A fast way to upgrade any kit is to replace the wheels with some higher quality resin ones. Ultracast has long been a standard for outstanding resin aircraft accessories and updates, with their P-51 items leading the pack. These wheels are for any P-51 kit where the modeler desires a block tread, which is a little different than the standard kit-supplied diamond tread.

In The Package

The wheels come on two separate pour stubs, sealed in a Ziploc bag on a card hanger. The parts are completely free of any defect or casting flaw, and the tread pattern is very nicely defined but not overdone. The casting block attaches to the tire where there would be a slight flattening from the weight of the aircraft, but there is no “flat tire bulge.”

Use on the Kit

To use these, simply cut from the casting block and drill an appropriate size hole to mount them on the landing gear. Just be sure to line up the flat side so that it is flush against the surface the model is sitting on. It’s that simple!

Kit Part Comparison

Since these will be finding their way onto a Tamyia P-51, I pulled out the kits wheel to do a quick comparison. The difference is striking. Not only do you get a variation from the usual diamond tread, but it is much better defined than what is on the kit parts. There is even a valve stem on the resin parts, something unheard of in plastic. Also, being a one-piece resin replacements, there is no separate hub to try to fit and fill into the tire part as is needed on the Tamyia parts. You can see more comparisons on Ultracast’s website.

Conclusion

This is another simple and very cost-effective upgrade from Ultracast. If you spot these at a show or while surfing your favorite vendor site, don’t pass them up! I’ll be looking forward to using these on my next P-51 to give it a slightly different look. Thanks to IPMS USA for the chance to review these and Ultracast for supplying the sample!