1:48 F-4B/N Phantom II landing gear with weighted wheels set for Academy kit

Phantom landing gear in 1:48 scale

An add-on landing gear set for models of the naval Phantoms F-4B and F-4N in 1:48 scale, cut for the Academy kit. It replaces the landing gear legs and the wheels from the kit with finished parts, in a form with flattened tires that look loaded by the weight of the machine.

What weighted wheels mean

The tire of a standing aircraft is not perfectly round; where it meets the ground it settles into a flat patch. A model with weighted wheels therefore looks as if it really stands on the surface, while a model on round wheels seems lifted. There is one condition: the flat patch has to point at the ground. Seat the wheel by the flattening, not by the casting gate, and stand the model on a flat board so that all the wheels bed down equally.

Building and painting tips

• The parts are not polystyrene; use super glue for bonding.
• Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the rest.
• Wash and degrease the parts before painting; the exact procedure is given in the manufacturer's instructions.
• Dry-fit the legs and check that the model stands straight and does not rock.
• Leave the tires matte and paint the rims and the legs after references for the particular machine.

Who the set is for

For modelers who build the F-4B or F-4N Phantom in 1:48 scale from Academy and want to stand the model on the ground more convincingly than the kit parts allow. It also helps where the landing gear legs bend under the weight of a finished model. The kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.