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Reviewer: Sheldon Rampersad  (clyde_rampe@tstt.net.tt)
Kit Review submitted:  10 September 2005

Kit Details:

• Kit: F-4G Wild Weasel

• Scale: 1/48th

• Kit no: 8913

• Price: $120 TTD ($20 USD)

Aircraft History:

The scourge of the Iraqi SAM batteries during the 1991 Desert Storm campaign had it’s birth in the middle of another bloody conflict, Vietnam. The tremendous losses American airforces were incurring penetrating the North Vietnamese air defences required a solution. The “Wild Weasel” concept arose. A flight of aircraft would accompany the strike, the sole purpose being to draw enemy fire away from the strike package and neutralise the threat. F-100 Super Sabre and F-8 Crusaders were initially used. Pilots found tough work with these slightly modified aircraft. Soon a dedicated SAM hunter was employed in the massive F-105F/G airframe. Although capable, combat attrition of the Thunderchief fleet required a new platform. Enter the PHANTOM! The most widely used type in the USAF was adapted at first for the Wild Weasel mission. These modified F-4Cs were replaced by specialised F-4Gs which were based on the F-4E airframe.

This new Phantom had 52 new aerials to help detect, identify and locate enemy radars positions. The Wild Weasel crew could then suppress the defences with AGM-45 Shrike and AGM-78 STARM anti-radiation missiles. Bombs and other unguided munitions could also be used. The aircraft retained a defensive capability with AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Later in the career the lethal AGM-88 HARM and AGM-65 Maverick missiles were added to the arsenal. It is this capable machine that escorted strikes during the first Gulf War and enforced the No-Fly zones after until it’s retirement in 1996.

The Kit:

The kit comes packaged in four plastic bags in the box. One bag contains the clear plastic parts. Another contains parts specific to the F-4G version to be built. On close examination of the part you will discover that parts are provided for an F-4D (chin IR pod, and triangular inboard pylons), early F-4E (short gun muzzle), F-4F (long gun muzzle) and the F-4G. Because of this there will be a few inaccuracies/modifications to be made. One modification that is readily apparent is that there is only one pitot tube on the fin of an F-4G. Thus the upper tube has to be removed. Additionally the chin intake scoops for the F-4g and more square in shape than the one provided. The kit intake scoops are oval at the aft end where as they are supposed to be square.

Versions/Decals:

Assembly:

I began by painting the dark ghost grey colours on the side of the fuselage and wings. Having set this aside to dry I painted the cockpit/office. Decals are provided for the cockpits but research shows that these are way off from the actual cockpit layout. There are raised details on the cockpit tub sides and I recommend dry brushing them. The rear instrument panel (part 33) indicated in the instruction is NOT the one to be used. The rear panel on the F-4G is larger than the F-4E panel and blocks the WSO entire forward view. The correct panel is the one with raised details. 

On putting the cockpit into place you will have to cut a small piece of the rear antiglare shield for it to fit. Trust me on this one. The cockpit is completed by gluing the WSO ejection seat, panels and control sticks in place. Do not cement the pilot’s seat in yet. The cockpit tub is glued on top of the forward belly pan (part 58). This is the forward gear well. 

While building the cockpit the wing assembly was drying after being painted and glued together. The wing consists of two top wing halves and one entire wing base. Unlike most phantom kits the wing base does not include the forward nose well. This is a separate part (58). The result is when the fuselage is joined together with the cockpit/belly pan assembly and wings; there is a ridge on the underside in the middle of the forward sparrow bays. Well not a ridge, more like a canyon. That brings me to the major flaw in this kit, poor moulding. The mouldings are not properly sized. Some parts are two small. The cockpit tub is to short and there is a sizeable gap between the fuselage and the rear wall of the cockpit tub, which is visible with the canopy down. There seems to be poor pattern planning. When I say this I mean how the airframe was divided into assembly parts.

The nose cone comes in halves. When glued together this is affixed to the front of the airframe. The pilot’s seat can now be placed and the antiglare shields. The aircraft lacks aircrew but luckily I had two enthusiastic applicants in my spares box. The stabilators are positions correctly without problems. The fin top APR-38 RHAW pod is glued together. The little projection at the rear of the fin has to be removed in order for it to fit properly. The air ramp and intake assembly fit snugly in between the fuselage and wing. 

While this assembly dried I worked on the under wing stores. You are provided with 4 X AIM-7, 4 X AIM-9, 1 X ECM pod, 2 X HARM, 3 X drop tanks. I opted for three sparrows, the ECM pod, under belly drop tank. I removed the outer wing drop tanks from the pylons they were mould to. I wanted to place the HARMS missiles on these outer wing pylons. On station 2 (the inner port wing pylon) I placed an AGM-65 maverick. On the inboard starboard wing pylon I placed two sidewinders with a TER beneath holding three MK-82 Snakeyes. By the way the inboard pylons to use are the ones shown in the instructions, ie the curved ones. The pointed ones are for NAVY phantoms and RF-4C.

The landing gear went together without much problems. The only point to note is that there is an item not shown on the nose gear assembly. If you look closely in the part spruces you will notice a part with two circles on a rectangular block. The block is bent. This is actually the nose gear light assembly. The assembly has to be glued to the inside of the forward nose gear door (part 17). The circle areas are the lights and the clear part provided goes on as shown. The result is a light that faces forward on the door and one that shines downward and forward projecting beneath the door. 

The exhaust cone is put in place but unfortunately there are no exhaust vanes to put inside of the exhaust cone. So anyone peering into the exhaust will be faced by a flat wall. The cockpit glass goes on next. I had to carefully bend the middle canopy rib into shape. It was to flat and needed to be bent into a more curve shape. The clear pieces are going together great when I discover that the forward windshield and the pilot’s canopy do not line up!!!!! The wind shield is to tall and does not fit flush with the pilot’s canopy. It is a problem that cannot be fixed by sanding due to the shape of the pieces. To sand would mean throwing of the alignment of the windshield. And you cannot apply filler since it is clear pieces and trying to raise the pilot’s canopy would throw of the entire alignment for the rest of clear pieces. Damn bad moulding! 

I applied the decals and then the last of the small antennae. When applying the decals make sure that they soak well before placing on the aircraft. If they haven’t soaked enough once they are on it’s very very difficult to slide them into correct position. All of the antennae are the same size. Some are supposed to be shorter than the others though. The short ones are the antennae on the fin and cheeks of the aircraft and one of those on the chin. One of the two on the spine is the correct length while the aft one is to be longer

Conclusion:

Overall this is an ok kit due to the bad moulding. The colour scheme is limited but still nice. The details are sufficient but adequate research is required to build an accurate replica.

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