| Date of Review |
October 2006 |
| Title |
F-15I Ra'am in IAF Service |
| Author |
Ra'anan Weiss |
| Publisher |
Isra Decals Publications |
| Published |
2006 |
| ISBN |
965-7220-04-1 |
| Format |
82 pages, softbound |
| MSRP (USD) |
$30.00 |
The F-15 Eagle has been involved in several wars since it entered
service in the early 1970s. Designed to be a pure dogfighter, the
F-15 has an impressive kill-loss ratio. One reason for its huge
success is its early combat debut over Israel. The Israeli Air
Force has really rung out the aircraft since it went into service
there. They were first to see combat with the aircraft, and they
still have an unmatched kill ratio of 80:0 after their last skirmish
with Syria, earning the Israeli Eagles with the distinction on
being the "largest distributor of MiG parts in the world!"
With the success of the F-15 Baz, it was only natural that the
Israelis would want to leverage the F-15E Strike Eagle to provide
greater payload and range to strike at signifcant threats located
hundreds of miles away (like Scuds). While the IAF evaluated other
aircraft, they decided upon the F-15E but with tailored capabilities
which would render the F-15I designation. While the F-15I was featured
in photo shoots during its initial test flights and again during
the IAF's participation in a USAF Red Flag, the F-15I has
remained aloof from interested aviation enthusiasts - until now.
IsraDecal Publications has done a magnificent job in bringing
the Ra-am up-close and in detail. The title starts off with a brief
developmental history of the type and launches into a wide array
of magnificent color photographs of the aircraft in action, including
their 2002 visit to Nellis AFB for Red Flag. The title is then
rounded out with loads of full-color photos of an extensive photo
walk around of the aircraft from all of the usual perpectives and
quite a few more that would get the average enthusiast shot! Very
nice work indeed.
The title is written in English and provides a detailed look at
the aircraft that will satisfy both the modeler and the Israeli
Air Force aviation historian/enthusiast.
If you're a follower of the exploits and accomplishments of the
Israeli Air Force, this is one title you won't want to miss. This
title is highly recommended!
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