One of the latest releases from Eduard in their Brassin line are a set of wheels meant to replace the kit provided ones in the Tamiya 1/72 scale F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. Consisting of three resin parts and a set of masks to aid in airbrushing the wheels and tires, the set can be used to dress up the appearance of the Tamiya kit. The F-16CJ Block 50 release by Tamiya follows their impressive renditions first rolled out in 1/32 scale, and later in 1/48.

The set consists of two main wheels and the front wheel, which are cast in a grey resin, along with a set of painting masks. The resin parts provide an improved level of detail as compared to the ones supplied by Tamiya. As one can see in my comparison photos, the Tamiya wheels do have separate brake inserts for the backside of the wheels, where the Eduard wheels are cast as a single piece. An advantage of the Eduard wheels is that they have a tread pattern molded into them, where the Tamiya tires are smooth. As an added bonus, circular masks are provided that allow for airbrushing the wheels and tires, and prevent the need to hand paint the tires after the wheels are airbrushed.

My hits for this set would include the level of detail provided in the Eduard wheels, as they are crisper than the kit-provided wheels, and will add to the appearance of your F-16. I also appreciate the addition of the wheel masks, as I recently tried some for the first time on another project, and am now a believer in their usefulness. I have no misses to report on this particular set.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this Eduard wheel set to modelers who are looking to exchange the wheels offered by Tamiya with some beautifully cast resin replacements. There should be no fit up issues when installing the Brassin wheels and modelers with some experience in working with resin parts should find it easy to utilize the wheels.

I would like to thank the folks at Eduard for graciously providing these wheels to the IPMS-USA for review and to Dave Morrissette for allowing me to receive this set. I would also send kudos out to the assistants in the Review Corps for the great job they do in keeping the Corps running strong and as always, my appreciation to anyone who takes the time to read my comments.