IPMS/USA Reviews

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) is a Texas based company that makes white metal landing gear for a vast number of model aircraft in all scales.

The idea behind the use of metal over the kit supplied plastic landing gear is strength. Over time plastic can give way under the weight of heavy aircraft models.

The metal parts are contained in a clear plastic tray with an attractive color backing showing product details.

This set includes the nose and main undercarriage legs, main gear retraction struts, nose leg torque links and inner main gear door retraction struts and bulkhead. They are a direct copy of the plastic kit parts, except for the main gear. The kit plastic main undercarriage legs are in two parts, while the SAC gear comes as one part. This makes the leg stronger and eliminates dealing with a glue seam.

All the SAC parts need some clean up, but, most of the mold seams found on the plastic parts have already been removed. I was able to get each item ready for assembly and painting in a matter of a few minutes. As the white metal was quite soft, I had to carefully straighten some items.

The new engine was added to the F-16 beginning with the Block 30. This engine was the General Electric F110-GE engine. Two versions were used on the F-16, the GE-100 on the Block 30 and 40. The Block 50 fitted the GE-129 model. They are virtually identical externally. This is set for the Tamiya F-16 kit, in particular the Aggressor and CJ kit,

Packaged in a sturdy cardboard box are three high quality grey resin pieces which in themselves are packaged in a resealable plastic bag. There is a small instruction sheet that tells you what you need to replace. There are no blemishes anywhere on any of the resin pieces. The detail is phenomenal throughout.

Starting at the back, the exhaust itself which is the most visible part of the set, has flawless detail for the petals and the connecting ring. The detail on the inside is even nicer. Compared to the kit part, which has no detail, the resin piece is beautiful. One thing I noticed was that the resin exhaust appears slightly longer than the kit part. I do not know which one is correct.

The Tamiya F-16 series of kits are phenomenal renditions of the real airplane. There are multiple boxings. This particular set is designed to replicate the exhaust of the Pratt and Whitney F-100 Exhaust used on the Block 42 and Block 52 aircraft. They are externally very similar. The Block 42 has the -200 version and the Block 52 uses the -229.

Packaged in a sturdy cardboard box are two pieces of light grey resin inside of a resealable plastic sleeve. The two parts are perfectly cast with no blemishes anywhere. The detail on both pieces is remarkable.

The exhaust nozzle is a gem. It includes beautiful detail inside and out. Compared to the kit parts which only hints at the detail, the resin exhaust is perfect. There are beautiful exhaust petals and actuators.

The other piece is the afterburner liner. The kit liner is nothing more than a smooth surface. The real thing and the resin one has exquisite detail.

The Tamiya Mosquito is a beautiful kit but it does have one drawback, it can't be built into a two-stage version. The Airfix kit is the only way to get a two-stage Mosquito out of the box, but they are hard to find and not as easy to build as the Tamiya kit. A few other conversions have been done but they are long out of production. So if you want the build one of the high altitude variants, such as the FB Mk. IX, Mk. XVI, NF XV, or PR Mk.34 or any of the later variants you'll need this resin set.

Packaged in a sturdy cardboard box with eight resin pieces, two upper engine nacelles, two lower nacelles and four exhaust stacks. Also included is a fret of photo etch to make the intake screens. The parts are protected in a resealable bag. The resin is light grey and absolutely flawless. Test fitting the resin upper and lower cowling proved that the fit was perfect. And that is without even removing the pour blocks.

A single fret of brass allows you to build the tropical variant by adding the intake and side vents.

Thank you to Phil and Bill for all that you do managing and providing review opportunities!

Recommended kit: Any 1/35 Academy AH-1Z

Reviewer's Comments

This landing skid set from SAC is a direct replacement for the kit parts. The white metal casting is superb as is usual for SAC. The kit consists of five parts: two main skids, one tail skid, and two skid braces.

Instructions are not provided, but they are not required since the parts are intended to be direct replacements for the kit parts. The parts are very nicely detailed, and clean. There are no mold seams visible, and no sanding or filing was required.

Prior to painting it is recommended to wash the parts with a mild detergent solution to remove any remaining mold release. I would recommend using a gel-type of CA adhesive to bond the parts together.

This landing gear set is highly recommended for its excellent quality and simple installation. It will absolutely provide a more robust base for your AH-1Z model.

Thank you for SAC for the honor to review the fantastic accessory and thank you to IPMS for the opportunity.