The MD-3 Ground Power unit is a portable generator designed to provide either DC or AC power to aircraft while on the ground. It is powered by a 180 hp Continental engine to drive its generators. Its initial design was for the B-47 aircraft but it can also be used for other cold war era planes such as F-84, F-86 through to F-4 Phantoms from 1960 to 1970, and this is by no means an exhaustive list.

Videoaviation.com now produces a model of this unit in all three popular scales. This review is the 1/32nd scale unit. There are 21 parts cast well in off-white resin, along with a decal sheet and two lengths of vinyl tube for the wire. Casting is good. I did have to sand a few places as there were some faint lines present possibly due to this being 3D printed. They are very minor and took a few minutes to smooth out. I started by removing the casting blocks from all parts and giving everything a good wash in dish soap and hot water. There are no casting blocks on the main body so make sure things are true and square. The remaining parts were quickly prepared, and assembly started. I attached the back axles and fuel tank first. These required a small amount of putty that was smoothed with lacquer thinner. The front axles and attachment point were added. The tires and rims were prepared but left off for now. I did have to rescribe the grooves in the tires after sanding. The front handle was prepped also.

I gave everything a coat of Alclad gray primer and fixed a couple of my own errors; the unit was ready for paint after a night of drying. I used Xtracolor 34094 Green (but yellow is very common too) and let it dry. I added the decals, which cover markings on three sides. They are very comprehensive and apply well. At this time, I wish I had gone yellow as they decal would stand out better. I painted the top near the exhausts and the handle red per the instructions (which are very good). I painted the rims green 34094 and the wheels tire rubber (dark gray). I added some washes and scratches and flat coated the entire unit. I added the tires, front handle, and springs. To add the connector and lines, I predrilled holes in both and glued the lines to the connector, and then the power unit. I coiled the wire and glued in place and finished with another couple rounds of flat.

This is another great accessory from Videoaviation.com. It’s easy to build, looks great, and is very well researched. For those loving aviation dioramas, this is a must have. Highly recommended

My thanks to Videoaviation.com for the review sample.