Sd.Kfz.251
Wheels - 2 types
1:35 Set #35033
Review by Terry Ashley
The set has just four wheels in light cream resin with each wheel cast in one piece and includes excellent details on both sides of the wheel rim and well defined tread patterns with just a small gate for the casting block to be removed.
The only blemish to note is the small casting scar at the pour point but this is very small and can be hidden by positioning this at the point of ground contact and so is not a problem.
There are two types of wheel and tread pattern provided representing two of the wheel types seen on Sd.Kfz.251 and Sd.Kfz.11 vehicles during WWII with the more common solid wheel and the wheel with a small cut-out around the valve stem with the wheel features captured very well.
The wheel rim and bolt details are excellent and also include the two small
notches either side of the small hub cap, a feature not included on any of
the available kit wheels. On the inside the ribbed hub is well portrayed and
there is also the row of small bolts around the rim sides another feature not
included on any of the kit wheels.
Some rims have only half the number of bolts
included on the Hussar wheels and it’s a simple job to cut off the extra
bolts depending on your references and this is certainly easier than having
the add them.
The tread patterns are also nicely represented with the fine pattern not overly evident due to the light colour of the resin and will become more apparent when painted and weathered.
Each of the available kits from AFV Club, Dragon or Tamiya have slightly different sized axles for attaching the front wheels and Hussar have deliberately made the axle holes on their wheels smaller than all of these so you can drill them to the required width depending on the target kit. Just remember not to drill all the way through the wheel when doing this which is the only work needed to fit the wheels to any of the available kits, nothing could be easier.
Included below are images of the AFV Club, Dragon and Tamiya kit wheels to highlight the improvements in detail on the Hussar wheels in almost all areas, especially the inside rims.
Conclusion:
A superb set of replacement wheels for the many Sd.Kfz.251 and Sd.Kfz.11 kits
currently available with virtually no cleanup and very little work needed
to fit to the target kit with the inclusion of two types of wheels and tread
patterns in the one set a huge bonus.
At just USD$9.99 for the set this is extremely good value given the alternate
wheel types and there is no reason not to get more than one set as most modellers
will have more than one kit of the type from the many released recently.
Highly recommended
Hussar Productions are available from and distributed by AirConnection Canada.
Thanks
to Michael of AirConnection Canada
for the review set
Page created 22 June 2005