Pfalz D.IIIa Landing Gear
Scale Aircraft Conversions has released replacement landing gear for the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Pfalz D.IIIa. The supplied items include two main gear legs, the main gear axle, and the tail skid. All four parts are loose in the blister package and not attached to any metal sprue.
This replacement set will provide stronger landing gear that won’t sag over time, and are somewhat adjustable if necessary to obtain proper alignment. Even with zero previous experience in using white metal parts, this set will provide an upgrade that most modelers will have no problem installing. Scale Aircraft Conversions does not use lead in their white metal mix, so the builder does not have to be concerned with that perceived hazard.
There are no supplied instructions; you simply swap out the kit provided plastic parts with the new white metal items. You do need to be very careful following the instructions in the Wingnut Wings kit to assure proper alignment on all three axes. The SAC main gear struts may need to be slightly adjusted to be straight (a benefit of using metal is that you can bend it slightly).
A side by side evaluation of all four SAC parts shows the similarity with the kit parts. You can easily see how well the main gear legs fit into the fuselage and lower wing. The tail skid also fits quite well.
Before painting, you may wish to remove and polish the faint seam lines. Although most paints will adhere to white metal alone, I would recommend that you prime the parts first. The landing gear will need to be installed with your favorite CA (super glue) or epoxy, as the normal plastic glues or solvents will not react with the white metal.
As always, check your reference photos for alignment.
The SAC pieces fit quite well, and will keep your landing gear from sagging over time.
My thanks to Ross MacMillan, Scale Aircraft Conversions, and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this great set of replacement landing gear.
Highly recommended!
Reviewer Bio
Frank Landrus
Frank retired from the Ophthalmic industry with over thirty-six years of Research and Development experience. Frank's first model kit was a 1959 Hawk 1/72 US Marines Vought AU-1 Corsair and has been building models for over sixty years. Frank's first encounter with IPMS was attending a North Central Texas ScaleFest show in 1984. Frank soon became more involved in Make-N-Take activities and became the IPMS Western Coordinator for Make-N-Takes [West of the Mississippi River]. Make-N-Takes quickly became a local model contest and airshow staple reaching a high of reaching over 1,300 children before the COVID shutdown. Frank has volunteered to assist in contest judging since 1985 and is currently the Nationals Head Figure Judge until he is dead or they find someone better.
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