Thanks once again to SAC for providing IPMS USA the opportunity to review one from their prolific product line…and IPMS/USA for allowing my ham-fisted efforts to continue with the reviewer corps!

This is almost a no-brainer. Roden’s C-124 is an excellent kit. Short-run issues aside, it looks and carries itself like “Ol’ Shaky.” Ask Bondo Phil about his time with the ‘124 – to have crewed (and survived) those birds, even when you knew about plug fouling, engine fires, and general issues on early large aircraft, was a testament to their strong lower gastro-intestial system.

The nickname unfortunately translates to its “sit” on the ground. Even in this minute scale, Roden has engineered the gear to look correct in appearance and substance – and in plastic, it’s just not enough. The nose gear in particular will fail over time. So, what to do?

USE SAC’s GEAR! In the familiar blister pack with God’s command symbol behind them are a metal cockpit floor and bulkhead replacement, and a new nose wheel well. This reduces the amount of nose weight you will need to add to the aircraft in the gear down position (and you will; I tried to see if the metal additions would be enough, and still had to drill a hole under the nose to dump a bunch of BB’s and superglue in to get it to sit on the nose gear). Be forewarned.

That’s the beauty of SAC gear: you get a direct replacement for the kit items that are sturdy enough to hold the model, which makes them worth every penny. If modeling were a government-run past-time, the metal gear would be mandated. Here, in the real world, you have a choice; plastic or metal. And I recommend the metal of SAC!

If you haven’t figured it out, I have nothing but good things to say about SAC…these are high-quality, worthwhile products (the fact my name appears after the header card (ROD) is not me but Roden, but I wondered for ½ second how they did that). Thanks again!