Eduard Brassin Hawker Typhoon Wheels (for 1:24 Airfix)

[Mike]

Hawker Typhoon Wheels (for Airfix)
1:24 Eduard Brassin (624001)

Following on from my tardy review of the new Airfix Typhoon, here is the new Brassin wheel set, which arrives in Eduard's usual Brassin clamshell box, with seven resin parts on five casting stubs, all in a mid-grey resin. It also includes a set of kabuki tape masks for the main wheels and tail-wheel, with simple instructions on how to build and install them on your kit.

Apart from removing any seam sanding from the equation due to the single piece casting of the wheels, you also gain extra detail on the tyre sidewalls, and the tyres are of a slightly more pleasing shape, with an element of weighting moulded in. They are also around 1.75mm narrower and have a 1mm smaller diameter than the Airfix kit parts. The hubs are separate parts that will need liberating from their casting blocks with either a razor saw or motor-tool, but remember not to inhale the dust. The hubs are keyed for correct orientation, and have much improved detail on the spoked side, and on the axle side there are several concentric rings and bolt detail present that isn't there on the kit parts. The anti-shimmy tail-wheel is a single part with integrated hubs, which slides within the yoke just like the kit part, but again you no longer have to deal with the seam running down the recessed middle of the tyre's tread.

The masks (not pictured) are Eduard's usual affair, and allow the painting of all the wheel hubs after the tyres have been painted, although you will need to add some extra tape around the edges to prevent over-spray.

Conclusion
There is one thing that these replacement resin tyres don't have, and that is a slant on the weighted contact patch that allows the tyres to sit flat against the ground. That can be added with a quick swipe of a sanding stick however, and the additional detail is well worth that little effort.

Very highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[Julien]

They look good.

[Mike]

Aye - well worth the punt. It's Typhoon day today. Stand by for more