The set consists of 11 wheels in light cream resin for the 10 main wheels and one spare as well as the brake drums for the front wheels to allow all the wheels to be replaced on the ICM kit.
The quality of the resin casting is very good overall with just some very small remnants of the casting blocks to be cleaned up from the tread with a few small air holes either side of the casting block and the small scar on the tread pattern can be hidden at ground contact with the remainder of the tread pattern being blemish free.
There is some fine resin film inside some of the wheel lightening holes but this is easily removed with a #11 blade and there were a few air holes on the inner axle stubs of the rear wheels but these will be hidden when the wheels are fitted to the kit so are not really a problem.
Detail on the front wheel hubs is very well defined and includes the correct profile on the rims and tyre side wall embossing which is perfectly legible with the only addition required being the valve stem you can add from thin sprue or wire. The tread pattern is also well defined with the correct offset of the pattern and the wheels are also slightly wider than the kit wheels to better represent the actual Studebaker wheels.
There are separate inner brake drums which fit neatly in place and the wheels fit to the kit axles without any problems for excellent replacements.
Images of real wheels courtesy Rossagraph
The duel rear wheel rims are especially well done with excellent hub contours and wheel nut details as well as the row of small rivets around the inside of the rim which really does enhance the level of detail on the wheels. Again the only addition being the valve stem you can add from thin sprue or wire.
The detail on the inner rim is also well done with the two wheel rims fitting together with the aid of three small locating pins but you have to align these correctly so the casting block scar is level on each wheel. Test fit the wheels as some don't align correctly so just swap the wheels about until each lines up okay, this ensures the scar can easily be hidded at the ground contact leaving the clean tread pattern showing.
sidewall embossing and the tread pattern.
Images of real wheels courtesy Rossagraph
The rear wheels again fit directly to the kit axles without any alterations required making for quick and easy replacements.
The wheels are clearly the best available for the ICM kit at this time with cleanly cast tread pattern and minimal cleanup required as well as straightforward fitting to the kit, what more could you want?
Highly recommended 9/10
Studebaker US6 in detail Special Museum Line No.23 Wings & Wheels Publications ISBN: 80-86416-19-4 |
Studebaker US6 Model Detail Photo Monograph No.17 Published by Rossagraph ISBN: 83-89717-15-8 |
Hussar Productions are available from and distributed by AirConnection Canada.
Thanks
to Michael of AirConnection Canada
for the review set