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Scale Aircraft Conversions

Scale Aircraft Conversions 1/48 F-16 'Light' Landing Gear First Look

by Michael Benolkin

Date of Review September 2010 Manufacturer Scale Aircraft Conversions
Subject F-16 Fighting Falcon Landing Gear Scale 1/48
Set Number 48041 Primary Media White Metal
Pros Nicer/tougher gear for the Tamiya kits Cons Nothing noted
Skill Level Basic MSRP (USD) $16.95

First Look

Scale Aircraft Conversions (SAC) produces an impressive array of white metal replacement landing gear for a variety of models. Some of these sets correct different issues that appeared in production kits, while others are simple common sense replacements to have stronger landing gear on your model.

P-61

This release is one of more than 90 landing gear sets available in 1/48 scale and is targeted for the Tamiya releases of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. This is the 'light' landing gear that is standard with the F-16 from the F-16A/B through the Block 30/32 F-16C/D. This is an alternative landing gear set to 48062 which represents the 'heavy' landing gear used by the Israeli Air Force as well as with production F-16C/D aircraft from Block 40/42 and newer. These sets are tailored to the Tamiya kits and you'll need to be sure to match the set with the variant you're building.

One nice aspect of aftermarket landing gear like these from SAC is that you can make the change anytime, even after the kit's gear buckles for whatever reason. Unlike an aftermarket cockpit or other details that need to be incorporated during construction, you can easily extract the old styrene gear and plug in these replacements once you've got them primed and painted. Of course you can plan ahead and use them during your build-up and avoid the problems in the first place.

You can obtain SAC landing gear from your favorite hobby retailer or online hobby shop. If your retailer can't get these for you and you can't this set at your favorite online retailer, then you can get quick service from Scale Aircraft Conversions directly.

My sincere thanks to Scale Aircraft Conversions for this review sample!