Scale Aircraft Conversions has been around for quite some time providing excellent aftermarket options for aircraft modelers. In the case of this set released in June of this year, we have a selection of white metal parts to replace the kit landing gear strut parts from the ICM line of Hampdens. It provides a stronger, more durable alternative to the kit parts.

What’s Inside the Box

Inside the bubble plastic and cardboard container are parts to replace the main landing struts and tailwheel strut. In the comparison photo accompanying this review text, the SAC white metal gear is on the left and the kit gear is on the right. In inserting the gear wheel into the metal strut, the arms pushed away a bit, but the white metal is malleable enough to squeeze back into position. Upon installing the strut, I ran into an issue with the middle section being too long to where the two side posts didn’t reach their sockets, so I had to trim it down to get it to work.

I have not had a whole ton of experience with using these products, so I had a heck of a time finding the correct CA glue to use to get things to stick where they should. I tried three different brands to no avail - but the thicker Loctite brand seems to have worked with some patience and holding things in place. There are tips on the Scale Aircraft Conversions website, but I didn’t have an accelerator that would have probably helped immensely. In the end though, they worked great and provided much needed stability.

Conclusion

These landing gear struts were pretty easy to use after some modifying, and once I was patient and steady, held in place well. Next time I will definitely have some accelerator on hand for the CA glue- but if you are looking to boost up the strength of what is usually the weakest part of an aircraft build, you can’t go wrong with this set for you ICM Hampdens.

My sincere thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions and IPMS/USA for the review sample.