Pavla Models has released a small resin wheel set for the 1/72 scale Airfix Gloster Gladiator Mk. 1 kit (A02052), but it can also be used with the Revell Germany version (04683), which is actually a re-issue of the old Matchbox kit.

Contents

The re-sealable plastic bag contains a pair of main wheels with each on a small casting runner, which should not be too difficult to remove. This set does not provide a replacement for the tail wheel. These wheels are obviously the same parts included in the now out of production Pavla resin kit, so they are getting additional mileage from them.

The casting is good but there is a little bit of a gap between the wheel cover and tire at about the 5 o’clock position. Comparing the wheel covers from the Pavla and Airfix offerings to a photos of actual Mk. 1 aircraft, the Pavla version are more accurate in terms of the number and location of the bolt heads but the raised rectangle is actually a metal placard on some covers, so this should be sanded down.

The one major issue is that attachment point for the wheels in the Airfix kit is a slot and the Pavla wheels have a hole, so the kit main undercarriage legs will have to be modified to accommodate the resin versions. The tires are unweighted, so you will have to sand the bottoms down a bit if you want to simulate weighted tires.

Conclusions

This is a fairly good upgrade set from Pavla Models, though it isn’t a straight-forward replacement for the kit’s wheels. Since they are relatively inexpensive (£2.00 at Hannants and about $3.00 in the U.S.) and a bit more accurate than the kit’s wheels, you really can’t go wrong.

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