Scale Aircraft Conversions 1/32 F8F Bearcat Landing Gear First Look
By Kelly Jamison
| Date of Review | January 2009 | Manufacturer | Scale Aircraft Conversions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | F8F Bearcat Landing Gear | Scale | 1/32 |
| Set Number | 32019 | Primary Media | White Metal |
| Pros | Corrects kit gear | Cons | Corrected flawed kit gear |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $18.95 |
First Look
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The Trumpeter landing gear is just a bit on the short size. It causes the aircraft to sit in a more nose down attitude and not the muscle bound brute of the Bearcat that we are used to seeing. How to correct this?
Well Scale Aircraft Conversions comes to the rescue. These are drop-in pieces that use the kit’s own mounting points. Superglue or epoxy is a must of course, when attaching these little beauties. They do need just a little clean up. Some micro drills and files will hook you up in a short time.
The obvious differences on the F8F bearcat gear is the length and from the yoke down is completely different. The whole break assembly was reworked. They are a lot more accurate than the stock set.
If you have built the Trumpeter F8F Bearcat you know about one of its many Achilles heels is the tail wheel yoke. It is fragile and easy to break off (yea, I did it!). The replacement yoke fits the bill for strengthen up this area. You will need to drill out the holes along each yoke and glue the two pieces together. Not a big deal but necessary to get the right look.
I will be using this set in an upcoming build of the Trumpeter F8F-1 Bearcat. You can also visit Scale Aircraft Conversions at: http://www.scaleaircraftconversions.com/