Cutting Edge 1/32 ALQ-71 Jamming Pods

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

The need for electronic countermeasures during Vietnam led to the development of the ALQ-71 jamming pod. This pod soon became a common sight on combat-ready F-4s and F-105s.

The Sets

Cutting Edge has released two different sets for the ALQ-71: one specific to the F-105 (Trumpeter) and one specific to the F-4 (Tamiya and Revell). There are some clear differences between the pods used on the two aircraft, so be sure you've got the right set.

Both sets follow the same general parts breakdown. There is a main afterbody, with the front separate. This allows the modeler to choose between either a RAT front or a non-RAT front. There is also a choice for the antenna blades underneath, so check your references.

The set designed for the F-105 comes with two pods, and the main difference in appearance is the pointed afterbody. Some F-105s carried ALQ-71 pods that had a truncated afterbody, and this is provided as a separate piece.

The detailing on these resin parts is excellent and is much better than what you get in the kits. If you are planning on building some Vietnam-era F4s or F-105s in 1/32, these sets are well worth looking into. My thanks to Meteor Productions for the review samples.