The Aircraft

The TSR-2 has now been kitted in three scales: 1/48, 1/72, and 1/144. Because of space limitations, I built the 1/144 model. Only one TSR-2 ever flew, and the two in museums are prototypes. What if the RAF had managed to salvage the program and this marvelous looking piece of hardware actually went into full production? RAF TSR-2s could have seen action in the Cold War, the Falklands, Bosnia/Kosovo, the Gulf War(s), Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya! The Pit Road kit comes with two of these “what if” schemes, and due to the popularity of the kit, several decal makers have produced sheets for “what if” TSRs. Of course I had to do a different one.

The Scale Aircraft Conversions Set

The SAC set for the TSR-2 consists of seven parts, all in white metal. There is a nose gear leg, two main gear legs, oleo scissors, and bogies for the main wheels (the kit’s wheels are used). These replacement parts closely match the Pit Road parts.

Painting

I painted the parts white using Floquil Reefer White. (I’m going to miss that paint when my stock is gone!) I then assembled the main bogies. After painting the wheels and tires, I glued them on. I had some trouble getting the CA to hold on the painted surfaces, but everything fit fine.

Assembly

Once the plane’s assembly reached the appropriate step, I installed the SAC gear in place of the kit parts. The fit was great. Then came the part where the SAC parts proved to be superior, as I had managed to not get the bogies quite aligned. This left the aircraft with a list to the right, but it was eminently fixable by GENTLY bending the metal legs and bogies until the aircraft sat square with all 6 wheels on the ground.

Overall Evaluation

SAC’s replacement landing gear set is highly recommended. The metal parts are more robust than the plastic ones, they fit quite nicely, and you can make up for any misalignment in assembly.

Thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions for providing the aftermarket parts and to IPMS/USA for giving me a chance to use them on my latest project.