Scale Aircraft Conversions 1/48 Phantom FG.1 Landing Gear First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | June 2010 | Manufacturer | Scale Aircraft Conversions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Phantom FG.1 Landing Gear | Scale | 1/48 |
| Set Number | 48081 | Primary Media | White Metal |
| Pros | Beautiful detail update for the Hasegawa kit | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | 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.
This release is one of more than 70 landing gear sets available in 1/48 scale and is targeted for the Hasegawa 1/48 Spey-powered Royal Navy Phantom FG.1 kit. This kit has been reissued a few times and one of the distinctive details of the kit is the hyper-extented nose gear strut used to jack the nose up to compensate for the shorter deck of the HMS Ark Royal. If you've seen photos of the FG.1 ready for the catapult shot, you've seen how the afterburner plumes are hitting the deck rather than the jet blast deflector.
The set includes the two main gear struts, one normal-lenght nose gear strut, and one hyper-extended strut to pose the aircraft ready for the catapult shot. What's especially nice about having the long strut in white metal is the extra strength over plastic. This set will work with any of the Hasegawa 1/48 Phantom FG.1 releases.
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!