Among the recent Brassin releases from Eduard is a beautifully detailed set of wheels with diamond-tread tyres for their new-tool P-51D.

The kit wheels certainly aren’t bad (see Andy Brasier’s excellent build of the kit when it was still almost warm from the moulds HERE), but the Brassin replacements are really in a different league.

Looking at the mainwheels first, the hubs are better detailed, with petite brake-line attachments, plus there are inflation points under the separate outer hubs, but the real difference for me is on the tyres. Not only are there maker’s logos and pressure instructions on the sidewalls, but the treads are a vast improvement over the kit wheels.

Obviously, with the two-part kit tyres, there’s a seam running through the treads - which are merely engraved into the wheels. With the Brassin tyres, there are not only no seams, but the tread diamonds are correctly raised from the surface of the wheels like the full-sized items.

Turning to the tailwheel, once again the hubs are better detailed and there’s maker’s text on the tyre, but this time the wheel features a grooved tread which is missing on the kit wheel

The casting is flawless in the sample set. The openings in the mainwheel outer hubs are flashed over, so a little preparation is required. Beyond that, it’s just a case of separating the wheels from the casting blocks with a razor saw, with the attachment points forming slight “flat spots for a realisting “weighted” look.

Along with the wheels themselves, Eduard provide a sheet of washi tape masks to make painting the hubs a cinch.

There’s a neatly illustrated sheet of instructions, but the wheels look so straightforward to install, they’ll hardly be needed by most modellers.

Conclusion

Eduard’s diamond tread wheels are really excellent and well worth considering as an upgrade to take their beautiful 1:48 Mustang to the next level.

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