Eduard have released a beautifully detailed set of Brassin wheels for their state-of-the-art 1:48 Spitfire Mk.I.

The new wheels arrive in a simple zip-lock bag on a cardboard backing, and come complete with a sheet of die-cut washi-tape painting masks. The casting is flawless in the sample set, with the mainwheels produced in grey resin, and the tailwheel made from a more rigid white resin.

The kit mainwheels are pretty good, but they look bland and basic sat next to the Brassin replacements. The overall level of detail is much higher; the new wheels boast much sharper detail on the hubs, plus sidewall ridges and text. There's even a tiny tyre inflation point inside each hub.

Clean-up promises to be quick and easy - in fact, the Brassin mainwheels will actually be simpler to use than the original kit versions, because there aren't separate hubs to prepare and install (with the added bonus that the finished appearance is also more uniform, as you can see in the photo).

Things get a little bit more complicated with the tailwheel, because the kit offers it in two versions; an all-in-one leg and wheel, or with a separate tailwheel. This Brassin part replaces the former, so you will lose the option of the separate wheel. Once again, though, the resin part boasts superior detail, so it's certainly worth using.

A neat touch is the inclusion of a sheet of die-cut washi-tape painting masks. Oddly, a duplicate pair of masks is provided for the tailwheel. I can't see a reason for this, unless Eduard have included them in case of accidents. The masks only cover the sidewalls, so you'll also need to to protect the rest of each tyre with tape or liquid mask.

The set comes complete with a neatly illustrated set of instructions. There are no great surprises, because the new wheels are designed as direct replacements for the kit parts, so no surgery is required. Colour matches are included for Gunze Sangyo paints.

Conclusion

For me, the Brassin mainwheels are almost "no brainer" improvements over the kit wheels. Beautifully cast, better detailed and simpler to use - it's the perfect combination for an upgrade set. It's equally suitable for veterans and newcomers to resin sets alike.

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