For Trumpeter Mig-23M/MF Wheels - 1:48 Eduard Brassin

[Mike]

Mig-23M/MF Wheels (for Trumpeter)
1:48 Eduard Brassin (648089)

This is a replacement wheel set for the new Trumpeter kit, but it's not just a drop-in set of wheels, as you'll probably see from the pictures. The set arrives in their slim clamshell box, and includes sixteen parts in grey resin, a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) metal, a sheet of kabuki masking material (not pictured), and of course the instruction sheet.

There's quite a lot in the pack, and you have a few options with nose wheel hubs and mudguards, which I think are the differences between the M and the MF, but nothing is said in the instructions on the subject. The main wheels are well moulded with plenty of detail, and what looks like a number of bubbles in the tread area, but these are far too regular to be accidental, so must be part of the tyre design. You have a choice of hub-types here too, with small but noticeable variations between them. In addition to the wheels, you get replacement bay doors that sit atop the main wheels when extended, which has much improved detail. Small PE details are added to the gear leg, plus a mesh panel that hangs from one of the joints, door supports and brake lines.

The masks are pre-cut into eight donut shapes for the nose and main gear wheels, allowing you to cut a clean demarcation between hub and tyres. If you're spraying the colours however, you'll need to add some additional scrap masking material to prevent over-spray.

Conclusion
A highly detailed set that contains a lot of extra parts and improvements to the kit that will be noticeable to anyone looking at the finished model. The inclusion of bay doors and additional parts in PE is a bonus, and although not everyone likes two-dimensional PE brake lines, they could at least be used for templates to cut wire to replace them.

Highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of