1:48 CH-34 SeaHorse (Navy version) / Westland Wessex wheels w/ weighted tyres

Wheels with weighted tires 1:48 for the Sikorsky H-34 and the Westland Wessex, Armory

A resin set of replacement wheels in 1:48 scale from the Ukrainian brand Armory, the manufacturer's part number ARAW48360. It replaces the plastic landing gear wheels, which tend to be simplified in kits and split into two halves with a seam across the tread. The tires are cast as weighted: the contact patch is flattened, so the model looks as if it stood on the ground under its own weight. It is not a model of the helicopter nor its main part, but a detail accessory for a finished kit.

The real subject

The Sikorsky S-58, carried in US service in the H-34 family, is a helicopter of the mid-1950s with a radial piston engine housed in the nose and with a long tail boom. The naval air arm used it for anti-submarine duty and for rescue flights, and the ground forces for carrying troops and materiel. The Westland Wessex is the British licensed version of the same machine, but with turboshaft power instead of a piston engine; it served with the Royal Navy and with the RAF.

Preparation and painting

First wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent so that the remains of the mold release agent disappear, and separate them from the casting block with a saw cut, not with cutters. Resin is glued with cyanoacrylate glue, and protect your airways when sanding. Apply a primer coat before painting, and do not spray the tire pure black but with a dark gray shade, so that the pattern comes out.

Who the set is for

• modelers who build helicopters in 1:48 scale
• builders who are bothered by the seam across the tread of plastic wheels
• dioramas where the machine stands on a deck or on an apron
• beginners in working with resin, because there are few parts

It is an accessory for a model, not a kit. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.