Heinkel He 219 Wheels

Eduard BRASSIN, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Eduard's 1/32 scale Heinkel He 219 Wheels are available online from Squadron.com

Revell’s 1/32 Heinkel He 219 A kit has caused a stir since its release late last year.  Brett Green and Chris Wauchop’s joint test shot build confirms the kit can be built into a stunning finished model. 

However, there has also been extensive debate, including here on HyperScale, about the kit’s overall accuracy.  One point on which all who examine the kit agree is that some parts will benefit from enhancement or replacement with aftermarket details.

The wheels are amongst these parts.  They are well shaped and have reasonably detailed and separate hubs, but the tyres come as separate halves and include no sidewall or tread detail.  While period photos of He 219s suggest the absence of tread is correct for the nose wheel tyre, some photos clearly show the four main wheel tyres with a clearly defined diamond tread.  I don’t know if treaded tyres were fitted to all He 219s – given the stage of the war at which they were manufactured, variations are possible – so I recommend checking your references in relation to the specific aircraft you are modelling.

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Eduard’s Brassin He 219 wheel set offers a significant increase in finesse over the original Revell parts.  Production quality is excellent, with each part perfectly cast in mid-grey resin.  The five wheels are cast as single units to which the separate hubs are later attached; no pesky wheel halves to glue together and then clean up here.  Clever engineering has minimised the work required to remove the wheels from their casting blocks, with the main pour stubs located at the bottom of each subtly bulged tyre – meaning that any cleanup scars will be hidden on the finished model. 

The hubs are attached more solidly to their casting blocks, which will need to be carefully removed with a razor saw.  Once this has been done, however, test fitting suggests there will be no problem getting the hubs attached neatly to the wheels.

Detailing is finely done.  The diamond tread on the mainwheels compares favourably to photographs I’ve seen of original He 219 tyres, and the sidewalls – which include legible tyre size details – will respond well to careful painting and weathering.  The same applies to the brake lines that have been delicately cast onto each hub.

The Kabuki tape masks provided by Eduard will significantly ease painting of the finished wheels.

The one-page instruction sheet reflects the straightforward nature of the assembly process, and includes a helpful diagram showing the correct ‘sit’ of the mainwheels in relation to the ground and undercarriage.

Eduard’s 1/32 Brassin wheel set is a well-produced package that, with a minimum of effort on your part, will subtly enhance the look of your finished Revell He 219.  It will probably also fit the new Zoukei-mura 1/32 He 219 kit, although I haven’t seen the wheels of this kit to know if they would benefit from replacement.  Highly recommended.

Thanks to Eduard for the samples.

Review Text Copyright © 2013 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 18 July, 2013
Last updated 18 July, 2013

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