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In-Box Review
132
P-51 replacement tires
P51 Tyre. Tamiya: Direct replacement wheels for the Tamiya kit
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by: Bill Cross [ BILL_C ]

introduction
The P-51 had an unpromising debut that didn’t improve until it was fitted with a Merlin engine manufactured by Rolls-Royce that allowed its design to reach full potential. The plane eventually became the escort fighter that the Allies had been looking for, one that could take bomber flights all the way to Berlin and back, protecting them from the hordes of Luftwaffe fighters that until then had wreaked devastation and death on the 8th Air Force in its campaign of daylight precision bombing.

The new Tamiya P-51D Mustang in 1/32nd scale has been possibly one of the most-anticipated models in recent memory. While the kit seems to be perfect OOB, the front tires are actually vinyl, which both limits weathering and raises the specter of eventual disintegration. While there’s no guarantee vinyl tires will degrade, contact with solvents has been known to turn them mushy and prone to distortion.

Jerry Rutman, who has had something of a career seeking the perfect Mustang, has come up with the answer: resin replacement tires (“tyres” for you Brits) that pop right onto the kit landing gear.

what you get
This is a bare-bones approach to modeling:

A Zip-lock baggie with two resin weighted tires.

the review
Not surprisingly, Tamiya’s successes in 1/32nd scale, first with its Zeros and then later with two Spitfire kits, had modelers on the edge of their seats once a Mustang kit was announced. The results are unusually fine, but vinyl tires? Let’s face it, no serious modeler is going to want vinyl tires on a kit of this quality and price.

Modeler Jerry Rutman recently folded his resin After Market business, only to have portions of it resurrected by Grey Matter Figures, a UK-based concern known previously more for its Sci-Fi and Fantasy figures. The company has re-issued a number of older Rutman upgrades. But with the launch of the Mustang, Jerry has stepped in and sculpted six castings just for the Tamiya kit, including this tire set (four of them will be reviewed here on Aeroscale). The parts allow you to keep the kit’s landing gear and wheel base, with the resin replacement items slipping right onto the kit’s wheels.

The quality of the casting is simply superb with no flash or “beards,” and only a tiny pour plug left on the bottom of the weighted wheels. The set requires no more than sanding off the pour plug remainder, then washing in something to remove the mold release, followed by painting. Then you’re done.

conclusion
There’s not much you can say about perfection. If you’re going to build the Tamiya Mustang, I can’t imagine doing so without having a set of these tires. The price is more than reasonable, too.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.
SUMMARY
Highs: Superb, sharp casting that replaces the vinyl tires supplied with the kit.
Lows: None, really.
Verdict: A must-have for any 'Stang jockey.
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: 1:32
  Mfg. ID: GMAJR3203
  Suggested Retail: £4.56
  PUBLISHED: Oct 31, 2011
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 90.08%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 93.40%

Our Thanks to Grey Matter!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Bill Cross (bill_c)
FROM: NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES

Self-proclaimed rivet counter who gleefully builds tanks, planes and has three subs in the stash.

Copyright ©2021 text by Bill Cross [ BILL_C ]. Images also by copyright holder unless otherwise noted. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AeroScale. All rights reserved.



Comments

Thanks, Rowan, for getting these up. I can't wait to build my 'Stang with them.
OCT 31, 2011 - 04:18 AM
Rowan, I think you may be living a bit in the past with your comments on rubber tyres. It is not hard to weather the vinyl/rubber tyres using Mig pigments or similar. And what is more realistic than rubber tyres?
OCT 31, 2011 - 09:06 AM
Hi Warren Me? I didn't write the Review... All the best Rowan
OCT 31, 2011 - 09:19 PM
oops!! Sorry.. Edit... Replace Rowan with Bill... (Shakes head at his stupidity)
OCT 31, 2011 - 09:28 PM
Uh, resin.... Sorry, Warren, I couldn't resist. I hate vinyl tires, they don't age well, don't weather properly. Their texture is out-of-scale, which is why they don't look right to me. But to each his own.
NOV 01, 2011 - 11:23 AM
The rubber tyres supplied by Tamiya arent weighted, the seam is all but impossible to remove without destroying the tyre. That plus the worry of them deteriorating over time and these resin options having different tread patterns make them very desireable indeed. Couldnt see anything on the website link supplied though. K
NOV 03, 2011 - 04:40 AM
Sorry, Keith, there was a mix-up at our end about the right link. Try this.
NOV 03, 2011 - 05:29 AM
TY Bill for the updated link, I'll be getting a set I reckon Ta Keith
NOV 04, 2011 - 09:14 PM
My pleasure, Keith. The corrected spinner is also a keeper along with the hooded tail wheel bay.
NOV 06, 2011 - 09:08 AM
   
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