Thanks to Hauler-Brengun for providing this item for review and thanks to IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.

What started out as an airliner with a market forecast of 250 units ended up being one of the best-selling and most popular airliners in the world. The Boeing 727 entered service in 1964 and the last 727 was completed in 1984. During that time 1,832 727s were built. It was very popular with both domestic and foreign airlines alike because of its range, short runway capabilities, and versatility. It could carry up to 189 passenger. One of its passengers made the 727 an unforgettable piece of American history. A man dubbed “D. B. Cooper” jumped from a Northwestern 727 with $200,000 in ransom, and into the history books as well as oblivion.

Hauler-Brengun has recently released a nice set of after-market resin wheels for a 1/144 scale Boeing 727-200. Their web site does not specify which of several manufacturers' kits the wheels are made for. For the purpose of this review I used the Airfix Boeing 727-200, kit #A04177.

Brengun’s set of parts include main gear wheels, nose gear wheels, and an assortment of blade antennae. The parts are cast in a pleasant gray resin with no to minimal clean up around the edges. The pour stubs may be a little thick on the wheels, but should separate nicely with a little care. The row of antennae along their pour stub is subject to easily snapping off, as evidenced by the missing antenna in the picture below.

When comparing the resin wheels to the kit wheels the difference in detail is obvious. See the comparison photos below. The resin wheels have a finer finish and the lug nuts are not so clunky. The resin blade antennae are a wee bit thinner than the molded-on kit antennae. All resin parts match the kit parts in size.

At least on the Airfix kit I’m using, the resin wheels are not an exact drop in replacement. Other kits may be the same. You’ll note in the pictures below that the kit’s landing gear struts have a large hole through which a peg on the back side of a kit’s wheel passes. The off-side wheel is then glued to this peg, thus completing the installation. The resin wheels have no such peg. There is only a tiny hole in each resin wheel to aid installation. Since there are no instructions in the packaging, it is left to the modeler to devise his own method of attachment. As for replacing the molded-on plastic antennae, the modeler simply, but carefully, cuts one off and glues a like resin antenna in its place.

This set of resin wheels has a higher level of detail than that found on the kit wheels. I find it easy to recommend this product for the modeler who is looking for that little extra in looks.

Thanks again to Hauler-Brengun for this review sample.