1:35 Sd.Kfz. 250 - Wheels Civilian Road (Fulda / for Takom Kits)

Civilian rubber on a military machine

A shortage of raw materials forced German industry to reach for everything that was at hand, and tires were no exception. Toward the end of the war military vehicles therefore quite commonly ran on tires that had originally belonged to civilian trucks and were not built for movement off the roads at all. A road design with fine longitudinal grooves looks out of place on an armored vehicle at first glance, except that period photographs document exactly such combinations, and a modeler who repeats them gains a scene that is not commonly seen.

This set offers just such tires from the production of the Fulda tire works and is shaped ready for the Takom kit. On a model of a light armored vehicle it creates an interesting contrast: smooth civilian rubber at the front, a tracked running gear meant for rough ground at the rear. It is an apt picture of the last year of the war, when every component was hunted down and units helped themselves out however they could.

• A civilian road tire pattern of the Fulda brand.
• For models of the light armored vehicle in 1:35.
• A rendering matched to the kit that the name gives.
• An interesting choice for a scene from the late period of the war.

A civilian tire on a military vehicle deserves a different approach to weathering than off-road tires. Leave less mud on it and instead more rubbed-down edges, and by all means a patch or an unevenly worn tread as well. In color, reach for a lighter gray, because replacement rubber from civilian stores tended to be older and more faded than what vehicles received from the factory.