Model Armour

M1000 HETS Weighted Wheels

Manufacturer: ET Model

Scale: 1/35

Material: Resin

Serial Number: ER35-042

Price:  £22.37 

Introduction

ET Model from China has a rapidly expanding catalogue of photo-etched and detail sets for a wide variety of kits in varying scales, together with a very prolific release schedule. This complete set of replacement wheels is intended for the HobbyBoss 85502 kit.

Contents

The set is unusually supplied in a fairly stout cardboard box, with the contents being further protected by individual ziploc bags and lot's of bubblewrap. Once all the packing is removed you'll find six of the aforementioned bags, five of which contain eight wheels and the sixth containing only two.

Each of the wheels is cast in a cream-coloured resin, with tyre manufacturer's logo on one side 'Michelin X', along with size information etc. The reverse sides have no logo. There are no air bubbles I could find either. Each of the tyres is very subtly weighted at the bottom where each is still connected to its pouring block and so will need to be removed. The actual contact are is very small indeed and will be against the ground in any case, although if you wish to try and reinstate the tread pattern in this area, the resin is not too brittle and easily worked with a scalpel blade for example. The tread pattern on each of the tyres is very sharply defined too. Since the wheels are all weighted, and therefore their position relative to the ground is fixed, there are five different masters with manufacturer's logo in a different position on the sidewall. It's just a case of mixing them up so that it's position varies.

I suppose in order to keep resin costs, and therefore the purchase price down, none of the wheels are supplied with hub, for which you are expected to use the kit supplied items. Since I don't have the kit, I can't test-fit the tyres to the kit items so that will have to be taken on faith....at least for now!

In addition to the forty roadwheels supplied in sets of eight, there are two un-weighted wheels supplied to use as the spares.

Conclusion

If you have the HobbyBoss kit you'll definitely want a set of these. Whether you'll be able to fork out nearly £23 for them is a matter for your bank balance. They are very nice indeed though and will definitely ass a lot to your finished kit! Recommended.

My thanks to ET MODEL for the review sample.