1:35 BA-64 gravitiy tires kit Type A

The real subject

The BA-64 was a Soviet light armored car of the Second World War. It was created on the chassis of a light cross-country vehicle with drive to all wheels and carried a small open turret with a machine gun. It served for reconnaissance, liaison and escorting columns, that is, for tasks where mobility counts for more than armor. The vehicle is small and light, so on a model the wheels make up an unusually large part of the silhouette and the viewer has them right at eye level.

What the set contains

Replacement wheels for a model of the BA-64 in 1:35 scale, in the variant designated as type A. The tires are shaped as weighted: the contact patch is trodden and the sidewall of the tire slightly bulged at the ground, as it looks on a standing vehicle under its own weight. The model then stands on its base with a face rather than with the single point of a perfectly round tire, and it stops looking as if it barely touched the ground.

Building and painting tips

Cut excess material away with a sharp blade a little from the part and sand the remainder down so that the shape of the contact patch is preserved. Glue the wheels with cyanoacrylate glue, which holds even where cement for polystyrene has no effect. Wash and degrease the parts before painting. When gluing, the flattened part of the tire has to point at the ground and the axis of the wheel stay parallel with the base, or the vehicle will stand crooked. The tread is brought out well with a dry brush and a dust shade from the lower edge upwards.

Who it is for

For modelers who are bothered on a finished vehicle by wheels inflated into a perfect circle, and for builders of dioramas where the vehicle stands on a soft surface. The model itself, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.