Scale Aircraft Conversions has produced replacement gear for the Hasegawa 1/72 scale F-4 Phantom kits. The white metal replacements are a clean drop-in for the kit plastic parts. The supplied items include two main gear struts, and one nose gear strut with a separate oleo scissor and retraction strut. Some other SAC packages include replacement wheels, as well, but not the case here. You will need to use the Hasegawa wheels for your build.

A side by side evaluation (see photos) indicates an identical replacement that should provide a greater strength assembly with a significantly improved weight capacity and abuse tolerance. In some cases where original equipment was left in a natural metal finish, painting may not be necessary. As always, check your reference photos

Highly recommended.

Thanks to the IPMS Reviewer Corps and Scale Aircraft Conversions for the opportunity to review this item.

Ultracast has released a series of four highly detailed resin seats for early P-40s. This, the second one in the series (#48256) correctly depicts the early square back style seat with a wide lap belt harness that was installed in the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk fighters that were flown by the AVG. One seat comes packaged in a zip-lock bag stapled to Ultracast’s familiar folded card. The seat is cast in a light tan color resin and comes on a small casting block with a minimum amount of casting flash that is easily removed with a sharp #11 blade.

The review sample was first airbrushed with Mr. Color Interior Green and details were hand brushed with Vallejo acrylics. As the photo below shows, the finely details cast into this seat come alive when painted.

Master – Reality in Miniature is a scale model metal detailing parts manufacturer located in Poland. Their lines include exquisitely detailed photo-etched and white metal replacement parts for aircraft and ships in the most commonly produced scales.

Master has produced a replacement gun tip and nose pitot for 1/72 A-10 Thunderbolt II (that’s the “Warthog”, for those not in tune with “official” USAF nicknames) kits. This goodie is intended to dress up and/or supplement the plastic kit parts. The easily assembled gun nose and turned metal pitot are clean plug-in replacements for the kit plastic parts.

Ultracast has released a series of four highly detailed resin seats for early P-40s.

This seat (#48255) correctly represents the early style curved back seat that was installed in both pre-war and early-war USAAF Curtiss P-40 B/C fighters (as well as D and early E models). It comes packaged in a zip-lock bag stapled to Ultracast’s familiar folded card. The seat is cast in a light tan color resin and comes on a small casting block with a minimum amount of casting flash that is easily removed with a sharp #11 blade.

The review sample was first airbrushed with Mr. Color Interior Green and details were hand brushed with Vallejo acrylics. As the photo below shows, the finely details cast into this seat come alive when painted.

This seat is a fast and cost effective way to add detail to the cockpit of any current 1/48 scale P-40B/C kit on the market. My thanks to Ultracast for providing the review sample and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review it.

History

This book gives an extensive history of the BE2 biplanes acquired by the British military beginning in 1912. By the standards of the day, the BE2 was a very modern type, with wing warp lateral control, conventional biplane structure, and enough power provided by a 70 hp. Renault water cooled V-8 engine swinging a large wooden propeller. Unlike other contemporary types, the BE2 had an impressive performance, with a maximum speed of about 70 mph and a stalling speed of 32 mph., while most other types seemed to be only capable of full power flight at minimum speeds.