Revell EA-6A Wild Weasel

I have always been a fan of Revell-Monogram 1/48 kits and this time is no different. When I first got it in the mail I was amazed how big the box was, the model itself is also very big and impressive. What I like about it is that all the pieces fit perfectly together, not much trimming required, although I still like my models to be perfectly smooth. The cockpit with two figures is highly detailed and it comes with decals for the dashboard. I usually paint my own details. Included decals are for two different versions of the EA-6A. Overall this model is a lot of fun to make, and even more beautiful to look at when it's finished. I must have watched "Flight of the Intruder" about 20 times while making this model, best time ever.Worth the money, worth your collection.

This turned out to be one of the best models I have ever built,and I have been building them for over 35 years. My brother in law served on the USS Midway and it turned out so good I gave it to him for Christmas.He really likes it even though it didn't come with decals for the Midway.

Revell did a great job with this kit! It appears to be a precision kit to be assembled and displayed with pride.

There were only about 25 EA-6A Intruders produced for the USN and USMC, which were phased out after Vietnam in favor of the more capable EA-6B Prowler. I'm not sure the EA-6A was ever truly designated to fulfill the role of "Wild Weasel" and I explain why at the bottom of the review.This model comes in a large box! Upon opening it I saw two tried and true Revell trademarks immediately. All the sprues were packed in a single bag and the instructions used numbers to identify all the pieces. It's slightly annoying but not really a big deal. The kit has raised panel lines but it is molded in great detail, especially in the cockpit. A word of caution, after the model is assembled the center of gravity is way back around the tail. If you find out you need to add more forward weight, like I did, you can insert grey poster putty through the hole just aft of the cockpit where the canopy will be attached. I ran into several fit issues with the fuselage, wings, and intakes, but they weren't difficult to correct. Just have a lot of sand paper on hand. The engine inlet fans can be seen through the intakes, but they seem slightly shallow. Oddly, there are no "exhaust cans" or other forms of detail on the other side of the engine. Instead, the exhaust openings are formed when the wings are glued together. As far as options are concerned, the air brakes can be positioned open or closed and the tail hook up or down. The kit includes decals for three separate aircraft and are good quality. I like the A-6 and enjoyed assembling this model. The issues I had were minor and had more to do with my OCD than Revell's design. Overall though, this kit was easy to build.This aircraft most likely flew "Iron Hand" surface to air missile (SAM) suppression missions. In contrast, Wild Weasels, often F-4Gs, functioned as bait by seeking out and provoking enemy attacks. When a SAM site activated its tracking system the Wild Weasel or Iron Hand aircraft would launch an anti-radiation missile to destroy it. Speed and maneuverability were essential for flying the role of Wild Weasel. While the A-6A was a reliable, all weather, low level attack bomber with a rugged air frame, its performance was subsonic. Attaching a large and heavy tail fairing required to turn a stock A-6A into an EA-6A would almost certainly complicate flight characteristics and make a slow aircraft slower. The additional pair of wing fences attached to the upper surfaces of the EA-6A wings were probably installed to mitigate aerodynamic stability problems caused by the huge antenna fairing on the tail (Grumman resolved those issues with the successful design of the EA-6B Growler). It's easy to see why only 25 were modified/produced. That is, in my opinion, why it's difficult to imagine the EA-6A as a Wild Weasel.