Many thanks to Mr. Ross MacMillan of Scale Aircraft Conversions and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for allowing me to try this neat conversion and replacement set for the Italeri V-22. I am delighted to report on another sweet add-on.

The 5 white-metal parts arrived in a blister pack, backed by the distinctive SAC company logo. The heft of the parts is very noticeable. The main and nose gear mounts were loose in the package and the two retractor arms were attached to a metal sprue. The struts are polished and require little buffing and cleanup. The gear struts of the V-22 kit are directly replaced with the SAC parts. The main mount actuators are included and provide a nice bit of flexibility when installing the main mounts in the gear well. The arms fit into small holes in the wheel well and ability to gently flex the parts is a plus. I found that seating the nose strut was a little tricky, but a prudent amount of pressure popped the part in, resulting in a very solid attachment.

This SAC conversion set is essentially a kit part replacement. Other than polishing and detailing a bit, the parts are ready to drop in. The additional weight provides more stability to the model. The wide stance of the V-22 puts a lot of stress on the gear. The use of the stouter metal parts will make a much more stable gear without sagging. If you have built a 1/48 PBY-5A, the wide-stance and sagging problem is similar, although not as severe with the V-22. I recommend this set as an effective add-on to a great kit.

I also discovered that I really enjoyed using these parts without any difficulty. We often grumble about part fit, not-scale issues, and other challenges. But these parts just work and work well. This result alone makes the parts worth it!

Again, my sincerest gratitude to both Mr. Ross MacMillan of Scale Aircraft Conversions and the IPMS Reviewer Corps for providing me this conversion set for review. It is a great privilege, thank you!