We at IPMS continue to thank Ross and his Team at SAC for supporting the IPMS USA reviewer corps with what has turned into a monthly release schedule with extremely useful and well-thought out landing gear additions for the crowd out here in the modeling world.

This review is for the SAC landing gear released for the relatively new 1/48 ICM Mig-25. As to the basic kit, it is well designed and accurate BUT also is not for beginners. A lot of locations are vague on where parts should line up. I have struggled with the afterburner/augmentor petals, and the overall assembly of the basic fuselage. The landing gear is no different, as the angles and installation are to be expected to cause grief. It gets done but prepare yourself mentally and lay off the adult beverages while trying to line everything up.

Not exactly sure where my interest in Swedish aircraft comes from. Could be because my Dad is from Minnesota and his relatives go back to Scandinavia including Sweden. But more than likely it is that cool splinter camouflage on the Viggen. No matter the reason this book is an excellent publication to wet that interest.

This 200-page hardback book covers exactly what the title says it does, every jet fighter operated by the Swedish Air Force up to today.

These are:

• Saab J 21R
• J 28A, B, C – DH.100 Vampire
• Saab J 29 Flygande Tunnan
• Saab J 32B Lansen
• J 33 DH.112 Venom
• J 34 Hawker Hunter
• Saab J 35 Draken
• Saab 37 Viggen
• Saab JAS 39 Gripen

There are two chapters for each type, the first covers the history of each plane including squadron use and first hand experience. The next chapter looks at the camouflage and markings each type wore.

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) manufactures white metal landing gear that is a direct replacement for the kits plastic landing gear. The metal landing gear offer greater strength over the kit parts as well as having most of the mold lines removed. At times the metal will be bent out of shape but that is easily corrected by bending it back to the correct shape.

This set includes six parts, the main gear struts, two retract arms, one tailwheel trailing link and strut. All the main gear and tailwheel items are exact copies of the kit parts with most of the mold lined cleaned up. The tailwheel kit part has excessive molding flash and that is cleaned up on the SAC version.