Revell’s PBY kits has been issued twice – once without landing gear (the PBY-5 version) and later with wheels (the PBY-5A version). Eduard has produced a superb set of wheels for the PBY-5A which includes both the main and nose gear. The set comes with seven resin parts, instructions and masks for the wheels. Casting is superb with no flaws.

Construction is simple. Remove the casting blocks from the main wheel with a razor saw and clean up the small seam. Cut the front wheel loose following the same process. There are four wheel hubs for the main wheels. I cut these loose with a razor saw also and sanded the backs until they fit flush in the wheels. Next, I used a sharp blade and cleaned the flash off on the wheel hub spokes and inside the wheels.

The parts are ready for paint. As a comparison, I compared the set to the kit wheels. The treads on the kit wheels are poor compared the Eduard set. This is probably due to the molding. The same applies to the main wheel hub. The Eduard wheel is far superior. The front wheel also has improved detail but to a lesser extent. One other thing to note is that the main wheels are much smaller which looks to be correct. Lastly, the masking set is a great touch for painting.

There you have it - better detail and no seams. Add a masking set and this set is definitely recommended for all those with the PBY-5A.

My thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the chance to review this set of wheels