Introduction:
The Jackal or MWMIK (Mobility Weapon-Mounted Installation Kit) is a family of vehicles designed and developed by Supacat Ltd for use by the British Army currently as a multi-purpose, wheeled, all-terrain mobile weapons platform. The primary role of the vehicle is deep battlespace reconnaissance, rapid assault and fire support - roles where mobility, endurance and maneuverability are important.
The Jackal was finally made available as a plastic 1/35 scale model kit by Hobby Boss in 2020. The kit soon made its way into my stash and I couldn’t wait for DEF Model to release their resin replacement wheels, as the vinyl tires supplied with the kit… well, they look OK, but I feel resin wheels are far superior to vinyl in every aspect possible. So, next thing I knew, British Jackal MWMIK 4x4 Sagged Wheel Set (DW35125) from DEF Model appeared on my workbench.
Review:
The set is packed in a hard cardboard box. The box features a CAD image showing the contents of the set and states the wheels are designed for Hobby Boss kit.
The box contains a zip-lock bag with resin pieces, masking sheets and masking instruction leaflet.
Closer examination reveals superbly cast resin pieces. I found no imperfections in the resin, with the amazing level of sharp and well-defined details.
The casting blocks are located on the bottom part of the road wheels and should prove very easy to remove without damaging the detail. I would suggest sharp side cutters and a modeling knife, with some fine-grit sandpaper to finish the job. Additional care is needed when cleaning the spare wheel, as the process would probably result in modelers having to recreate a part of the tread pattern.
The tire depicted in the set is Michelin XZL 335/80R20. The all-terrain, all-position radial tire for special service vehicles, with dimensions of 1037 x 345 mm, features a non-directional tread with open shoulder design.
Once again I was very impressed with how DEF Model delivered the Michelin tire in 1/35 scale. The resin tire looks very realistic and delivers all the details really well: the complex tread pattern is accurately defined and the sidewall details impressively reproduced. The magnification shows the embossing detail with MICHELIN X, 335/80R20 XZL and RADIAL inscriptions clearly identifiable, and rim bolts perfectly defined. There are two tiny protrusions on the rim for easy positioning of the PE part (B10) from the Hobby Boss kit.
DEF Model tire is sized to 31,60 x 9,75 mm, which makes them 2 mm larger in diameter than the real tire in 1/35 scale. However, the vinyl tire supplied with the Hobby Boss kit is even larger when compared to the DEF offering… I remember the conversation on DEF Model Facebook page which indicated DEF was aware of this issue, but that the company ultimately decided to offer a wheel which will fit the kit instead of doing a correctly sized 1/35 scale tire and producing a wheel which looks off on a Hobby Boss model.
The wheels in this set are depicted with a slight tire sag. The compression on the tire is not overdone and I feel it conveys the weight of the loaded vehicle really well.
The set includes two slightly different wheels, two each, labeled as A and B. These wheel variants are oriented differently, regarding the sidewall inscriptions as well as compression where the tire contacts the ground. This slight variance ensures the wheels don’t look identical when fixed to the same side of the vehicle.
Here's a closer look at the spare tire, front and back.
Fitting the wheels:
This wheel set is designed as a direct resin replacement for kit vinyl tires/plastic rims and I don’t expect any issues with fitting kit axle stubs into the hub openings on the back of DEF Model wheels. Hopefully, I’ll start with the Hobby Boss kit and post some in-progress photos soon.
Wheel masks:
Three pre-cut masking sheets are included in this kit. The masks are of help when painting the wheels, allowing airbrushing without overspray. Also included is the instruction leaflet which shows two different ways of applying the masks and painting the wheels.
Conclusion:
DEF Model resin replacement wheels are an essential aftermarket item for me, something I always use when building a model of a wheeled vehicle. All the DEF wheel sets I got were very impressive and enhanced the realism of the model tremendously.
British Jackal MWMIK 4x4 Sagged Wheel Set (DW35125) is no exception to the rule. The set delivers direct resin replacement wheels (4 road wheels and a spare tire) for 1/35 scale Jackal from Hobby Boss. The wheels are perfectly cast and, although a bit overscaled in order to fit the HobbyBoss kit, they offer fantastic details and provide a noticeable improvement over the vinyl tires/plastic hubs. Pre-cut wheel masks are an added bonus.
Highly recommended.
A big thanks to DEF Model for this review sample.