1:48 F4F-4 Wildcat wheels early

Wheels of the Wildcat in the early version

The set replaces the main landing gear wheels of a model of the Grumman F4F-4 in 1:48 scale. It is an accessory on its own, not a whole landing gear, so the struts and the covers stay from the basic kit. The set carries the Eduard name, that is a Czech maker of accessories for models.

The difference between the early and the late form

During its service the Wildcat used wheels with a different tire pattern and a differently arranged hub. The manufacturer therefore keeps two separate sets and tells them apart in the name by the word for the early and the late version. The choice is made according to the particular machine you want to build, best of all from a period photograph or from the references for the markings concerned. A mix-up shows mainly when the tread is seen from the front.

Changing the wheels step by step

The original plastic wheels are cut off at the axle with a fine-toothed saw. It is advisable to level the seating surface with abrasive paper, so that the wheel does not sit crooked once fitted. A matte black with a light cast of gray brings the tire to life, not a deep black, and it suits to add fine dust with pigment on the contact patch. The hub is then fine-tuned to a shade suiting the markings of the aircraft concerned. Before the glue sets, line both wheels up in one plane.

Who the wheels are for

• Builders of American carrier fighters from the beginning of the war in the Pacific
• Modelers who are bothered by the mold seam on a plastic wheel
• Builds from a particular photograph with a documented form of the wheels
• A quick upgrade of the landing gear without touching the rest of the model