Introduction:
Alvis FV622 Stalwart Mk.2 from Airfix, released in 2025, is the first 1/35 scale plastic kit of this 6x6 amphibious vehicle. The kit was eagerly awaited by modelers with its debut inspiring various conversion sets and upgrades from aftermarket companies.
Scale X offers two sets of replacement wheels for Airfix kit, one with slight sag and the other without. This review covers Alvis FV622 Stalwart Mk.2 Sagged Wheel Set (WM35026S).
Review:
The set is packed in a large cardboard box. The box art image shows the replacement tires fitted on an assembled Airfix model.
In the box are the 3D printed parts on their carriers, safely sealed in plastic bags. The set also contains a “thank you” note and a Scale X sticker.
The set consists of 6 road wheels, a spare wheel and a set of 8 hubcaps. The 3D printed pieces look good and upon first inspection I did not notice imperfections of any kind. Each wheel is printed separately and delivered on its own small carrier, while the hubcaps are supplied on one carrier plate.
Each wheel carrier features a designation denoting the wheel’s place on the model:
A – front axle wheels (L and R for left and right, respectively),
B – middle axle wheels (L and R),
C – rear axle wheels (L and R),
S – spare wheel.
Removing the printing supports and cleaning the wheels shouldn’t present any problems, even to those with basic modeling skills. I suggest using side cutters to remove the supports from the back of the wheel rim and then just snapping the wheel off. The support attachment points are very thin and easily sanded with some fine grit sandpaper.
To assemble the wheels for this review, I cleaned the hubcaps and attached them to the hub opening of each road wheel. The caps are intelligently designed, featuring a tiny protrusion which fits perfectly to the hub opening, thus minimizing the possibility of misaligning the parts.
The set depicts Good Year 14.00-20 NDT tire.
The 1/35 scale tire features accurately reproduced details that closely match their real tire counterpart. The tread and sidewall elements are sharply defined, with Good Year branding and 14.00-20 markings clearly legible under magnification. The rims are also well executed, with a crisp and convincingly rendered bolt pattern. Altogether, very impressive details and high-printing quality from Scale X.
The set supplies 2 front road wheels, 2 middle road wheels and 2 rear wheels, designated as A, B and C on their carrier blocks, respectively. The variations between these wheels are noticeable due to the orientation of the tire compression and sidewall details. This slight difference ensures the wheels fitted to the same side of the vehicle do not look identical and repetitive, adding to the realism of the finished model.
The road wheels are depicted with a very slight compression of the tire at the ground contact. This effect aims to portray the weight of the heavily loaded vehicle. Scale X also provides a set of Stalwart wheels without the sag effect for those who prefer a lighter, unloaded vehicle appearance (WM 35026).
The set also includes a spare wheel.
This set is designed as a direct replacement for plastic wheels supplied with the Airfix kit and no modifications are required to fix the wheels to standard mounting C52-57 points of the kit.
Conclusion:
Alvis FV622 Stalwart Mk.2 Sagged Wheel Set (WM 35026S) from Scale X provides a replacement wheel upgrade for the Airfix Stalwart kit. The set includes 6 road wheels and a spare wheel, impressively delivered with crisp detail and accurate representation of the Good Year tire. The subtle tire compression adds a convincing sense of weight without being overdone, while the axle-specific wheels help avoid a repetitive look. With straightforward cleanup and direct fit to the kit mounting points, this set is a highly recommended enhancement for modelers seeking improved realism for their Stalwart models.
A big thank you to Scale X for this review sample: https://scalex.art/