This is the fourth landing gear set that I have reviewed from the folks at Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC), and once again, they have provided an excellent metal option for kit-supplied landing gear. This set is for the first 1/48 scale aircraft released by Zoukei-Mura in the Super Wing Series, the J7W1 Shin Den (kit Super Wing Series 1/48 1). The purpose of this replacement set is to provide stronger landing gear that is adjustable if necessary to obtain proper angles. Even with no previous experience in using white metal parts, this set will provide an upgrade that most modelers will have no issue installing.

The J7W1 Shin Den (Magnificent Lightning) was a pusher-propeller and canard wing design built by Kyushu Hikoki for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Only two of the aircraft were built prior to the end of World War 2. The plane was intended to be a short-range interceptor built to deal with the B-29 Superfortress using its four nose-mounted 30mm cannons. This aircraft has fascinated me for years, and when Zoukei-Mura released it in a more manageable 1/48 scale, I had to add one to my stash.

The beauty of the white metal used by Scale Aircraft Conversions for their gear is that it will hold up to the weight of larger aircraft, and the metal is soft enough to allow for some final positioning if that is needed to square up the gear. Scale Aircraft Conversions does not use lead in their white metal mix, so the builder does not have to be concerned with that hazard. In looking at the company’s web site, the intent is to provide stronger landing gear, not to make better-looking gear, if the kit is already accurate.

There are no directions contained within the set, you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new white metal items. It is easy enough to find the corresponding kit parts for the items included in this set. The kit main gear parts are items D6 and D7 along with D1 and D2, and the front gear consists of items D8 and D9. White metal can be cleaned like plastic with files and sanding sticks, or your abrasive of choice. Although paint will adhere to white metal alone, it is recommended that you prime the parts first, and the parts will need to be installed with your favorite CA or epoxy.

For my hits of this landing gear set, I will start by mentioning that it really will be nice to have a heavier duty landing gear beneath my Shin Den. The folks at SAC do a nice job with their level of detail, as it can be challenging to get reasonably crisp detail in white metal. All of the items in this set are clean, and should not be a challenge to install into their proper places on the Zoukei-Mura kit. For this review, I photographed the SAC parts next to the items that they will replace in the Zoukei-Mura kit to allow the reader (and potential buyer) to see how they compare.

I did not identify a single miss on this release from SAC, but I will caution the buyer to be careful when removing the shocks and torque link from the “sprue”.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this landing gear set from Scale Aircraft Conversions to anyone owning the Zoukei-Mura J7W1. The white metal will provide a stronger base for the aircraft to rest upon for years of viewing enjoyment. The ease of installation should make the set user-friendly for nearly any model builder wanting to add landing gear with improved strength to their project.

I would like to thank the folks at Scale Aircraft Conversions for providing this detail set to the IPMS for review, to Dave Morrissette, who runs the review corps, for selecting me to assess this detail set, and to you for taking the time to read my comments.