Introduction:
The Typhoon program was initiated in 2010 to develop a new family of Russian modular Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles. The latest member of Typhoon family is K-4386Typhoon-VDV, first revealed to the public during the International Military Technical Forum near Moscow, in 2017. The vehicle was fitted with experimental Kama tires.
from https://www.vitalykuzmin.net/
Meng Model released their Russian K-4386 Typhoon-VDV (VS-014) as a 1/35 scale kit in 2020. Since the kit development was based on the prototype vehicle, Meng included Kama tire in their kit. However, Kama tire was not approved for use on Typhoon-VDV and the vehicle instead drives on Michelin tires.
Review:
DEF Model offers two sets of resin replacement wheels for Meng’s kit, delivering two different tire versions. The review of the first set (Michelin tire) can be accessed here: link, while this review covers Russian K-4386 Typhoon-VDV Sagged Wheel Set 2 (DW35119), a set which features Kama tire.
The set comes in a small, nicely designed cardboard box. The front of the box presents an image with the contents of the set, also delivering all the essential information on the set... the scale, which kit is it for and which type of tire it delivers.
The box contains a zip-lock bag with resin pieces, as well as masking sheets and masking instruction leaflet.
I did a thorough check on the resin pieces and found no flaws in the cast: no air-bubbles, seam lines or any imperfections that would need my attention. The details… I reviewed several DEF Model wheel sets and I’m impressed over and over again by how well the delicate details are defined.
The casting blocks are large but can be easily removed using side cutters and a sharp blade. Since the blocks are attached to the bottom part of the wheel, there will be no visible burrs after the cleanup.
The set depicts Kama 14.00R20 NU-401 tire. The tire was fitted to prototype Typhoon-VDV and I’ve seen images of vehicles with Kama tire from military exhibitions as far as 2019. However, I couldn’t find any info on this particular tire, not even on official Kama website.
(photos from https://www.vitalykuzmin.net)
Comparing the tires in this set with the reference photos, I found an excellent match. I can’t comment on the sizing, as I don’t know the exact dimensions of the real tire, but looking at the details on the tire, I would say DEF Model did their homework well. The extremely complex asymmetrical directional tire tread is well reproduced in scale and the sidewall details are just amazing: the KAMA, NU-401 and 14.00R20 inscriptions, tiny lettering all around as well as the arrow denoting tire direction… wow! The bolt pattern on the rim is equally well delivered, as well as the central tire inflation system (CTIS) cap. The intricate details on the hub look good with another set of bolts wonderfully defined.
The wheels in this set are depicted with a slight sag. The compression in the wheel is not overdone and conveys the weight of the vehicle really well.
A closeup of the sidewall details. Wow!
The set includes four slightly different wheels, two left wheels (labeled on their carrier blocks as L1 and L2) and two right wheels (R1 and R2). The difference between the two left wheels, as well as between the two right wheels, is in the orientation of the hub and the compression where the tire contacts the ground. This ensures the wheels don’t look identical when fixed to the same side of the vehicle.
The difference between left and right wheels is in the asymmetrical directional tire tread.
Fitting the wheels:
Unfortunately, I don't have Meng kit in my stash so I can't comment on fitting the resin wheels to the model. However, DEF designed their wheels as direct replacement for the kit vinyl tires/plastic hubs and I don’t expect any problems with fitting axle stubs (kit parts D69/A10) into the central inner hub openings on these resin wheels.
If someone used this particular set of DEF replacement wheels and fixed them to Meng's offering, please feel free to comment on the fit.
Wheel masks:
Two identical 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:
Russian K-4386 Typhoon-VDV Sagged Wheel Set 2 (DW35119) from DEF Model offers direct resin replacement wheels for1/35 scale Russian K-4386 Typhoon-VDV kit from Meng Model (VS-014). The resin is perfectly cast with all the details of the complex tire tread and sidewall perfectly defined, making these tires into miniature copies of the real thing. Although Kama is not an official tire for Typhoon-VDV, I like the idea of having a possibility to model prototype vehicles.
To be completely honest, this was one of DEF review samples I was most interested in, as Kama tires are incredibly cool, with their unique tread and large sidewall inscriptions… DEF Model did an impressive job and this is definitely one of the best set of resin wheels I had in my hands. A real shame it has such a limited application.
A big thanks to DEF Model for this review sample.
