Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) has provided the IPMS reviewer corps with a set of 1/48th scale metal landing gear for Accurate Miniatures/Academy P-51 A/B/C, A-36, F-6A/B, Mk.1a kits. These parts are drop-in replacements and provide a more robust landing gear set given its metal properties.

In the Package

The metal pieces are packaged in a clear blister package with cardboard backing. No instructions are provided.

Review Process

The metal landing gear set is used as drop-in replacements for the kit parts as noted:

• Wing Gear: 27L & 27R
• Tail Gear: 22

The metal used is malleable and has some give to allow for any minor bending if needed. Also, seam lines will need to be cleaned up prior to painting just like the plastic kit parts.

Let me start off with this, Lifelike Decals are some of the most thoroughly researched decals available. When your instruction sheets a sheet with 41 references on it for the subject aircraft, AND 26 references just addressing the Zero colors, you know this company is different.

Inside a ziplock baggie you get enough decals to do SIXTEEN Zeros in various models, from the Type 21 to the Type 52. The instructions are an absolute boon of information. There are no less than EIGHT pages dedicated to the discussion of the Zeros camouflage. This includes the most recent research by notable Japanese historians, including Nicholas Millman. It is a reference in itself that is worth the price of the decal sheet. There are color chips! When was the last time you were given color chips with your decals? You also get two masks to protect the areas where the aircraft information is on the fuselage.

Academy/MRC has released a new North American F-86F-40 Sabre in 1/48 scale with leading edge slatted wings. There are two new sprue-runners (I & H) with upgraded wings, slats, 200 gallon drop tanks, main landing gear wheels wells, and wheels. From Scalemates.com, the original molding was created by Academy in 1998 for all the other sprue-runners.

This is Part 2 of the review and focuses on the assembly and completion.

Review Process

This is a box stock build, but I did add simple tape seat belts. The only assembly deviation I did for this review was taking liberties of the assembly sequence to help make the process go faster. To try and make a simpler build, I decided to not open the fuselage speed brakes or the nose gun bays.

The EC-145/H145/ UH-72 Lakota series of models from Revell-Germany are some really great kits. Each one is slightly different.

The large canopy is highlighted by a very large single wiper blade that is used for either side. The plastic parts in the kit are large and clunky. Quickboost’s wiper blade assembly is very petite and looks the part. There are three parts to the wiper assembly. They are molded on a single grey resin pour block. The actual wiper blade looks just like a real windshield wiper blade looks. This is attached to the wiper arms, which are mounted sideways on the block. It has two ‘arms’ that will fit nicely in the mounts that Revell has on the kit. The third part is part of the wire strike protection system and goes below the wiper blade base. This part is NOT included in the kit, but it appears to be on almost every H-145 that I can find. Great job Quickboost in recognizing this.

The release of the HobbyBoss B-24 Liberator was long overdue. While the Monogram kit is a nice kit, it was showing its age with raised panel lines and some fit issues. On the heels of their 1/32^nd kit of the same airplane, HobbyBoss released the 1/48^th scale kit. They fixed some issues such as the wings but one of the criticisms of the kit is the shape of the engine nacelles. That is where this set comes in.