1:72 Kuňkadlo - Wheels for Eduard kit - 3D print

Kunkadlo: wheels for the Eduard kit, 3D printed, 1:72 (Art Scale)

A set of 3D printed wheels from Art Scale, intended as a replacement for the plastic wheels in the Kunkadlo kit from Eduard in 1:72 scale. The wheels are the most exposed small detail of the whole model: on an aircraft with fixed landing gear they are permanently in view, and the difference between injected plastic and 3D printing therefore shows more than anywhere else. It is not an aircraft model: the kit is not included in the package and has to be obtained separately.

What the Kunkadlo is

The nickname Kunkadlo, meaning croaker, belongs to a Czechoslovak light single-seat sport aircraft built in the 1920s by the brothers Vladimir and Bohuslav Simunek (hence the designation VBS). It was an all-wooden high-wing monoplane with an open cockpit, built roughly between 1924 and 1926 with the support of the Masaryk Aviation League; it first flew in 1925. It came by its odd nickname because of the uneven running of its engine, whose sound resembled the croaking of frogs. It flew until the end of the 1920s and has survived; it is among the relics of Czechoslovak amateur aviation. Despite where it is listed, then, this is an aircraft, not a ground vehicle.

Use

• Separate the wheels from the print supports with a sharp knife; the printed material is hard but brittle, so do not force it.
• Level the remains of the supports on the contact surface carefully, otherwise the model will not stand straight; sand with respiratory protection.
• Wash the parts before painting and let them dry, then apply a primer; without it the paint holds badly on a printed surface.
• Bond with super glue; cement for plastic will not join these parts.
• Paint the tire and the hub separately and pull the dividing line with masking tape or a template.

Who the set is for

For modelers who are building the Kunkadlo from Eduard in 1:72 and want to lift the model with a sharper rendering of the wheels than an injection mold allows. Given the size of the parts, it is rather an accessory for patient builders with experience of fine work.

Small parts: not intended for children under 3 years. Super glue bonds skin instantly as well, so work in a well-ventilated area.