When I received this set, I thought the parts were too small to be 1/32 scale. Turns out the Tunnan has a round fuselage with all the gear contained within it. This allows for very short landing gear legs. SAC appears to have duplicated the kit parts in their usual soft white metal. My research indicates the landing gear in the base kit is tricky to install, so don’t expect the fit you might get from other brands these days. I also read comments about the need for stronger main gear legs since the completed model has a bit of heft to it.

Packaging

The Gaahleri conversion kit for the Mobius-TG Premium Series comes well-packed in a small hanger box for the needle, which contains a foam insert containing the secured needle. The packaging indicates the needle size and SKU on a sticker on the rear of the packaging. The cap and nozzle are both contained in sturdy blister packs that are also suitable for hanging. Each component is labeled with the Gaahleri SKU and component size for the 0.3mm cap and nozzle.

The Components

The components are well packaged and come with no damage or irregularity. Once removed from the packaging, the process of applying the conversion began.

This is a simple metal upgrade for Hasegawa’s early 1980’s/90’s release 1/32 radial-engine FW-190 kits, and their “Dora FW-190 kit." Out of the box, it’s a great and easy kit for almost anyone to make a decent Wulf… but this SAC gear adds the additional “peace of mind” when dealing with the long legs and (as on many plastic kits) “always waiting to be broken off” tail gear.

It’s an easy one-for-one replacement to install this gear, and the cool part is it can all be installed at the end of the build if desired. I show the model with the gear in place before painting the project, as this gear lends itself to such shenanigans…. Just like an Armor kit!

I make no claims to being an airbrushing expert. I own three brushes (an Iwata, an HP, and an inexpensive “no-name” unit) and while on some days, the airbrushing gods smile down upon me, there are other times that despite my best efforts, I’d be better off using a toothbrush and poster paints. I had heard a lot about this brand and jumped at the chance to do the review.

My first impressions were highly favorable - a very nicely packaged product. Two things that jumped out at me were the exploded parts diagram on the bottom of the box (see below) and a nice bag of spare bushings and O-ring seals. I was a bit surprised to see how many discrete O-rings are used I the construction of the airbrush but time will tell if this means better performance, easier, or more complicated maintenance.

This particular set, contained in the familiar SAC blister packaging, is a perfect match for the SAC metal Landing Gear set 48472 for the F-35 C. See the excellent review by Rod Lees.

There are two parts — each representing the right and left-wing hinges. Upon inspection, no flash is detected, and they are cleanly cast. As with all SAC products, the pewter is pliable and can be adjusted as needed for a perfect fit. The two SAC parts are designed to replace kit parts EE39 and EE38, discussed in steps 61 and 62 within the Tamiya instructional guide.

Although I am a fan of metal landing gear for increased strength and stability, replacing these particular kit parts is negligible, in my opinion. Viewing the kit parts side-by-side with the metal parts, I found the kit's parts to be crisper. For this reason, I would be more inclined to stick with them, especially since the wing hinges are not parts which really require increased strength.