Ultracast has released a series of four highly detailed resin seats for early P-40s. This, the second one in the series (#48256) correctly depicts the early square back style seat with a wide lap belt harness that was installed in the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters that were flown by the AVG. One seat comes packaged in a zip-lock bag stapled to Ultracast’s familiar folded card. The seat is cast in a light tan color resin and comes on a small casting block with a minimum amount of casting flash that is easily removed with a sharp #11 blade.

The review sample was first airbrushed with Mr. Color Interior Green and details were hand brushed with Vallejo acrylics. As the photo below shows, the finely details cast into this seat come alive when painted.

Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Hasegawa 1/72 scale F-4 Phantom kits. The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kit plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts, and one nose gear strut with a separate oleo scissor and retraction strut. Some other SAC packages include replacement wheels, as well, but not the case here. You will need to use the Hasegawa wheels for your build.

A side by side evaluation (see photos) indicates an identical replacement that should provide a greater strength assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. In some cases where original equipment was left in a natural metal finish, painting may not be necessary. As always, check your reference photos

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the IPMS Reviewer Corps and Scale Aircraft Conversions for the opportunity to review this item.

Wheelliant is a sub-brand of Aires, a scale model resin detailing parts manufacturer located in the Czech Republic. Their lines include fine and accurately detailed cast resin replacement parts for model kits in the most commonly produced scales.

Wheelliant has produced replacement wheels and weighted tires for 1/48 Academy F-14A kits. The website indicates other sets (with different stock numbers) that are to be used with Hobby Boss and Hasegawa Tomcat kits. This set is intended to dress up and/or supplement the plastic kit parts. The easily assembled rims and tires are clean glue-on replacements for the kit plastic parts. Also included is a length of fine copper wire for use as hydraulic brake and/or electrical connection lines.

Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Hasegawa 1/48 scale A6M Zero kits. The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kit plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts, and one tail gear strut with integrally molded wheel. Some other SAC replacement gear packages have included replacement wheels for the main gear, as well, but not the case here. You will need to use the Hasegawa wheels for your build.

A side by side evaluation (see photos) indicates an identical replacement that should provide a greater strength assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. For those without basic modeling experience, be sure to use CA (Superglue) for the gear installation, as the usual plastic glues will not react with the white metal. In some cases where original equipment was left in a natural metal finish, painting may not be necessary. As always, check your reference photos

New from Jim Corley and Nautilus Models is a wood replacement deck for Revell's 1/72 Type IXc U-boat. If you have never purchased a Nautilus set of decking, it is actual wood decking (like the U-boats had) that is laser engraved to the correct pattern and with add-ons like resin parts and laser cut vinyl to complete the detailing.