This is a white metal landing gear set is to for the Sword 1/48 English Electric Lighting T. Mk4/5 aircraft.

The white metal parts are good are have better defined details than the original kit parts. They are a very good replacement for the already well details kit parts. The advantage is these white metal parts will provide more strength and last longer than the kit parts.

The parts include the main two gear struts components that replaces part numbers 78, 79, 27, 57, 56, 60 and 61. The front strut parts which replaces part numbers 7, 84 and 59.

The parts are well cast; you do need to sand off the few cast seams and metal pour points. The parts were a perfect fit to the existing mount and were easy to assemble.

I recommend these parts are a great addition to an already extremely well detailed kit.

Thanks go to Scale Aircraft Conversions for providing this set to review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it for them.

Author Steve Ginter is a noted military historian who publishes the Naval Fighter series that was founded in 1980. After graduating from California State University-Northridge, Ginter became a US Navy pilot, serving from 1966 to 1972. Upon leaving the US Navy, Ginter held a series of management positions within the Thrifty Drug chain for the next twenty-one years. In 1996 he became the CEO of Sentai Distributors where he directed company operations until 2011. The Air Force Legends series was initiated in 1998 with the publication of ‘The Martin XB-51’.

Recently I was given the opportunity by IPMS USA to review Eduard's canopy masks for the new 1/48 Airfix P-51D Mustang kit. One of the first things to notice with this product is the excellent presentation of the packaging with the easy to open flap. Package includes a single sheet of kabuki paper masks for the canopy panels, landing lights, and wheel hubs.

Upon removal of the masks from the package I could easily remove the masks from the paper and apply to appropriate section of the canopy. The instructions included with the masks gives you a good feel for which panel you are working with compared to how canopy is sectioned off. The masks lay down well and no trimming had to be done to center up the masks with the canopy framing. The main canopy has to be masked with extra tape or a liquid mask, you only get the outer frame.

This set is the latest in Eduard’s “Brassin” line. The set comes in a resealable clamshell package with a cardboard insert to separate the decals, etched parts, and instructions from the sixteen resin parts. The instructions comprise one sheet representing the cover sheet with the decal application guide along with painting instructions. The inner spread provides the assembly guide, with the back sheet showing the parts list and the color codes for Gunze paint (Aqueous and MrColor). I will note that the resin parts on my set had lots of room in the blister to move and as a consequence, I had the rear fins broken off (R33) on two of the four bombs. This set will need to be installed with your favorite CA (super glue) or epoxy, as the normal plastic glues or solvents will not react with the resin or photoetch.

I was drawn to this decal set for two reasons:

One, I thought that camouflaged Mustangs are not seen as much as the bare metal US aircraft.

Two: I had to do the Aussie Southern Cross marking being an Aussie!

LPS Hobby is a decal manufacturer from Brazil. The decal sheet, instruction sheet and cover page are contained within a generously sized zip-lock bag.

This small decal set contains marking for three British camouflaged P-51K Mustangs from Royal Canadian, South African and Royal Australian Air Forces:

• KH608, Y2, “Edmonton Special”, PO John Mallandaine, 442 Sqn RCAF, Hunsdon, England. May 1945
• KH673, GL-N, “Sweetpea”, 5 Sqn SAAF, Udine Italy, January 1945
• KH676, CV-A, F/Lt 'Dusty' Lane, 3 Sqn RAAF, Cervia, Italy, April 1945

The recommended donor kit is the Tamiya 1/72 P-51D Mustang, however the newer Airfix, or any other manufacturers P-51D/K could also be used.