Introduction:
The Ferret scout car is a British armored fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. Produced between 1952 and 1971 it was widely used by regiments in the British Army, as well as the RAF Regiment and Commonwealth countries throughout the period.
Ferret scout car finally became available as a plastic 1/35 scale kit in 2023. Most on-line reviews claim Airfix did a good job overall, but also that some details of the kit are in dire need of upgrades. The wheels are usually one of the first issues identified; provided as two parts each, the kit wheels do not represent tire tread pattern well, lack tire sidewall inscriptions and feature soft details all around.
Enter DEF Model with their British Ferret Scout Car Mk.2 Sagged Wheel Set (DW35167), a set which offers superb resin replacement wheels for Airfix kit.
Review:
The set is packed in a small, nicely designed cardboard box.
Opening the box, I found a zip lock bag with 5 resin cast wheels and 5 separately packed 3D printed wheel hubs, masking sheets and masking instruction leaflet.
The wheels look really good and closer inspection reveals a perfect cast. The details are sharp and nicely delivered, with no defects in the resin whatsoever. Quality of cast is something DEF Model is well-known for and this set serves to prove the point once again.
Casting blocks are located on the bottom of the wheels so removing them should not compromise the detail. After cleaning the blocks the wheels are ready to roll.
This set represents a typical Ferret wheel with Dunlop Trackgrip T24 Run Flat tires mounted on 16 wheel rim.
photos by Dave Haskel
The DEF Model tire has all the features of the real tire; an elaborate non directional tread is perfectly reproduced and the sidewall inscriptions like DUNLOP, TRACKGRIP and 9.00-16 clearly legible. Higher magnification also reveals miniature Dunlop logo and several other markings. Wow! Two series of rim bolts (16 outer and 8 inner bolts) are nicely delivered and look the part.
The axle & spare wheel caps are supplied as separate parts, and these are 3D printed. The print looks really good with well-defined details.
The set includes 2 slightly different road wheel variants, two wheels each, marked as A and B. Each version has the rim and the tire details differently oriented in relation to the tire ground contact. This ensures the wheels fitted to the same side of the vehicle do not look identical, adding to the realism of the model.
The wheels in this set are depicted with a slight sag at the tire ground contact. I feel the compression of the tire is not overdone and it conveys the weight of the vehicle well.
The spare wheel is also included in the set.
Fitting the wheels:
The set is designed as a direct wheel replacement for Airfix kit and the resin wheels have the same rear mounting as the kit wheels. Therefore, no alterations are required when fixing DEF Model offerings to Airfix kit.
Wheel masks:
A nice addition to the set are 3 identical pre-cut masking sheets. These can be used 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:
British Ferret Scout Car Mk.2 Sagged Wheel Set (DW35167) from DEF Model delivers a set of resin replacement wheels designed to upgrade 1/35 scale Airfix kit. The resin wheels are impressively cast and have all the details superbly reproduced. The accurate details on these wheels, as well as realistically depicted tire sag, offer a far superior option to plastic wheels supplied in Airfix kit and should provide more authenticity to the model. Wheel masks are a welcomed bonus.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to DEF Model for this review sample: