Thanks to Ross at SAC for yet another outstanding metal gear set; IPMS USA continues to appreciate the support from your contributions!

This set is, again, a simple drop-in replacement gear the new 1/32 Italeri F-104G/S. The set contains the entire main gear beam as one casting, with a nose gear; both are perfectly cast and directly upgrades the kit parts.

Installation is super easy; use superglue and press the SAC gear in; they fit perfectly, and impress with strength and “peace of mind” with attaching wheels/tires to the axles.

As usual, SAC landing gear are an excellent investment. As the kit plastic is a bit soft, the F-104 nose gear, being of the offset fork variety, will over time flex and you will have the toy-tricycle look to the nose. The main gear probably will also splay out… With SAC metal gear, the problem is solved, as the metal will hold up.

This is the tenth item that I have reviewed from Master Model, a Polish company that specializes in brass detail parts, typically in the form of gun barrels, antennas, and pitot tubes. This new 72^nd scale release is designed for the Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) Kfir (lion cub), and replaces the kit supplied Pitot tube as well as providing an angle of attack (AOA) probe missing from the kit. No kit is mentioned for installing these parts onto, so for comparison purposes, I have put the Testors/Italeri release (kit 630) to use. As with the other releases from Master Model, these parts will dramatically improve the appearance of your plane.

Scale Aircraft Conversions has a metal landing gear conversion set for just about every aircraft you’d want to build. The Revell 1/72 F-101B Voodoo is no exception. I just happened to have the Revell kit in my stash, so I pulled the model out and retrieved the kit landing gear to compare with the SAC landing gear.

I was surprised by the kit gear. It’s relatively nice, clean, and detailed. The SAC gear is almost exactly the same as the kit gear. The casting on this set was not that clean. There were offset mold lines on all the pieces; it looked like the casting had shifted which caused the mold lines to be very prominent. This meant lots of work to remove the lines to make the gear look good. I have reviewed other SAC 1/72 metal gear and not had the same issues. Maybe it is specific to 1/72 scale due to the small size of the gear making it difficult.

Another excellent turned metal (aluminum this time) pitot assembly from Master Model; IPMS USA sincerely appreciates the support of Master Model, who continue to provide first-class products to improve our kits!

Another in a long line of simple upgrades; you can see in the photos the kit item is thicker and “chunky” compared to Master Model’s replacement. You will need to remove the kit tube from the mounting boss, drill a hole, and install. It can’t be easier than that! Use superglue or epoxy to attach; the fit is perfect and doesn’t need anything else. And there is the excellent instruction sheet with actual drill dimensions and “how to put this on” for those who have never used aftermarket like this… a quality addition all around, and the cost is reasonable for the strength of the new tube.

New from Jim Corley and Nautilus Models is a wood replacement deck for Revell's 1/72 Type IXc U-boat. If you have never purchased a Nautilus set of decking, it is actual wood decking (like the U-boats had) that is laser engraved to the correct pattern and with add-ons like resin parts and laser cut vinyl to complete the detailing.