introduction

The "Wild Weasel" concept was developed by the USAF in Vietnam because of the high losses from SAM sites around Hanoi. The idea was 1-2 aircraft with sophisticated electronics that would identify the SAM controller radar, which the Wild Weasels would then destroy. Without its radar, the SAM site was blind and an easy target for conventional cluster bombs dropped by ordinary fighter-bombers. The doctrine has been in-place with the Air Force right up through the current day.

The first Wild Weasel configurations were overall a failure, and the Air Force shifted back and forth between various test beds and airframes. By the 1980s, they were converting F-4E Phantom IIs into the role, and reclassifying them F-4G Wild Weasels. Revell has recently released an updated (and supposedly improved) version of the F-4G (reviewed here on Aeroscale).

The results were mixed at best.

For that reason, GT Resin has stepped in with two improvements to the kit: a complete replacement cockpit (reviewed here), and this set, designed to fix some of the problems with the electronics antennas. They also offer a set of resin burner cans for Revell Phantoms.

what you get

Inside GT Resin's usual white cardboard box is:

6 plugs of resin that include the chin pod, fin cap, low beam antennas and an optional UHF antenna array that is mounted whole to the top of the fuselage, as well as the "belly band" bracing that was added to the Wild Weasels
1 fret of PE for the side beam antenna
2 pages of instructions
1 page of "antenna placement" for the tail section

the review

GT Resin has actually improved this set since its release by adding the "belly band" that was attached to F4-Gs. It makes the set more attractive to modelers who won't just improve on the Revell kit, but will make it more accurate.

In other words, don't judge the quality and value of this set based on the weight of the resin.

GT Resin has done the research to "get it right," and the set is designed for a particular kit, which is itself a niche air frame. While the problems with the Revell kit aren't enormous, they're very obvious: the "chin pod" antenna and the fin cap are both wrong. The GT Resin set fixes those issues and adds details missing from the kit, especially the reinforcing band. A small outlay of cash will bring plenty of benefits to the overall look of the airplane, and makes this set a huge value.

The replacements require some minor surgery on the kit parts, but instructions are included that show you what to do. It's not difficult, and shouldn't be off-putting, even for someone who has never done a resin conversion. And be assured: GT Resin will replace any parts that break for the cost of shipping.

One nice feature is a tiny fret of PE for the side beam antenna in a silvery metal. GT Resin recommends that this part be installed last after painting to recreate the texture and color of the original. The PE is significantly better than a resin solution, and likely adds to the cost of the kit to have custom photo etch manufactured like this.

conclusion

While the Revell kit will build up nicely OOB, its accuracy issues remain. One solution is to purchase this reasonably-priced correction set and get a better overall F-4G Wild Weasel. Given how much cheaper Revell kits are, it seems like a good idea to use some of that money saved to fix the Revell Wild Weasel.

Thanks to GT Resin for providing this review sample.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on Aeroscale.