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P-51D Mustang 1:32 CMK Since some modellers don’t particularly like the rubber/vinyl tyres used in the various 1:32 Mustang kits, there is the option of replacing them with resin parts. There are a number of sets from different manufacturers and now CMK have joined the fray with this set Q32 184, in their Quick and Easy line. The resin comes in a small poly bag stapled to card header with a small instruction sheet also inside the bag. On removal the quality of the mouldings can clearly be seen. The diamond and hole tread pattern is beautifully rendered and with the moulding block thinly attached to the inside of the tyres inner edge no damage will be caused to the tread on removal. Clean up is nice and simple, as it is for the inner and outer hubs. There is a choice of outer hubs, one for the Dragon and Tamiya kits and one for the Trumpeter kit. There is also a set of diagrams on how to modify the different kits oleos to give the correct height for the Dragon kit and to reduce the size of the axles on the Trumpeter and Tamiya kits. CMK have also been good enough to provide a replacement tail wheel complete with finely moulded radial tread. Conclusion I’ve not seen this line of add-ons before, but am pretty impressed by the detail in this set. The only downside in this set is that the brake detail on the inner hubs is a little soft and could be better defined. Other than that I can happily recommend this to all owners of any of the three kits this set is aimed at. Review sample courtesy of

Mason quotes Hurricane wheels at 800x10in. Spitfire the History quotes Spitfire wheels at 7-50-10. These descriptions don't seem compatible, unless the 7-50 is meant to be 750, implying a smaller wheel size on the Spitfire than the Hurricane. I understand the 10in to be the tyre width (and height), and the first measurement to be the wheel diameter - but 800? Can anyone provide an explanation of these numbers, and explain (if further explanation necessary) the difference between the wheels on these two aircraft? I'm thinking Mk.I in both cases, if that helps.

Supermarine Spitfire MkIX 1:48 Brassin Continuing Eduards releases for their own Spitfire MkIX they have released these two sets of resin wheels, which should also be ok for other manufacturers kits. Both sets come in the now standard blister pack and held in place by a foam pad. The outer hubs are separate for the wheels/tyres but the inner hubs a moulded in place. Set 648 115 contains plain tyres and four spoke hubs, whilst set 648 118 contains tyres with a block type tread, again with four spoke hubs. The mouldings for both sets are very nicely done with no sign of flash and will require a minimal amount of clean up due to the way they are connected to the moulding blocks by thin webs. Each set also comes with a set of paint masks which will certainly help with the painting of the inner hubs but shouldn’t really be needed for the separate outers. Conclusion Another great pair of wheel sets from Eduard subsidiary Brassin that will give, I think, a pair of very nicely detailed extras to any Spitfire model that used the four spoke wheels, not just the Eduard kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi, Has anyone ever replaced revell kit supplied wheels with aftermarket wheel sets like those made by hobby design or aoshima/fujimi? I know there would be a decent amount of modding to make them compatable given the unique way revell make their wheels, but I just wonder if anyone has successfully done it before. I've been thinking that it may be possible to glue the brake pieces on, and then once they are set drill a 2mm hole through the centre for a tamiya style pin fitting. I think this might work, but I can't seem to find anything on here or the internet that supports this idea. If anyone has ever had any experience with this I would appreciate any input. Thanks, Rich

Sepecat Jaguar Wheels & Paint Mask Set 1:72 Aires Wheels are one of those parts that resin is generally able to represent better in 1:72 than some other parts. Aires wheels for the Jaguar are no exception. You are presented with one nose wheel and 4 main wheels all on one strip of resin. The Parts are well moulded and with minimal connection to the base strip itself. Also included in this set is a set of masks to enable the modeller to paint the wheels without having to mask them yourself. Conclusion Great parts to add realism and a candid look to your finished model, and well cast. The inclusion of the masks is great for those of us who hate painting wheels. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of distributed in the UK by Hannants Ltd.

