The SAC product provides four parts to replace the Trumpeter landing gear. The kit part number for the recommended Trumpeter kit are part numbers 7, 14, 15, and 16.

Part 14 is the nose wheel strut, which is the gear strut and the starboard side of the wheel fork. This is molded as a single piece.

Part 7 is the port side of the wheel fork, which is a separate piece and must be glued to the nose wheel strut (Part 14) “trapping” the nose wheel in the wheel fork.

Part 15 and 16 are the starboard and port main gear struts. Like the gear in the Trumpeter kit, the SAC main gear struts are molded as single pieces. One needs only to attach the tires to complete the “gear”.

Of significance is the fact that the SAC gear strut locating pins are of the same shape and size as the locating pins on the Trumpeter kit. This is, of course, important so that proper fit and alignment can be easily achieved when using the SAC gear.

The Spey engined Phantom did stellar service for both the RAF and Royal Navy. Airfix finally released a new kit of the FG.1 version and while it is missing a few details, it builds into a neat model.

Once again Scale Aircraft Conversions has released a new set of landing gear specifically for the Airfix kit. The Airfix kit gives multiple options for the landing gear as the British naval Phantom had an extended nose gear to help it get airborne off of the smaller decked British carriers. Airfix’s design breaks the nose gear into two parts. Normally SAC does direct replacements for the landing gear based on the kit parts but in this set they cast the nose gear so it is one main piece. The extended gear will need the scissor added which might be a bit tricky. This should make for a stronger option.

As usual there are no instructions included but their website does have a nice section on how to use white metal and mentions there is no lead included in the metal.

Upfront, I want to thank Aires and Quickboost for providing these fine aftermarket bits for our beloved models, and to the IPMS USA a big thank you for allowing me to review this Quickboost product.

Admittedly I have a few passions in modeling and the past few years I’ve focused on Japanese subjects and recently I added the Airfix B5N1 Kate to my stash. Seeing the Quickboost exhaust resin for review, I snagged the exhaust parts up before even looking at the kit plastic parts. In all honesty, the original parts look pretty good but I believe you will see how much improved the Quickboost resin is compared to the kit plastic. To my eye the nicely faired exhaust exit, not to mention the hollow exhaust is certainly worth the minimal cost for this accessory.

Background

The Buk missile system, Russian: "beech tree”, is a family of self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile systems developed by the Soviet Union and its successor, the Russian Federation. The Buk system is designed to counter cruise missiles, smart bombs, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Buk-M1-2 transporter erector launcher and radar (TELAR) vehicle uses the GM-569 chassis designed and produced by JSC MMZ (Mytishchi). TELAR superstructure is a turret containing the fire control radar at the front and a launcher with four ready-to-fire missiles on top. Each TELAR is operated by a crew of four and is equipped with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protection.

Thanks to Casemate Publishing & IPMSUSA for the review copy!

Kagero Publishing’s latest installment of its Naval Archives – Volume 9 – is a softbound European A4 size with only one page of ads – for Kagero Publishing books. You get five feature articles with detailed text and photographs plus drawings, and sprinkled in between, two-page color layouts of specific ships. The last 10 pages live up to Kagero3D’s name with 3D CG drawings of the WW2 Kriegsmarine destroyer Z37 in its early fit (before its 1945 “Barbara” antiaircraft gun enhancement), and a red/green plastic eyeglass is included to visualize the 3D effect.