CMK P-39 Airacobra Wheels (4441 for Hasegawa or Eduard) 1:48

[Mike]

P-39 Airacobra Wheels (4441 for Hasegawa or Eduard)

1:48 CMK by Special Hobby

 

 

Kit wheels are generally moulded in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department.  That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument.  They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement.

 

 

This set arrives in Special Hobby’s yellow themed blister pack, with a header card and the instructions forming the slot-in back to the package, and holding the resin in place within the blister, using a sheet of clear acetate to separate the Photo-Etch (PE) parts to the rear.  Inside are two main wheels and a choice of two types of nose wheels, plus two front hubs for the main wheels, with all but the hubs on separate casting blocks.  The PE parts are caps for the narrow-tyred nose wheel, covering up all that nice detail.  All the wheels are attached to their casting blocks at their flat-spots where the tyre is slightly deformed to give the impression of the weight of the aircraft on its undercarriage, so clean-up will be simple, and after a wash in warm soapy water, they’re drop-in replacements for the kit parts.  The interior of the main wheels and the outer hubs should be painted first, then the hubs can be glued in place after a little bit of weathering to bring out the details that will be seen through the spokes, which should have the flash removed with a sharp blade or awl before use.  The balloon tyre equipped tyre is simply dropped in between the two arms of the yoke, while the shallow tyre just needs the PE covers adding with a dab of super glue (CA).

 

Conclusion

Once painted, they will give a much better impression of realism than any kit wheels, raising the level of detail for a comparatively small outlay in time and beer tokens.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of