Scale Plastic & Rail

1/35 Boxer MRAV & ShKH DANA vz.77 Weighted Wheels from E.T. Model

1/35 Boxer MRAV & ShKH DANA vz.77 Weighted Wheels
E.T. Model
Catalogue # 4889

 

Introduction
E.T. Model of China make a wide variety of accessories and upgrades for armour kits in 1/35 scale. Their range is already quite extensive, and includes resin details as well as photo-etch sets, and covers Modern vehicles as well as WWII armour and trains - you can view their full line up here. Today I will be looking at two sets of weighted wheels in resin for the Boxer MRAV and the ShKH DANA vz.77.

The Boxer, here seen without roof top MG, in medivac configuration

The Boxer MRAV (Multi Role Armoured Vehicle) is essentially a German project produced by Krauss Maffei-Weggmann and Rheinmetall - names that will be very familiar to followers of WWII German armour no doubt – although there is also a Dutch interest in the form of Rheinmetall Nederland. The project was originally a tri-partite affair with Britain and France, but they both pulled out. It is interesting to note that although Britain left to pursue its own design, it now looks likely to go with the Boxer after all.

The DANA

The 152mm ShkH vz.77 DANA is a self-propelled artillery piece, designed in Czechoslovakia in the 1970s. The 'DANA' name comes from Dělo Automobilní Nabíjené Automaticky, which translates as self-propelled auto-loading cannon. Based on a modified 8x8 Tatra 813 chassis, the DANA is currently in service with a number of countries including Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Georgia.

1/35 Boxer MRAV Weighted Road Wheels
#ER35-024
Price $16.98 from LuckyModel

These resin wheels are a replacement set for the HobbyBoss kit #22480:

The pack of eight wheels come in two separate bags, and there four each of two 'versions' of the wheel. By this I mean that the flattened spot on the bottom of the wheel is in slightly different position in relation to the Michelin logo etc on the side of the wheel. This is quite a nice touch, because the chance in real life of having all four wheels lined up exactly the same on each side are very unlikely.

Note differences in position of flat spot relative to Michelin logo etc

The quality of casting is excellent, with the tiny bolt detail on the wheel hubs and recesses on the outermost tread patterns being beautifully reproduced.

The wheels are not 'handed' – all eight resin wheels are essentially the same apart from the difference in position of flattened spot. This is correct for the Boxer, meaning left and right wheels are interchangeable.

Clear shot of a Boxer showing tyres are not handed – resin ones match this feature

Tyres positioned as left and right will show correct direction of tread

The tread pattern looks a very good reproduction of the real thing, although in all the pictures I have seen of a Boxer, the real tyres look slightly more inflated than the ET Model ones. I don't think it's too overdone, however, and these wheels should look very good on your model.

The Michelin logo is clearly displayed, and the technical data on the tyres are very clear when viewed up close. The reverse of the wheel has a perfectly centred hole pre-drilled  I assume this is a precise replica of the kit hub – so no fiddling around drilling your own holes; this is a particular bug bear of mine when it comes to aftermarket wheels! All in all these wheels are top notch and will definitely add that realistic touch to your kit.

Another shot showing off the tread pattern – ET Model have captured this very well

And this is how they will look on your Boxer kit – the flat spot looks about right when seen in this context I think
 

1/35 ShKH DANA vz.77 Weighted Wheels
#ER35-014
Price $18.98 from LuckyModel

These resin wheels are a replacement set for the HobbyBoss kit #85501:

Once again the eight wheels come in two bags, but this time they are numbered one to four, representing the four different locations of the flat spot, if you see what I mean?

Very crisp detail

Furthermore, there are four wheels with a set of prongs on the reverse, and four just with a square hole. They are direct replacements for the kit hubs; the pronged wheels are for the front four wheels which are steerable, the others for the rear wheels.

The front wheels

The rear wheels

Just as with the Boxer wheels, the casting is really sharp, and the detail top drawer.

But that's where the good stuff ends with these wheels I am afraid. Unlike the Boxer, the DANA has directional treaded tyres: the arrow pattern that the tread makes should be pointing downwards on both sides, when the vehicle is viewed from the front. The ET Model wheels have got this wrong, and you will end up with one side (the left) having the tyres on the wrong way round, where the arrow pattern will point upwards when viewing front on.

Although the tread is quite worn on this vehicle, you can clearly see the arrow pattern points down on both sides of the vehicle. ET Model have missed this.

This is how the wheels will line up on your kit, as viewed from the front, looking back down the DANA; the tread on the left of the picture is correct; the tread on the right is incorrect.

I have checked numerous reference images, and could not find a single DANA which did not have this same alignment and configuration of its tyres. I gather other tyre tread patterns are used, but that does not change things for this pattern and these resin tyres. Sadly, this makes this particular set not worth it for me – what you gain in extra detail, you will more than lose because the tyres will be on the wrong way round on one side of the vehicle.

Another DANA showing the tyre patterns...

This is very frustrating, especially when ET Model have gone to the trouble of giving you flat spots located in different places etc. If I can spot this in a few minutes research, why couldn't they? For what it's worth, as far as I can tell Voyager also make the same mistake in their attempt at these wheels.

So What Do We Think?
As you might expect, these sets get wildly different assessments from me: the Boxer ones are a definite thumbs up, but the DANA ones are in my opinion not worth using at all.

Boxer wheels - highly recommended.

DANA wheels – avoid due to inaccurate tread pattern.

With thanks to E.T. Model for the review samples.

Nicholas Mayhew