1:72 B-1B Lancer wheels w/ weighted tires, early

Wheels for the B-1B Lancer 1:72, the early execution — a resin set from Armory

This item is not a model of an aircraft, but an accessory of cast resin which replaces the wheels of the landing gear on a plastic model of the B-1B bomber in 1:72 scale. The tires are executed as weighted, with a flattening in the contact patch corresponding to a machine standing under its own weight. The name delimits the early execution; the late one is carried by the maker as a separate item.

The real subject

The Rockwell B-1B Lancer is a four-engine strategic bomber with a variable-geometry wing, adapted for penetration at low altitude. The wing is used in the forward position for takeoff and landing, and swept back for fast flight. The landing gear is of the nose gear arrangement and the main legs carry multi-wheel bogies; with a high takeoff weight the deformation of the tires is clearly apparent on the real machine, and the set carries that over to a model as well.

Building and painting tips

Wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water, so that the mold release agent from the mold disappears from the surface. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a knife and sand the surface over; when sanding resin, use protection for your airways. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue, not with cement for plastic. Paint the tire in dark gray with a suggestion of dust, the wheel rim separately. In 1:72 scale it pays to fit the wheels at the very end, once the paintwork and the weathering of the airframe are finished.

Who the set is for

• Builders of large military aircraft in 1:72 scale
• Modelers who want a more faithful landing gear than the one from the box
• Those interested in weighted tires on a heavy machine
• Modelers with experience of resin and cyanoacrylate glue

This is an accessory set for modelers, not a model of an aircraft. The base kit, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.