Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Hasegawa 1/32 Spitfire Mk II, Vb, VI kits. The gear strut attachment points will also match up with the Revell I/II kit, and perhaps some others with the same wing tooling. I have reviewed several of these sets, and have purchased a few more on my own, because in all cases, they have been superior to the kit items.

The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kits plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts and braces, and one tail gear assembly. Also included are white metal tires. The tires are a significant improvement in detail over the kit tires, which are devoid of any tread pattern. The SAC tires also have tread and improved rim/lug detailing.

A side by side evaluation (see photo) indicates an identical strut replacement that should provide a greater strength assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. The kit’s wheel/strut joint utilizes the inside wheel face to a blank, whereas the SAC joint uses a more typical pin/hole joint from strut to wheel. In some cases, painting may not be necessary.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the Scale Aircraft Conversions and IPMS-USA for the opportunity to review this item.