Scale Aircraft Conversions has released replacement landing gear for the Wingnut Wings 1/32 Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a “Hisso”. The supplied items include two main gear legs and the main gear axle. All three parts are loose in the blister package. You will need to remove the metal sprue from the main gear legs.

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 three 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. 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. You will need to be careful mounting the main axle as the fit is extremely tight into the main gear legs (as is the original Wingnut Wings parts).

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!