Weighted Road Wheels for BTR-60PB and PB Upgraded (for Trumpeter) 1:35 ET Models As ET Models continue to expand their ranges of both etch and resin sets, there is bound to be some crossover of parts within sets and it’s the case with these two. These wheels are designed to replace the rubber/vinyl kit tyres which some modellers don’t like on account of moulded detail. They also may not have the longevity of resin, as the rubber/vinyl may perish over time. BTR-60PB BTR-60PB Upgraded Each set comes with eight tyres and eight hubs, bagged in fours taped to a black card within the standard ET card headed poly bag. Whilst the tyres to be of the same type, with the same tread patterns, the same cannot be said of the hubs. The PB hubs have more conical centre plates with a larger nub on the opposite side of what looks like a flap covering the inflation point. On the PB Upgraded hubs the centre plate is a dome with four radial strengthening ribs radiating out form the centre. The modeller can paint both the tyres and hubs separately before fitting together with the hope that the fit is good. Alternatively they can be fitted then any gaps can be filled with some liquid putty then masked off for painting. The tyres are weighted, but not exaggeratedly, giving a good representation of the weight of the vehicle. ET have kindly positioned the moulding blocks at the weighted parts so any faults left behind after removal of the block won’t be seen. The moulding blocks of the hubs are also positioned in a spot that won’t be visible once fitted to the tyres. It would probably be best to glue these items together with 5 minute epoxy, or you could get away with thick CA type glue. Either way it looks like there is plenty of bonding area for the parts to affix to. Conclusion Both these sets of tyres and hubs are beautifully moulded to ET Models usual standard with no sign of air bubbles or flaws. They will make a marked difference on the completed models by being easier to paint and a lot better looking than the kit tyres. Highly recommended. Available soon from White Ensign Models in the UK Review Sample courtesy of

Willys MB Jeep Weighted Road Wheels ER-35-044 ET Models 1:35 As the war in Europe spread in the late '30s, the U.S. Military wanted a new light-weight, four-wheel-drive, reconnaissance vehicle. They solicited bids for command/reconnaissance car with an 80" wheelbase and weighing 1300 lbs in June of 1940. Three companies responded: Bantam, Ford and Willys. The Bantam Car Company had the leading contender based on overall design, but Willys had the wonderful "Go Devil" flat-head four cylinder engine. Ford had some good ideas too and there was a pooling of ideas that surely violated the spirit, if not the letter, of intellectual property, trade-mark, and other laws, but served the governments needs. The final winner after a few resubmittals was the GPW. "G" for government, "P" for pigmy (a Ford term) and "W" for Willys. One story has it that the lowly, uninformed GI's thought "GP" was for general purpose, and pronounced it "jeep". Other people say that the word "jeep" was slang for any wonderfully multipurpose thing. The Popeye cartoon had a character, named "Eugene the Jeep" in 1936, who had all kinds of amazing powers. Anyway, the source of the name "Jeep" is now veiled by the passage of time... but on with the story. The government selected a vehicle based mostly on the design by the Bantam Car Company. Bantam didn't have the mass production facilities needed to supply the government, and the military wanted multiple suppliers. Willys got a contract to build "jeeps" in late 1940. Ford was also awarded a contract a week later. Many parts were interchangeable between the Willys and Ford jeeps. Of the roughly half million jeeps produced for WW2, Willys-Overland made about 360,000 between 1941 and 1945. The jeeps proved to be rugged and dependable in the war, and by the time the soldiers came home, jeeps were well known and loved for their durability and unstoppability ER35-044 There are numerous 1:35 scale Jeeps on the market, released by Tamiya, Heller, Italeri and Academy to name just a few. Whilst the wheels in these kits are of various qualities, they all suffer from the usual limitations of injection moulding. Unusual looking and incomplete tread patterns, no weighting, indistinct sidewall and hub patterns are some of the problems, although not always at the same time. ET Models have now released this set of wheels which can be used on any kit of the Jeep. The five wheels, four in use and one spare are beautifully moulded with fine hub details, good tread patterns and the weighted effect that a lot of modellers love these days. The small moulding blocks are attached to the weighted areas, so that when removed and cleaned up any imperfections will not be seen, with the possible exception of the spare wheel. Having checked each wheel carefully there appears to be only one small resin polyp on one wheel which will be easy to remove with a couple of swipe from an sanding sponge. Conclusion This is another nice set of replacement wheels from ET models. So easy to use, they will make a nice addition to any Jeep model. Recommended Review Sample courtesy of

RSOV Weighted Road Wheels ER-35-046 ET Models 1:35 The Ranger Special Operations Vehicle is a Land Rover design that was introduced after the Persian Gulf War. Produced by Land Rover's SVO (Special Vehicle Operations), the SOV was designed as a rapid defensive fighting platform. The RSOV is used not as an assault vehicle, but as a method for rapidly applying forces to key locations in the Ranger's fast-paced battlefield. Impressed with its capabilities, the US Rangers bought 60 SOV's and dubbed them the Ranger Special Operations Vehicle. Designed with a crew of three in mind, the RSOV carries a driver, gunner, and Leader/gunner. The RSOV has a top mount that can be used to mount one of five different weapons (M-60, M240, M2 .50 cal heavy machine gun, Mk19 grenade launcher). There is also a mount for a machine gun in the passengers side seat and capabilities to carry AT-4 or RAAWS (Ranger Anti-Armour Weapon System), which is the 84mm Carl Gustav recoilless Rifle. The Hobbyboss kit of the RSOV Landrover is great straight out of the box, but as is the nature of injection moulded wheels and tyres means that they usually can’t be moulded accurately. This set of wheels from ET Models has been designed to replace all five wheels in the kit. The other thing that is missing from the kit parts is the slight bulge seen on the real thing. This is also rectified as the tyres have been weighted slightly. The moulding blocks are easily removed and are placed where the bulge on the tyre is situated and thus will be unseen on the completed model. The spare will only need a slight rub with a sanding sponge to clean off any mould mark. Conclusion These are very nice replacement wheels. The moulding is quite exquisite with the correct tread showing really well. They will certainly enhance the already great kit. Recommended. Review Sample courtesy of

