1:32 F-14D 'Tomcat' wheels set

Wheels for the Grumman F-14D Tomcat in 1:32 scale

The set replaces the plastic landing gear wheels of the carrier-borne fighter with resin castings. An accessory of this kind makes sense in 1:32 scale: the wheel is large, it is seen close up and a casting captures the tread pattern, the lettering on the sidewall and the shape of the hub markedly more crisply than injection-molded plastic. It is not a kit of the aircraft but an accessory for a model which has to be obtained separately.

The real subject

The Grumman F-14D Tomcat was the last and most capable version of the American carrier-borne fighter with variable-geometry wings. Against the original A version it received more reliable General Electric F110 engines, digital avionics and the AN/APG-71 radar; it served in the US Navy until 2006. The aircraft was designed for operation from carriers, so the landing gear is robust and sized for a hard touchdown when catching the arrestor wire. Wheels with a massive tire are therefore among the prominent recognition features of the whole machine.

Building and painting tips

Wash the resin parts in lukewarm water with dish soap so that no mold release agent is left on them; neither paint nor glue holds otherwise. Cut the casting block off with a saw and level the mating surface; do the sanding wet and with respiratory protection. It is glued with super glue or with epoxy. When painting, it pays off to spray the tire dark gray instead of black - it looks more natural in photographs - and to mask the hub separately. Carrier aircraft tend to get heavily grimed in service, so a light deposit of pigment on the tread and fine traces of oil around the hub lend the wheels conviction.

Who the set is for

• builders of a large F-14D model in 1:32 scale
• modelers who find the plastic wheels short on a crisp rendering of the tread and the lettering
• anyone interested in US Navy carrier aircraft
• advanced builders used to working with resin

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.