F-4C Phantom II
Wild Weasel IV

Zoukei-Mura, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Mick Evans

Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to any aircraft equipped with anti-radiation missiles and used to suppress enemy air defences by destroying their radar and surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations. A Wild Weasel pilot baits an enemy into targeting their aircraft with their radars, then traces the radar emissions back to their source, allowing the Weasel or its teammates to precisely target it for destruction.

The USAF developed the Wild Weasel concept in 1965 during the Vietnam War after Soviet SAMs began downing American strike aircraft participating in Operation Rolling Thunder over North Vietnam. The program was headed by General Kenneth Dempster. "The first Wild Weasel success came soon after the first Wild Weasel mission 20 December 1965 when Captains Al Lamb and Jack Donovan took out a site during a Rolling Thunder strike on the railyard at Yen Bai, some 75 mi (120 km) northwest of Hanoi", wrote historian Walter J. Boyne. Wild Weasel tactics and techniques were adopted by other nations and integrated into U.S. efforts to suppress enemy air defences to establish air supremacy before full-scale conflict.

The term "Wild Weasel" derives from Project Wild Weasel, the USAF development program for a dedicated SAM-detection and suppression aircraft.

By 1964 the F-105 was no longer in production. With severe combat attrition of the F-105 inventory, the need for a more sophisticated aircraft resulted in the conversion of 36 F-4C Phantom II aircraft, designated F-4C Wild Weasel IV.

The F-4C Wild Weasel IV also bore the unofficial designation of EF-4C.*

Zoukei-Mura (ZM) has previously released a few different versions of the famous F-4 with models such as the F-4E early and late versions, F-4G, F-4C, F-4D, F-4S, and F-4J. 

This latest release of the F-4C as a Wild Weasel IV sees some additional sprues and surgery to their original F-4C kit. 

On opening the box there are approximately 415 light grey plastic parts and 13 clear plastic parts. 

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Thumbnail panels:

42 of these parts are not used and are required for other versions.

I have previously built the Zoukei-Mura F-4E Early version and the F-4S.  I found both of these to kits to build up very nicely with no fit problems at all. 

In fact, ZM has designed the kit to have minimal join lines with most joins being on panel lines and drop tanks.  I only used a small amount of filler on the nose just in front of the windscreen and nose wheel well.

The F-4C Wild Weasel IV was no different.  Some advanced modelling skills are required though for some plastic surgery around the forward left sparrow mounting bay.  This is then replaced with a section containing the KB18 Strike Camera, An/ALR-53 receiver and tape recorder.  This cut needs to be very precise to avoid a poor fit and filler.

Also included are An/ALR-53 DF antenna to be fitted on the side of the intake, four An/ALR-53 antennas, An/ALR-53 stub antenna and AN/APR-26 Blade Antenna. 

There is a new dedicated rear instrument panel.

New weapons include two AGM-45 Shrike Missiles and their adaptor pylons for stations 2 and 8 while two AIM-7 Sparrows are included for the rear sparrow bays.  An An/ALQ-87 ECM pod is also provided for station 6.

There are various other antennas included for the various colour schemes provided in the kit and their usage is well detailed in the instructions.

The kit cockpit is well detailed and really does not need any aftermarket detail sets except for the ejection seats.  The ejection seats while fairly accurate do not have any harness details.  These can be sourced from HGW. 

The seats are common between variants but the USAF and USN/Marines have different harnesses.

Two complete engines are supplied and these interface with the intake trunks.  Two engine stands are also included but these are very rudimentary. 

The nose and main wheel wells and the undercarriage legs are very nicely detailed and there is very strong and positive locking for the undercarriage legs into their mounting positions.  The intake splitter plates are very accurate and really look nice when painted and washed to highlight the perforation detail.

The engine exhaust nozzles are the correct short version and are very nice detailed, representing the real nozzles very well. 

A nice feature is the leading and trailing edge flaps can be positioned in the streamline position or the lowered position for landing and take-off.  The speed brakes can also be configured in the streamlined or extended position.

Finally the canopy can be position in the open position with a multipiece canopy and opening struts. 

For the closed canopy a one piece canopy is also provided.  For painting a masking set is actually provided in the kit and is easy to install.  Three drop tanks are provided in the form of one centreline tank and two wing tanks.

The final inclusion are two accurate boarding ladders for posing in a diorama.

Markings

Colour schemes provided are all in the South East Asia Colour scheme of FS36622 Light Grey under surfaces and FS30219 Dark Tan, FS34102 Medium Green and FS34079 Dark Green:

1. F-4C-24-MC Wild Weasel IV Sr.no 64-0840 388th TFW/67th TFS, RTAFB Korat Thailand, November 1972

2. F-4C-16-MC Wild Weasel IV Sr.no 63-7423 388th TFW/67th TFS, RTAFB Korat Thailand, November 1972

3. F-4C-16-MC Wild Weasel IV Sr.no 64-7467,  52nd TFW/81st TFS, Spangdahlem AB, Germany July 1975

The decals are all well printed and in register and snuggle down into the detail well.

This is a really nice kit with superb detail and a major step up from the older kits from various manufacturers and look superb when finished.  The fit of parts is amazing and precise with virtually no filler or sanding required. 

Highly Recommended.

* Historical summary courtesy of Wikipedia

Thanks to Zoukei-Mura for the samples

Text and Images of completed model Copyright © 2025 by Mick Evans
In-Box Images Copyright © 2025 by Brett Green
Page Created 10 April 2025
Last updated 11 April, 2025

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