Roy Sutherland has released a selection of resin Fw 190 mainwheels across several scales designed by Gunnar Jansson as part of his Barracuda Studios range of upgrades.

As you'd expect from Roy, the quality is second to none, with flawless casting on the sample sets and very neat presentation.

There are two styles of wheels available at present. The first is the early type of wheel with a perforated hub that was fitted to Fw 190 variants up to and including the 'A-5. Barracuda Studios have released this in three scales - 1:32, 1:48 and 1:72. In the larger scales the wheels come with separate outer hubs and are accompanied by a small sheet of instructions, while the 1:72 wheels are one-piece castings.

The level of detail is simply gorgeous, with pin-sharp resolution on both the hubs and treads that will really reward careful painting. You almost take that for granted in 1:32, but it's almost scary just how good the smallest wheels also look when viewed under a magnifier

Barracuda Studios's Fw 190A-1 to 'A-5 wheels are available as follows:

BR72353 Fw 190A-1 thru A-5 Mainwheels - Price: $7.95
BR48356 Fw 190A-1 thru A-5 Mainwheels - Price: $7.95
BR32357 Fw 190A-1 thru A-5 Mainwheels - Price: $9.95

The second type of wheel features solid hubs and is suitable for all later marks of the Fw 190. This is only in 1:32 at present, and is available in two styles - fitted with ribbed or smooth tyres. These are single-piece castings, so no instructions are required, and boast simply beautiful detail - from maker's text on the sidewalls, to tiny inflation valves, wafer-thin surrounds to the locking nut and delicate lines around the plain tyre... these resin wheels really are second to none and kick kit wheels firmly into touch.

Barracuda Studios's Fw 190A-6 onwards wheels are available as follows:

BR32358 Fw 190A-6 thru A-9, F, D Mainwheels - Ribbed - Price: $9.95
BR32359 Fw 190A-6 thru A-9, F, D Mainwheels - Smooth - Price: $9.95

All of the wheels are cast with a pour-point that creates a flat-spot at the base of the tyre to give a subtle "weighted" look. For me this is ideal - it neither looks as though the tyres are partly deflated like some exaggerated "weighted" kit wheels, nor will the finished model seem be the standing on tip toe.

Conclusion

If you want to fit some replacement wheels to your Fw 190 that are both easier to work with than kit parts (particularly with the ribbed tyres) and infinitely better detailed, then Barracuda Studios have just what you need. These will be really straightforward to clean up and fit, so they are a great choice for newcomers to working with resin parts as well as experienced resin builders. Recommended without hesitation.

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