B-17G Replacement Main Wheels for the Revell Kit 1:72 Eduard Brassin The B-17G released by Revell last in 2011 (see Paul’s review HERE) has been generally welcomed by the modelling community, although there are some things that fall behind earlier kits in terms of finesse, It’s packed full of detail making it great value for money. Naturally, it’s been a target for aftermarket producers to exploit. Brassin B-17G Wheels The kit wheels are quite mediocre, so these replacements are most welcome. Moulded in light grey resin, the tyres are supplied as separate parts from the hubs which makes painting easier. Detail in the hubs is stunning, there really is a huge amount of fine detail moulded into them. They are supplied attached to backing plates, so a razor saw should help to cut them away. The tyres are equally well moulded with a tread pattern and brand lettering around the tyre walls. They aren’t flattened so you may want to sand a flat onto them if you prefer this look. Conclusion These are a great enhancement over the kit parts. Looking at the Revell B-17F kit, they should suitably replace them too (which I will be doing !). They are a simple swap, so apart from cutting the hubs away from the backing plates, no fancy skills are required. Review sample courtesy of

Routemaster Resin Wheel conversion The Revell kit of the London Routemaster bus has been a very popular kit, but to my mind there aren't enough aftermarket parts and decals for this kit, bar some etched detail sets. Now FG Models have come to the aid of modellers who want to do a later refurbished and modernised Routemaster model. The Routemaster went through various up-grades and modernisation programs during its service life. Revell have supplied the kit with parts to build an early or later bus with the different engines and other parts. Part of the later modernisation program saw some buses having the original split rim wheels replaced with more modern wheels. The Revell kit is cast so the bus can only be done with the early split rims, with the centre kick rims in place. This set from FG Models contains 6 parts cast in a pale grey resin and is enough to do the front axle on one bus. The level of detail on the parts is very good. The inner wheel and hub look similar to the Revell part, and all the detail is on the outer wheel. The vent holes around the rim are all open and the wheel nuts look like you could crack them off with a scale wheel brace! Conclusion A great set from FG Models to allow you to do a Routemaster later in its service life, or one that has lost its cosmetic centre cap. Recommended! FG models have asked me to point you towards there E-bay site but asked me to mention their parts can be brought through other avenues such as Hobbyeasy.com, hlj.com, Mediamixhobby.com.sg please mention Britmodeller when buying through FG models E-bay shop Review sample from

P-40M/N Wheels & Paint Masks - Recommended kit: Academy Aires 1:72 The Academy kit comes with two types of wheels, the covered type and uncovered type with the spokes on display to which this set is designed to replace. These are far better than the quite anemic looking kit parts with good depth to the spokes and better overall proportions between the hubs and tyres. The tyres have fine grooves and the rear of the wheels is equally well moulded. Whilst they're designed for the Academy kit, they should be easy to adapt for any other kit too that doesn't use the covered type. The tyres aren't flattened unlike many these days, although due to the size, this doesn't negate the look of them in any way. The paint masks are a great addition to take some of the pain out of the painting stage and should be quite easy to apply due to the flat profile of the wheel hubs Conclusion A great upgrade for a prominent feature of the P-40. The quality is excellent and the wheels are a simple direct replacement. Some might prefer flattened tyres as oppose to these, but as you can see from the picture, they look good as they are and a rub down on the bottom should quite easily achieve the desired effect. Review samples courtesy of distributed in the UK by Hannants Ltd.

I am finally underway with my Spitfire Va 1/48 Scale. My wheels are a mess. I have resoted to hand painting them with a fine paintbrush. I go over the silver rims onto the tyres and then when I try an touch up the tyres I get black paint on the rims. Has anyone got a clever trick to this? It's the on bit of detail that is going to spoil what is starting to be a very good model. Why are some wheels flattened. i.e thier bottom upon which the aircraft rests have been flattened. I note in picture of real aircraft that this does not seem to be the case. I do WII aircraft. I would understand some allowance for compression but at this scale. We Spit and Hurri tyres not solid, anyway?