Schiffer Publishing now offers a useful book on the AV-8B Harrier II as part of its Legends of Warfare series.
Most modellers love a good reference book, regardless of the subject being built. Harrier fans are no different, and they have a decent selection of visual cues in the new 112-page book from Schiffer Publishing.
AV-8B Harrier II sticks to this series’ common format of mostly photos with captions, supported by larger blocks of text to begin chapters. The focus is wider than the title suggests, though, as the book starts with a general Harrier history, including the RAF GR.1 and US Marine Corps’ AV-8A. There’s also another brief section, UK Second-Generation Harriers, showing RAF GR.7s/9s.
Mostly, though, the book looks at USMC machines via many different images of the AV-8B, in early standard, night-attack and ‘+’ radar-equipped formats. Close-ups and whole airframe shots provide a wealth of detail regarding camouflage, structural features, weaponry and more. A USMC Squadrons chapter also appears, opening with general text and a table of units with nickname, location, tail code and year-assigned data. The badge of each squadron appears on each relevant page.
Harrier at war
Combat operations are also explored in a summary of AV-8B activity throughout Desert Storm, unit/loss tables and appropriate photos. Operations Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn/Lightning are also touched upon, before the focus switches to foreign Harriers… Spanish, Indian, Italian. It’s not the most exhaustive book on the subject, and some of the captions could have offered more information on weapons, but this is a good entry-level title that won’t break the bank… and it’s an especially worthy reference for second-generation Harrier neophytes. It’s available in the UK from Gazelle Book Services for £18.99, or from Schiffer in the US at $19.99.
Legends of Warfare Aviation
AV-8B Harrier II
The US Marine Corps’ VSTOL Jet Aircraft
By: Ken Neubeck
Format: 237 x 237mm
ISBN: 978-0-7643-6340-5
