Over the past couple of years, aircraft diorama accessories have become more prolific in the scale modeling marketplace – much to the liking of many of us dioramically-challenged aircraft modeler types. Aires, one the leading aftermarket detail accessory manufacturers, is making its contribution to the proliferation in the form of its Wheelliant brand of accessories – namely in the form of aircraft chocks.

Wheelliant’s 1/48 scale NWC-4/5 chocks for US Navy aircraft come in a 2-pack of superbly-cast resin parts and a length of thread to represent the manila grab-line used to release the adjustment lock mechanism.

Clean-up of the parts is virtually unneeded and fit is superb. The chock blocks slide over the extruded bar, and remain adjustable if the modeler so desires. The thread superglues into the adjustable block endcap with just a little bit of increase in hole diameter from a sharp pin-vice drill. Detail on the blocks is sufficiently deep, but not excessive, and facilitates painting, application of a wash, and clear coating diminishing the effect or sense of scale.

I highly recommend these little gems to any modeler crafting a 1/48 scale diorama of a modern jet on a flight deck or on a tarmac at a naval air station.

Thanks to Aires and IPMS/USA for the review sample.