The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9-cylinder radial engine was developed in 1927 from an earlier engine dating back to 1925. The R-1820 entered production in 1931 and became one of the most widely used aircraft engines ever. Aircraft builders liked it because of its excellent fuel economy, durability, low cost maintenance, and low weight/horsepower ratio. Since its introduction the R-1820 has powered thousands of military and civilian aircraft both past and present. One of these aircraft is the North American T-28 Trojan.

Quickboost has released a new R-1820 recommended for use in the 1/48 Roden North American T-28D Trojan (Kit #450). This engine is molded in a medium gray resin. It is smooth, seamless and bubble free. Clean up is minimal. The cooling fins on each cylinder are very well defined and much more complete than those found on the kit engine. This is evident in the comparison picture below.

The Quickboost engine is not complete as it comes from the package, however. There is some work to be done before it matches the detail found on the kit engine. All the pushrod tubes must be added to the Quickboost part. The bad news is they are not included as part of the kit and there are no instructions to make them. The good news is that this additional step is not difficult once the correct size is determined. Quickboost did provide locating holes in the valve covers and around the crankcase. Likewise, Quickboost did not supply the ignition harness, which must be scratch-built or omitted. I tried using the one supplied in the kit but it is a poor fit. It's not uncommon for replacement parts or the interfacing parts to need some "file to fit and paint to match" work. Nothing more than ensuring the back of the casting is flat is needed to get the replacement engine to drop in place, as it should. It fits as well as the kit engine as evidenced by the picture below.

Regardless of the absence of the pushrod tubes and ignition harness, the Quickboost part has so much more depth and detail than the kit part. The side-by-side comparison picture shows the difference. With the tubes and harness in place, the resin engine will enhance the looks of the T-28's front a great deal. The engine is so noticeable in the T-28 that money spent on this part will be well worth it. Due to the superior looks and ease of installation I can easily give this product two thumbs up.

My thanks to Quickboost for this review item and to IPMS/USA for the chance to review it.