1:48 Grumman F-4F/FM-2 Wildcat wheels set type 2 (weighted)

What the set is good for

The wheels are among the parts that everyone notices first on a finished model, because they stand at eye level and cannot be covered by anything. The replacement wheels have a more crisply rendered tread pattern, a cleaner edge of the rim and a cleaner transition from the tire to the rim. This set is also rendered with a load: the tire is flattened where it meets the ground, so the model does not stand on a thin line but rests on the ground with an area, as would match the weight of the aircraft.

The real subject

The F4F Wildcat was an American carrier fighter aircraft with a short tubby fuselage and landing gear retracted into the sides of the fuselage. The FM-2 version came about in license production at the General Motors company and served above all from the decks of escort carriers. The designation type 2 in the name distinguishes the form of the wheel; which kit and which machine it is to be used with should be verified against the manufacturer's instructions.

Building and painting tips

The parts are not polystyrene and ordinary cement for plastic will not join them; use cyanoacrylate glue or epoxy. Cut the surplus material off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the rest carefully, so that the shape is not disturbed. Wash and degrease the wheels before painting. When gluing them, see to it that the flattened area points toward the ground and that the axis of the wheel stays horizontal.

• 1:48 scale
• replacement wheels with a suggested load
• the type 2 form
• for a model of the F4F Wildcat and FM-2 aircraft
• glued with cyanoacrylate glue or epoxy

Terms of supply

The model of the aircraft, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.