G-Factor

1/48 F-15 Eagle Landing Gear For any 1/48 Hasegawa F-15

Stock Number: 48006

Reviewed By  Michael Novosad, IPMS# 36721

MSRP: $22.00 Website: www.gfactormodels.com The Replacement Parts Metal landing gear for a scale model?? Outrageous?? Remember breaking the landing gear on a model that you spent many hours or weeks building? How easy was it to repair? How much effort went into the repair? And how durable was the repair? Granted, most models are not meant to be handled frequently, but some aircraft models are intended to look like the real thing, spindly gear and all. But in real life, real landing gear assemblies are made out of metal. The spindly, and not so spindly plastic gear are always at risk of breakage. The G-Factor F-15 landing gear are meant for the 1/48th scale Hasegawa Eagle kits. The 1/48th scale F-15 is a big model, and a substantial set of landing gear might be a requirement to assure no breakage. The brass parts are packaged in a clear zip-lock bag, and are cast on a substantial sprue. Some minor flash does exist on the parts, and the parts connections to the casting sprue are thick. Some of the lightening holes are flashed over and will require some clean up with a micro-file or drill bits. There are no instructions with these parts. The kit instructions should suffice. Parts Preparation Since the brass parts were cast on a sprue, I felt that I should retain part of the sprue at each part for ease of handling during the cleanup and painting processes. I used a Dremel tool with a cutting disc to cut through the brass sprue. I drilled a small hole in the heads of several wood clothes pins and used five-minute epoxy to fix the parts to each pin, This would allow me to handle each part during the cleanup process, when applying the primer, and during the finish painting. Kit Parts Comparison The plastic kit parts are really quite nicely done, but the sturdiness of the G-Factor brass gear has an appeal to eliminate the off chance of gear breakage once the model is finished. Nose gear parts D10 and D23 are replaced by the G-factor brass parts, but the two landing lights, kit parts J3 and J4 must be used with the aftermarket parts. I used Gorilla super glue to fix the landing lights to the brass gear after painting. The kit main gear parts D15 and D26 (left) and D16 and D25 (right) are also replaced by the aftermarket parts. The main gear struts have mounting nubs that match the openings in the kit wheels, but if you plan to use the True Details resin, flattened wheel some effort will be required to match the brass parts to the resin wheels. I did need to tweak the retraction struts slightly to fit in the main gear wells, and this was not difficult at all. Finishing/Painting

A lacquer-based primer would be a good bet after the parts have been cleaned up. I used Rustoleum's Painters Choice white, sandable primer, and allowed this to thoroughly dry for at least two days. I examined each part and found a few areas of flash that needed to be removed, and only one pit hole in the brass. The primer truly helps to reveal any missed flaws from the initial cleanup efforts. I must admit that I could have done a better job in finishing and painting the gear, but I was interested in seeing how well everything went together and how they would fit in the model gear bays.

Once satisfied the imperfections had been addressed, I dry-set the gear in the fuselage gear bays and used Gorilla super glue to fix the parts together before finish painting. Once set up, I applied a coat of Tamiya flat white, thinned with the Tamiya lacquer thinner. I have found that this combination dries to a more of a semi-gloss finish. I painted the oleos with Testor's chrome, when dry applied a thinned coat of Tamiya's clear orange and very lightly dry-brushed the high points with Rub-n-Buff silver. I then dipped the gear in Future and wicked off the surplus, allowing everything to harden over night. An oil wash of burnt umber, thinned with odorless thinner was applied to all the nooks and crannies. The parts could be assembled prior to priming, and the assembly method could be epoxy, superglue, or soldering. With the solder method some additional cleanup would most likely be required to remove surplus solder. Using good reference materials the modeler could also add brake lines and conduit for the landing lights prior to any painting. Tools/Materials Used I used a Dremel tool with an emery wheel to cut the brass sprue, and wire brushes to polish the rough spots on the parts. I used Gorilla super glue to fix the parts together, as the setup time is a bit slower than regular superglue, allowing some time for minor adjustments. I will also use this product to fix the gear to the model. Vendor Support I contacted the vendor with a few basic questions prior to starting the removal, clean up and painting, and here is the response: Hi Michael, The best method of removing the parts is with either a Xuron Track cutter or a fiber reinforced cutting wheel. The Dremel ones will work, but will wear out quickly. You can prime the parts with the primer of your choice but I usually paint straight over the parts once they have been prepped. You can use any type of paint however I personally use Tamiya Acrylics. I usually use super glue to glue the parts together. When attaching to the model, Epoxy is my choice as it it gives you some time to position the strut. The parts are indeed made of brass utilizing the "Lost Wax" method to create them. Please let me know if you have any further questions. , Ernie Gee, G-Factor Models It is nice to have a vendor take the time to respond to questions on their product. And the offering of information and methods to use their product is especially helpful when using a product or material that is not common to the hobby. Conclusion Finishing and preparing the brass replacement landing gear was in fact a mini project is its own, but one that was well worth the time and effort. A bit more cleanup is required to make these parts ready for painting. I probably spent less than an hour overall to prepare the parts prior to final painting. Fixing the gear to the model must be done with epoxy or superglue. All in all, using these brass aftermarket parts offers the modeler a bonus in having the opportunity to improve his modeling skills with materials not commonly used with plastic models. Although pricey, and requiring a bit more effort and skills to prepare, these brass landing gear will certainly add strength and stability to the finished Hasegawa F-15 Eagle, especially one that is loaded down with weapons and other stores, and do not forget the added nose weight. Highly recommended. Many thanks to G-factor Models for the review sample.