Introduction

BMP-1/2 is one of the most commonly used AFVs in modern conflicts and despite the fact that there are lots of photographs of destroyed vehicles I haven’t seen such models so far. One important limiting factor for that is absence of good aftermarket sets to make destroyed vehicles and the other factor is that one cannot just build destroyed BMP out of the box; one has to do quite a lot of modifications. Nevertheless, the first obstacle can be now considered as not valid with this new set of burnt out wheels from Panzer Art.

Review

Similar to other Panzer Art products this set comes in a small cardboard box and the resin parts are placed in a clear plastic bag inside. There are 12 wheels without rubber band in this set and they will be suitable for BMP-1 or BMP-2 with early wheels. The BMP-2 late road wheels have a different wheel hub cap and unfortunately this set cannot be used for that purpose.

The parts were initially designed and 3D printed on a state-of-art printer and then cast in grey resin. They require only removal of a resin connector and no other clean up. This area will be presumably the bottom of the wheel on a finished model so one should not worry at all.

The PanzerArt's burnt out wheels feature correct shape of the disk and most importantly they have a thin rim that is holding the rubber on a real vehicle. Making this kind of rim on your own is not an easy task, and this is why burnt wheels were a limiting factor until today. The inner surface of the wheel has a hole for swing arm and I don’t know which brand it was originally designed for but the opening has to be enlarged if you would like to fit these wheels on a Trumpeter kit. A simple 1,5mm (1,6mm) drill bit will do the job, easy adjustment.

Conclusion

This is an excellent set of burnt BMP-1 (BMP-2 early) road wheels that feature accurate detail. As this is the first time we see such product available it should be a best seller! And I hope there will be a set with late style wheel hub caps later as well.