1:48 Rafale B/C - wheel bays, landing gear with weighted wheels (3D Printed) for Revell/Academy

Landing gear and bays for the Rafale B and C, 1:48 scale

This is an add-on set, not a model of an aircraft. It holds the landing gear bays and the gear legs with wheels, on which the tire is shaped as if the machine really stood on it, that is, with a flattened contact patch. The difference from the round wheel out of the kit is immediately visible on the finished model, because the eye subconsciously looks for whether the aircraft stands on its base or merely touches it. The bays are then the second place where injection molding necessarily simplifies: the real space is full of lines, piping and bracing that cannot be made in a single molding.

The real subject

The Dassault Rafale is a French multirole combat aircraft in a tailless delta layout with canards. The B version is two-seat and the C version single-seat, and both are intended for land bases. The landing gear is the same on both and, given the weight of the machine, robust.

Usage tips

• Wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water; residue stays on the surface after printing.
• Cut the print supports off as close to the part as possible and sand the marks down; they have nothing to do with casting.
• Fit the wheel so that the flattened area faces the ground, or the effect will not work.
• Paint and weather the bays before you close them into the fuselage and the wing.
• Bond with super glue and lay down a primer before painting.

Who it is for

The set is for modelers of modern combat aircraft who are finishing off the landing gear and its bays. The work calls for patience in removing the supports and for care when seating the wheels.

It is not a model of an aircraft. The base kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.