Scale Aircraft Conversions specializes in white metal replacement parts. Its line of replacement landing gear has been expanded to include a set for the Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Mk.I/Vb.

The set includes 3 parts, two landing gear struts and tail wheel, finely molded in white metal. These parts are drop-in replacements for the plastic parts.

You can see from the pictures the parts are very cleanly molded and formed. They include the “double slot” in the struts where the plastic landing gear cover is attached, so replacement should be quick and painless.

Typically I tend to think of replacing a plastic landing gear by a white metal one when the model is large and heavy. For most single engine 1/48 scale models, weight is not an issue.

However, if you have added a resin cockpit, resin engine, and other AMS goodies, weight could be an issue. In that case you might want to have a white metal replacement landing gear. Or if for whatever reason you just need a replacement landing gear (who hasn’t ever lost or destroyed a plastic part?). Also, the parts have been cast without the nasty mold line ever-present in landing gears (less work for you and a more realistic looking!).

Recommended to modelers of all skill levels.

I would like to thank Scale Aircraft Conversions and IPMS/USA for the review sample.