1:72 A-4B/P Skyhawk Mainwheels and Nosewheel (early with spoke type hubs), for Airfix kit

Wheels for the A-4B and A-4P Skyhawk in 1:72 scale

Replacing the wheels is one of the most rewarding small upgrades there is. The main wheel and the nose wheel in the early version with spoke-type hubs match the older variants of the carrier-based attack aircraft. CMK issues the set in 1:72 scale.

Early versions of the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk

The small attack machine from the 1950s was designed so sparingly that it did without a folding wing. The B version moved the type among genuinely usable combat aircraft, received in-flight refueling and in a modified form reached further operators outside the United States. It was exactly on these older examples that wheel hubs with a spoke pattern appeared, which later versions no longer carried.

Changing the wheels on the model

Check the holes for the axles before painting and carefully widen them if needed. Leave the tires in a dark gray tone, because black looks unnatural at a small scale, and set the hubs off with a lighter shade. Dust around the rim will bring the model to life.

Why to watch the early hubs

The landing gear wheels changed over the life of the type together with other modifications, so the wrong hub pattern gives away a badly chosen version faster than most things. If you are building a particular machine from a photograph, check this detail before you glue the landing gear on.

Who the set suits

• Builders of carrier-based attack aircraft
• Modelers bothered by seams on plastic wheels
• Anyone interested in the early versions of the type
• Those building the machine with the gear retracted or extended