1:32 B-24 Liberator wheels w/ weighted tyres type “d” (RA), 2 types nose wheels, 3D-printed mudguard & PE hubcaps

Armory 1:32 B-24 Liberator wheels with the type d tread pattern (RA)

This is not a model of the aircraft but an accessory wheel set in 1:32 scale from the Armory company. The set is intended for replacing the wheels on a kit of the four-engine B-24 Liberator bomber. According to the name it contains main wheels with the tread pattern the manufacturer designates as type d (RA), a pair of nose wheel variants, a 3D-printed mudguard and photo-etched hubcaps.

How they differ from the wheels in the box

A printed resin part holds considerably finer engraving than injection-molded plastic, so the tread pattern is legible on the tire along with the lettering on the sidewalls and the crisp lightening holes on the rim. The main benefit, though, is the weighted tire effect: the bottom of the wheel is printed flattened the way the rubber sits under the weight of a fully loaded aircraft. The model thereby loses the typical impression of standing on perfectly round discs. The photo-etched hubcaps additionally cover the seam in the axis of the wheel that a plastic part always gives away.

The real subject

The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was a four-engine heavy bomber with nose landing gear and retractable main gear. Tires for it were supplied by several makers and differed in tread pattern, so a particular machine in a period photograph may have different wheels from another machine of the same batch. Armory therefore releases the variants separately, and the letter in the name distinguishes precisely the type of pattern.

Building and painting tips

First wash the parts in warm soapy water to remove any uncured resin residue; without that the paint will not hold. Cut the print supports off with a saw or a knife, and never snap them. Level the rest with a file and abrasive paper; resin dust must not be inhaled, so sand wet or wear a respirator. They are glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue), as ordinary cement for plastic does not hold on resin. Apply a primer before painting. When seating the wheel, make sure that the flattened area sits on the base and that the wheel does not stand crooked.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the large bomber in 1:32 who object to round plastic wheels
• Modelers building from a particular period photograph who care about the type of tread pattern
• Those who already have experience of working with resin and cyanoacrylate glue
• Builders who want to bring out the landing gear as a visible part of the model

The set is an accessory, not a kit of the aircraft. It is supplied unpainted; glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.