1:48 T-2C Buckeye wheels set - Special Hobby -

The real subject

The North American T-2 Buckeye was a jet trainer of the US Navy. It served for the advanced training of pilots and its tasks included teaching them to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The sturdy construction of the landing gear matched exactly that: the wheels had to stand up to a hard touchdown on the deck, which cannot be compared with an ordinary landing at an airfield. The T-2C version was the most widespread and in the trainer role it stayed in service for decades.

What the set contains

The set replaces the landing gear wheels with resin parts with a more faithful profile of the tread and more legible hubs than injection-molded plastic offers. The exact number of parts and the fitting procedure are given in the maker's instructions.

Building and painting tips

The parts are not of polystyrene, so ordinary plastic cement will not join them; use cyanoacrylate. Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the rest away carefully, so that the shape of the tire is not disturbed. Before painting, wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent and degrease them, otherwise the paint adheres badly. Paint the tire a dark gray, as pure black looks unnatural at scale, and separate the hub with a mask or a fine brush. Fit the wheels only after the whole model has been sprayed and dust the finished tire lightly, so that it fits into the overall look.

Who it is for

The set suits a modeler who wants to take the landing gear to a higher level of detail without having to touch the rest of the kit.

The package holds only the wheel set. The model of the aircraft, the paints, the glue and masks are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.