1:48 F-14A Tomcat weighted wheels

The real subject

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a two-seat carrier-based fighter with a variable-geometry wing; the letter A denotes its first production version. The machine is launched from a carrier catapult and lands on an arrestor wire, which is why its landing gear is unusually massive. The model stands on its wheels and the viewer has them at eye level at the display case, so their shape is noticed sooner than many a detail on the spine of the fuselage.

What the set contains

Replacement wheels for an F-14A model in 1:48 scale. The tires are shaped as weighted, that is with a settled contact face. The wheel then does not touch the base at a single point of a perfectly round rim but across a face, and the finished model looks settled instead of seeming hardly to touch the ground.

Building and painting tips

Cut off the excess material with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the remainder carefully, so that the shape of the contact face is preserved. The parts are not polystyrene and ordinary plastic cement has no effect on them; use super glue. Wash and degrease the wheels before painting. When gluing, the flattened part of the tire has to point to the ground and the axle of the wheel has to stay parallel with the base, otherwise the model will stand crooked. Pure black does not suit a tire in scale; a dark gray tone looks more convincing.

Who it is for

For modelers who are bothered on finished work by wheels inflated into a perfect circle, and for anyone who wants sharper detail on the landing gear. The set completes a kit you already own. The model itself, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.