1:48 BTR-60 APC Soviet armored carrier wheels set

Armory 1:48 BTR-60, a set of resin wheels

This is not a kit of the carrier but an accessory set of wheels in cast resin that replaces the wheels from a plastic kit of the Soviet BTR-60 armored personnel carrier in 1:48 scale. Wheeled armored vehicles stand or fall on their tires: they are large, round and the viewer looks at them first.

Why replace the wheels

Plastic wheels are made in a split mold, so they have a parting line around the tread and as a rule only a simplified pattern. A resin casting can deliver the coarse off-road tread pattern as well as finer hub detail. Above all, however, wheels of this type tend to be cast with compression where they meet the ground, that is with flattening under the load of the vehicle. The model then does not stand on eight perfect circles but really rests on its base, and that is an effect even a layman spots in a cabinet.

Building and painting tips

Wash the mold release agent off the casting, cut the casting block away with a fine razor saw from a place where it will not be seen, and sand the surface. Before gluing, check the orientation: wheels with flattening under load have one correct rotation, and the flat must face down onto the base. Dry-fit them to see whether all the wheels touch down and the vehicle does not stand twisted. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue. When painting, the best approach is to spray the tire in a dark shade and brush the hub in the vehicle shade, for which a circular mask helps. A dusty tread and a lighter deposit on the tire sidewalls will give the vehicle credibility immediately.

Who the set is for

• modelers building the BTR-60 in the less usual 1:48 scale
• those who want wheels with realistic flattening under load
• diorama makers where the vehicle stands on visible terrain
• modelers who do not want to sand parting lines off plastic wheels

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