Eduard Lancaster Wheels (632144 for HKM) 1:32

[Mike]

Lancaster Wheels (632144 for HKM)

1:32 Eduard Brassin

 

 

Hong Kong Models’ 1:32 Lancaster has received a little more love recently as those that were looking out for the much-vaunted WNW kit are perhaps realising that a bird in the hand is definitely worth two that might never even reach the bush (terrible analogy, I know).  This set of resin replacement wheels arrives from Eduard in their new cardboard box, needing a large one to accommodate the rather large tyres that the Lanc wore so it could operate from a grass field if the need arose.  Inside the box are three pieces of resin on separate pour blocks, plus a set of pre-cut kabuki tape masks (not pictured - yellow is hell to photograph).

 

 

There are two humongous main wheels with a substantial flat spot at the bottom that would be on the ragged edge of acceptable, eliciting cries of “put some air in those tyres!” from the crew chief in all probability.  They would look more at home on grass, allowing for additional sinking of the tyre’s carcass into the soft ground, but they might not suit some people's tastes.  The anti-shimmy tail-wheel is also slightly flattened, although not as much as the main wheels, partly because they are solid rubber in reality.  There are masks for all wheels, allowing the easy cutting of demarcation between tyre and hub without hassle, although you will need some additional masking to cover the rest of the tyre if you are using an airbrush.  The slots for the gear legs are keyed, but a scrap diagram shows the correct orientation to the ground when fitted, and colour call-outs are given along the way using Gunze paint codes.

 

 

Conclusion

As long as you are happy with the level of sag on the main wheels, the detail is excellent, with concentric rings on the sidewalls and smooth tread as befits the wartime Dunlop rubber used at the time, with maker’s marks and spec. in raised text on the sides.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of