Eduard Brassin Fw.190 Wheels Early & Late 1:48

[Mike]

Fw.190 Wheels Early & Late (648152 & 648150)
1:48 Eduard Brassin

Eduard are the acknowledged masters of the Fw.190 in 1:48, and these update sets are for their own kit, to add detail to the wheels that are supplied in styrene, as well as obviate the tedious job of sanding the seams where the two halves meet. Both sets arrive in shallow Brassin clamshell boxes, protected by the usual grey foam. The backing paper doubles as the instruction sheet, and kabuki tape masks are slipped inside to allow easy painting. The wheels are each single parts with highly detailed hubs, thread patterns and maker's details on the sidewalls, way beyond what could be achieved in styrene. The fact that the maker was Dunlop will come as a shock to some, but the Irish company actually had a factory in Germany that supplied aviation tyres to the Luftwaffe during WWII.

The casting blocks are sensibly moulded, with a central pour stub on the slightly flattened contact-patch, supported by wafer-thin out-riggers that should be easy to clean up. They are drop-in replacements for the kit part, and require very little work to install on the kit gear legs. The masks allow you to paint the hubs after the tyres, a task that fills some of us with dread, as it's not always easy to get a nice neat line. All you have to do is check your references to see which type of wheel you need – late or early.

Early


Late

Review sample courtesy of