¹⁄32

Wild Weasel, SAM Killer

history

Starting in 1965 during the Vietnam War, the US Air Force discovered that SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles) were easier to destroy on the ground than hurtling into the air at several times the speed of sound. Known as Wild Weasel, a system of specially-armed fighter bombers was developed that combined radar-detecting electronics and special radar-seeking missiles intended to take out the SAM command & control center. The goal was to "blind" the site by knocking out the radar-directors, then send in conventional fighter bombers to destroy the now more or less harmless missiles on the ground.

The Model

The signature Wild Weasel air frame was the F4-G Phantom II, and fans of the Wild Weasel can now build two late versions in 1/32nd scale thanks to an updated Revell kit that combines the previously-released F4-E kit with new sprues replicating the electronics and load-outs specific to the Wild Weasel. The kit has a good shape and goes together well, though the supplied decals are dreadful and required quite a bit of patience and loving care. Detail is typical for a Revell kit, and so I chose to enhance the build with some after-market items mentioned below.

I added GT Resin's burner cans, Wild Weasel electronics & antennas, and the F4-G cockpit set. The detailing on all three is superb, and GT Resin even now offers seamless intakes (I chose to use intake covers on my build). The only scratch-building I had to do were the grab handles for the ejection seats, Other after-market products added to the build include Master pitot tube, ram jet intake & AOA (angle of attack) indicator set, SAC metal landing gear, AMS FOD red covers, and the two F4-E PE sets from Eduard.