1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109E Wheels

1:72 Messerschmitt Bf 109E Wheels — resin wheels

This is a resin detailing set in 1:72 scale that replaces the main landing gear wheels on a model of the Messerschmitt Bf 109E. Wheels are among the parts an injection mold can only manage with compromises: the parting line runs across the tread, the hub tends to be simplified and the tire has a hard, geometrically exact outline. A resin casting has none of those compromises. The contents of the package and the number of parts are stated on the box.

The real subject

The Bf 109E was a single-engine fighter with a narrow main landing gear track, whose legs retracted outward into the wing. The wheels are practically always visible on a model, because display models are usually built with the gear down. The shape of the tire and the hub is therefore a detail anyone who looks at the model up close will notice.

Building and painting tips

Wash the parts first in lukewarm water with dish soap, otherwise paint will not hold on residues of the mold release agent. Cut the casting block off with a saw and level the contact surface on abrasive paper laid on a board, so that the wheel stands straight. Sand resin wet and protect your airways. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). When painting, separate the tire from the hub with masking tape or a template; a dark gray shade looks more convincing on a tire than pure black, and a light application of dust pigment on the contact patch completes the impression of load.

Who the set is for

• For modelers building the Bf 109E in 1:72 scale who want more accurate wheels.
• For those who are bothered by the parting line across the tread of plastic wheels.
• For contest models judged up close.
• For modelers used to working with resin and superglue.

The accessory is supplied unassembled and unpainted, and it is not a model of an aircraft. Glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. Please check that it matches your own kit beforehand.