Once again IPMS/USA provides our thanks to Ross at SAC for providing us one of his gear sets to use and review!

This set provides the usual flexibility of softer metal that can be work-hardened if needed for a strong, reliable (and repairable) option for the kit plastic gear.

Consisting of 11 white metal parts, this gear provides strength where it is needed in holding up the model over time. Additional benefit: the builder can (carefully) bend the gear into position if there are issues with installation, (such as alignment of wheel axles for toe-in/camber), and repair (more on this later.

Each item contributes much to the build: for one, the Tamiya plastic parts are larger in number, breaking down parts the gear into modular bits for a final product. SAC have thoughtfully constructed their gear to include these parts onto the basic struts, adding to the overall strength of the final product. The scissors links can be installed into their mounts, and the drag/extension struts are all functional with appropriate locating positions on the strut.
When it comes to main gear installation for the Tamiya F-35 series, I recommend flooding the gear attachment holes with liquid cement, thereby allowing the gear mounting pegs to slide into place. Use thin CA to lock them in. Worked for me; I found the plastic kit gear tolerance was very tight when I built the “A” model, and ended up snapping the gear off at the trunnion. The SAC Metal gear did not snap, but needed the cement to lube up the installation.

The overall addition of plastic parts such as shimmy dampers, drag braces, and torque links, using a smear of gel superglue finished the gear off, and I have been happy to have the SAC gear in place. Here’s why…

I am getting a bit ham-fisted in my older years, personally testing this gear set after installation by dropping the model while moving it around after I installed the gear.

The result was a bent main gear, which I was able to pry back into position after said incident, and re-attach the wheel with no problem. Having done this with a larger model with “3D printed” gear, I have to point out the following:

1. Plastic gear would not have been readily repairable. Lots of “epoxy and superglue: “The bigger the glob, the better the job”…
2. The 3-d printed stuff, while looking really good with all it’s wiring, tubes, etc, shatters into lots of little unglue able shards if dropped. I know this personally.
3. SAC gear continues to be repairable.

Everyone has and opinion and and an … (ya know what) and I continue to be easily impressed with SAC gear. So much so that I used a SAC F-18 set to replace a set of damaged 3d printed gear on yet another model suffering from shelf damage.

I consider investing in SAC gear for my builds needing gear that will weather time. (This is particularly true of larger aircraft like the C-141 in 1/144 and limited run low-injection molded kits from places that have no other option). And yes, my build of a Monogram F-105 from 12 years ago with SAC gear shows no sign of failure like the old plastic kit gear used to do.

In closing, thanks again to Ross at SAC for providing this gear to IPMS/USA.