Bf 109 G-6 Wheels

Eduard BRASSIN, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Eduard's 1/32 BRASSIN Wheel Replacements are available online from Squadron.com

This set of Brassin mainwheels is intended for Revell’s recent 1/32 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, although presumably the wheels could be adapted to fit other available G-6 kits.  I haven’t had the chance to examine the Revell kit myself, but it has been well covered in a number of online and magazine reviews, including here on Hyperscale.  These reviews have concluded that while generally sound, the kit has some shortcomings that should be addressed for a more accurate model. 

The kit wheels appear to have largely escaped criticism, with one review describing them as “superb and probably…the best achievable without resorting to resin”.  Revell supplies two types of wheel, which photos in part 2 of Lynn Ritger’s Bf 109 Datafile suggests are both versions of the mid-war stamped steel, six bolt 660x160mm Bf 109 wheel; the difference is that one has ribbed tyres and the other doesn’t.  The hubs for both versions feature late style fluted outer rims (as opposed to the smooth outer rims of earlier G-6 wheels).

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Given the quality of the Revell kit parts, Eduard’s replacement main wheels might be viewed as something of a luxury.  But there is no doubt that – compared to photographs of the Revell wheels – they offer a step up in refinement and finesse.  The Eduard wheels have ribbed tyres and late style outer rims, so check the wheel type fitted to the aircraft you’re modelling to make sure these are the style you need!  Within these parameters, the main improvements the Brassin set offers are:

• One-piece wheels, as opposed to the kit wheels that are split vertically and must be glued together and then sanded smooth – with the likelihood of lost raised detail on the smooth tyres and a tiresome cleanup job on the ribbed tyres.  The wheels are attached to their casting blocks by narrow rebates that will be easy to cut through with a razor saw.  The tyre sidewalls feature raised detail (manufacturer’s name and tyre size) that some modellers may want to sand down or remove altogether.

• Subtly weighted tyres, compared to the unweighted kit tyres.

• Hubs featuring considerably finer detail than their kit equivalents.

• Whereas the separate kit hubs have sprue gates at three points on their rims – with an associated risk of damage to their profile during clean up – the Brassin hubs are attached to their casting blocks at the back.  This should ensure a perfect drop fit into the tyres; Eduard has helpfully keyed both parts to ensure correct alignment relative to the ground (and backed this up with a diagram in the instructions).  The outside of each tyre is identified to make sure you fit the correct hub to the correct side.

• Pre-cut tape masks to assist with painting.

The resin parts are all well cast, with no imperfections noted.  Assembly is called out on a small, clearly illustrated instruction sheet.

Many modellers building Revell’s 1/32 Bf 109 G-6 will find the kit wheels perfectly acceptable, and there is no doubt that with careful assembly and painting these wheels will look excellent.  In this context Eduard’s replacement resin mainwheels are an indulgence – but one that will likely achieve a better result with less effort.  Highly recommended.

Thanks to Eduard for the review sample.

Reference

References

• Lynn Ritger, The Messerschmitt Bf 109 – A Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller, Part 2:  ‘F’ to ‘K’ Variants (SAM Publications, 2007)

Thanks to Eduard for the samples and images.

Review Text Copyright © 2014 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 13 June, 2014
Last updated 19 June, 2014

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