CAD & 3D printing: Airfix Matador wheels

[Alvaro Rodriguez]

Hi:

 

While I´m a 1/48th scale AFV modeller mainly I´m rather interested in discovering the boundaries of resin 3D printing and I´ve been doing some 72nd and 76th scales designing and printing pasts months.

 

Here you go my take on some wheels for the ancient Airfix 76th scale Matador.

 

So far I´ve designed four different wheels and tires:

 

1 --> Generic. Non directional tire pattern.

 

 

2 --> Dunlop. Non directional. While this is a quite common tire such unusual non symmetrical tire pattern in the sidewalls still amazes me.

 

 

3 --> Firestone. Directional.

 

 

4 --> Goodyear. Directional.

 

 

 

All the previous designs had a rather fast development cycle and there were no issues printing the prototypes. I´m using an Anycubic Photon resin 3D printer. 

 

Last step in the development cycle was doublechecking those worked as intended in the target kit. 

 

Lu Rodriguez took care of that. He was kind enough for building this vintage Airfix kit for testing some printed samples. Looking at such nice pics is hard to tell this is the 76th scale kit.

 

 

So this is how the 3D printed parts look in the model. Note the wheels are printed in one part, including the wheel hubs.

 

 

Your opinion may vary but to me the look of the venerable and iconic Matador changes for good with these new shoes.

 

 

These were not my first small scale wheels and they are not going to be the last either. I´m for one thinking that 3D printing has no match for these tire patterns that use to be highly simplified -not saying non existant- in pastic form many often.

 

Of course, constructive comments are welcomed. Thanks for watching!

 

Regards!

Alvaro

 

 

 

 

[badger]

Wow - these look fantastic!! I have been following your thread over on the other forum and am really impressed.

 

This is just what we need as there is a real lack of decent replacement wheels for 1/72 kits, particularly of Allied subjects.

 

From a slightly selfish point of view I hope you will be able to offer these for sale as I would certainly be in the market for some, along with Chevy and Bedford ones if you choose to do those.

 

Please keep up the good work

 

All the best

Ben

 

[Longbow]

That is Impressive !!

[HOUSTON]

STUPENDOUS!

 

 

 

[Mancunian airman]

I would suggest that you have a market for these, I certainly would purchase a number of set to replace on my Matadors, at least eight models  . . .

 

Please keep us updated as to your intention for 3D printing these things