VideoAviation USAF MD-1 Towbar Early & Late (191548 & 191648) 1:48

[Mike]

USAF MD-1 Towbar Early & Late (191548 & 191648)

1:48 VideoAviation

 

 

Our friends at VideoAviation specialise in accessories for our aircraft models such as ground-handling gear and weapons sets.  These two sets from them depict the two versions of the USAF’s trusty MD-1 Towbar that debuted in the 80s and is still in use today.  The original design was updated to improve the operation of the transport wheels by adding an additional damper and wider wheels and tyres, presumably to improve its handling during transport to and from the apron.

 

 

Both sets contain many of the same parts and arrive in a clear clamshell with a card front and instructions behind, plus the resin parts behind in a ziplok bag for safety and cushioning.  The clamp/hitch that attaches to the nose-gear are first to be made up, and they are the same for each variant, consisting of a wide Y-shaped bracket with two fingers that wind in and out on a worm-screw that’s hand-cranked from one end.  This attaches to one end of the bar, and at the join between the two halves of that the two suspension arms and their wheels are added.  The modern version has wider, smaller wheels and additional pair of arms that stand up and attach to the damper with the other end slotted into an additional bracket clamped over the bar.  The towing eye slots into the hollow end of the bar, and has a wire that you shape by using the included jig (bottom left & right in the photo) and slip into the base of the eye.  Scrap diagrams show the wheels in both transport and towing positions, and you are told to paint the finished piece in green or grey depending on the era or your references.

 

Conclusion

Great for dioramas either in the foreground or as background clutter, with a choice of two types depending on when your model is in time.  Casting is excellent as we’ve come to expect from VideoAviation, and it’s also available in 1:32, which we reviewed a while back here.

 

Highly recommended.

 

MD-1 Towbar Early (191548)

 

MD-1 Towbar Late (191648)

 

Review sample courtesy of