1:72 RAF/FAA (Shore Based) WWII / Post War Wheel Chocks (2 pcs)

Wheel chocks of the RAF and the Fleet Air Arm in 1:72 scale

The set from the AIMS brand captures the wheel chocks of the kind used at British bases on land during the Second World War and in the postwar years. According to the name there are two pieces in the package. It is small ground gear that belongs with a finished aircraft or in a scene on a display stand.

What a chock under a wheel was for

A parked machine with the engine switched off has to be secured against rolling, and a chock laid under at the front and the rear was the simplest solution at an airfield. At bases on land a plain shape without further equipment was therefore enough. Gear for the decks of aircraft carriers also had to count on the tilt of the vessel, so it looked different and tended to be complemented by tie-down elements.

Painting and setting into a scene

The chocks were usually wooden, coated with a dark finish or left in bare wood, and operations scuffed them quickly. It therefore pays to lighten the edges with a dry brush and to harmonize the surface with the base the model stands on: grass, concrete and sand each leave a different cast. Seat the chock only after the landing gear is finished, so that it sits exactly against the tire.

Who the set suits

• builders of British machines in 1:72 who want to display an aircraft as parked
• makers of airfield scenes from the war years and the postwar ones
• modelers whose display case lacks small ground gear
• collectors who are putting together a stock of accessories for models under construction

The paints and the glue are not part of the package, unless stated otherwise.