As good as Eduard's boxing of Striped Fighter's 1:32 kit of the Messerschmitt Bf 108 is (reviewed HERE) , there's little denying that the wheels are rather a weak point.

Eduard clearly recognise this and have released a pair of beautifully detailed Brassin upgrade sets to replace both styles of wheels in the kit - spoked and fitted with a hub cap.

The sets arrive in typical Brassin style for upgrades of this type, packed in a simple resealable bag with a card backing for protection. Each set provides a pair of mainwheels and covers, plus a taiwheel and separate leg and comprises:

6 x resin parts
A small photo-etched fret
A sheet of die-cut washi-tape painting masks

The resin parts are simply exquisite; incomparably better than the kit wheels. The casting is basically flawless in the sample sets, with no signs of bubbles or other problems. The wheels are cast "weighted", with subtle flat spots, and clean-up looks like it will be straightforward on all the parts.

While the wheels and landing gear covers are cast in grey resin, the tailwheel leg is cast in a hard white resin. To be honest, it's not likely to have to bear any weight to speak of, but it's a nice touch that Eduard have used a harder resin.

Looking at the wheels themselves, they are simply superb! The spoked hubs on the mainwheels are not only much better detailed than the kit items, but also look more accurate according to the references I've consulted (the kit wheels look like they're modelled on early-version Bf 109 hubs), while the hub caps feature maker's logos. The tailwheel hub sports crisp spokes, whereas the kit version is pretty flat and bland.

The sidewalls of the tyres feature legible maker's logos and text, and the ribbed treads on the mainwheels are beautifully rendered. That's great, but there's also the rub for some modellers - hopefully Eduard also have sets planned to cater for the grooved treads you'll often see on Bf 108s.

I must admit I was surprised to see the resin wheel covers, because I thought the kit parts were fine. That's until I looked at the resin upgrades closely! They feature tiny rivet holes on the framework - plus, of course, do away with the need to clean-up the minor ejection pin mark on the kit items.

The brass etched fret provides an oleo scissor for the tailwheel, plus two spares (they'll definitely be worth saving in the Spares Box).

Washi-tape masks are provided for both the mainwheels and tailwheel, making painting a cinch.

Both sets feature a concise set of instructions with clear diagrams and colour matches for Gunze Sangyo paints.

Conclusion

Eduard's new wheels for their 1:32 Bf 108 are simply superb and are almost a must-have upgrade for the kit. I say "almost" simply because, at the time writing, they only cover ribbed-tread mainwheels. But, if they are correct for the particular airframe you're modelling, these are really a no-brainer addition to the standard kit - they are so much better - and one of the beauties of even the ProfiPACK boxing is that it's so affordably priced, it won't break to bank to indulge in a few extras like these. Highly recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.