1:48 Supermarine Spitfire Wheels under load (3-spoke wheels)

Loaded wheels for the Spitfire in 1:48 scale

Replacement main landing gear wheels for a Supermarine Spitfire model. The tire is shaped as it looks under the weight of the aircraft, that is with the contact patch flattened against the circular outline. The hub is in the three-spoke form.

Why replace the wheels

A wheel is one of the few parts of an aircraft model that touches the surface, and for that reason it draws the eye. A perfectly round tire gives away that the model weighs nothing. A loaded wheel reverses the impression, because the eye reads at once that the machine is standing on the ground. The three-spoke hub is one of the forms that occurred on Spitfires, and it is worth checking it against a photograph of the machine you are building, because the type of wheel differed from version to version.

Building and painting tips

The essential thing is to seat the wheel so that the flattened area points toward the ground and stands on it across its full width. Try it dry with the finished landing gear as well, and only then glue. The parts are not polystyrene, so cement for plastic does not work on them; use cyanoacrylate glue. Cut the excess material away with a sharp blade a short distance from the part and sand the remainder. Wash and degrease the wheels before painting and apply a base coat. A tire looks more faithful in a dark gray shade than in pure black, and the hub should be set off from it in color.

• Replacement wheels for a Spitfire model in 1:48 scale
• A tire shaped with flattening under load
• A hub in the three-spoke form
• The parts are not polystyrene and are glued with cyanoacrylate glue
• The flattening must point toward the ground when gluing

The package contains the wheels only. The aircraft kit, paints and glue are not included, unless stated otherwise.