Again, a (British term) “Lovely” set of cast metal gear to help your model stand on its own without looking like Bambi on pond ice after a few months.

This set is the usual SAC total replacement of the kit items, with improved assembly and ease of installation. Whereas on this kit you are required to capture a wire between the strut halves for strength (which is still an improvement over total plastic gear), SAC saves you the effort of having to clean up the parts after assembly.

The other benefit I n this case is the axle assemblies are metal versus plastic. No broken off axles after a hard landing (just bend the gear back into place)

SAC once again provides a very nice set of cast metal gear to help your model stand out in public places.

This set is the usual SAC total replacement of the kit items, with improved assembly and ease of installation.

The other benefit I n this case is the axle assemblies are metal verses plastic. No broken off axles after a hard landing (just bend the gear back into place). The debris deflector is strong and in two halves and cleans up well after assembly. I only installed ½ of the deflector on the photographs as the kit is still in the construction phase, and this review is more about the gear and how it works…

History

The Spitfire is perhaps one of the most famous fighters to emerge from World War II, combining performance, development potential, versatility, and beauty in one airframe. I cannot imagine a modeler who does not know the basic history of the type, so I won’t repeat it here. The Mk. VIII represented by this kit was an upgrade from earlier models, which gave improved performance. Developed from the Mk. VII, the Mk. VIII featured a 1710 HP Merlin 63 or 66 engine, and all were fitted with the Vokes tropical filter. While most had the standard elliptical wingtips, some had the extended wingtips for high altitude use. A few were also equipped with “bubble” canopies. Most Mk. VIIIs were used in the Middle East or with the RAAF in the Far East against the Japanese, where they were superior to every Japanese fighter encountered.

Want an nice upgrade to any 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant? Step right up to the new Quickboost Defiant Mk.I undercarriage set that provides a beautiful replacement to what is supplied in your kit. The parts are packaged in the standard Quickboost re-closable packaging with a paper stiffener along with the description card. There are no instructions. These parts are specific to fit the Airfix accurate and highly detailed 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I injected plastic kit. They may also work for the older limited run Classic Airframes kits (471, 481, and 482) that were introduced in 1995.

Quickboost has molded the undercarriage set perfectly in light grey resin with no apparent bubbles. The undercarriage set detail is an improvement over what is provided in the kit providing more of a 3-dimensional aspect to the doors.

Make sure you consult your photographs to get the correct geometry for all six parts. I found some useful pics by Ron Patterson at:

The Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing and later D17 was a versatile family of aircraft that ended up serving in for more roles than originally envisioned by Beech. Renowned for its attractive lines and good performance, it was designed to be an executive aircraft. But it soon found a role as a racer, liaison, and a utility aircraft in both military and civilian livery. In the US Army Air Force it was the UC-43, in the US Navy the GB-1 and 2. In addition, it flew with 15 other air f orces.

Roden answered the call of many modelers to release a nice kit of the Staggerwing, finally supplanting the old AMT kit which is still available through Round 2. The AMT kit was a specific post war variant however, and required modification to backdate it. The Roden kit represents the most common D17S variant and while Roden provides different liveries/markings in its multiple releases, there were many more schemes not covered; plus Roden decals can be a challenge.