs. one, two vs. one, section tactics, division tactics, missions, intercepts and a technical appendix.
It is really the first few sections, up to 2 vs. 2, that are the most instructive to sim pilots and this covers around 260 pages; although for IL2FB some can be discounted as it covers missile situations.
Everything is there but at times the bits that you really want to get into are I think a bit too technical.
Robert Shaw does his best, the examples are highlighted with actual quotes from pilots from their experience and he has developed a clear and precise way of using diagrams, but at times the materiel just defeats this for me.
The only way I could get through it was in very small sections at a time, doing the fighter pilot thing with my hands, and ending up sometimes in knots and…. When it clicked boy did you learn it and how !!
So how do I judge it after all I have said above; well I suppose it all depends on what kind of background you have. If you are technically minded then it is a must; if you are less so then perhaps you should read it first before you buy. Persuade your local library to get a copy and see for yourself what its like. Then, when you return it, you could leave a little note inside the book telling others about IL2 and perhaps convert others to the cause
The only thing that prevents me from giving it a massive thumbs up are that I found it a bit too technical and that there are variations and interpretations of the material on the net for free … for example here http://mywebpages.comcast.net/Tailspin/index.htm
And of course
http://www.airwarfare.com/index.htm
Swinging back in favour of the book are the following: that it is just about worth it for the pilot quotes; the diagrams are great; you sometimes really can’t improve on the original; that it is in book format and well sectioned and referenced so everything is easy to access and well it is a book and I prefer reading these to screens.
Hope this has given you some food for thought
