Hobby 2000 90015 - 1:72 Macchi MC.202 Wheels

3D-printed wheel set for the Macchi MC.202 Folgore (Hobby 2000) in 1:72 scale

Hobby 2000 90015 is a set of main landing gear wheels for 1:72 scale models of the Italian Macchi MC.202 Folgore fighter from the Hobby 2000 range. The parts are produced by 3D printing in resin, which delivers clean, sharp detail with no mould parting lines and no ejector pin marks.

Wheels are among the parts a viewer looks at most - they sit at eye level and right next to the display base. Replacing them with 3D-printed items is a quick way to noticeably raise the detail level of the finished model without touching the rest of the build.

What's in the box:

• Set of 3D-printed resin landing gear wheels

Specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 90015
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Designed for: Macchi MC.202 Folgore 1:72 kits by Hobby 2000
• Type: landing gear wheel set
• Material: 3D-printed resin

3D-printed resin parts - detail beyond the reach of injection moulding

Resin 3D printing reproduces shapes that injection moulds simply cannot deliver: full tread around the entire circumference of the tyre, crisp rim edges, small vent openings and surface textures. Each part leaves the printer as a single finished piece - no parting lines to sand away, no ejector pin marks.

Resin parts are best removed from their printing supports with a razor saw or a sharp knife, and the remaining nubs cleaned up with a file and sanding paper. Washing the parts in lukewarm soapy water before painting removes any residue left from the printing process. Resin does not bond with plastic cement - use cyanoacrylate glue or UV-curing resin instead.

About the aircraft - Macchi MC.202 Folgore:

The Macchi MC.202 Folgore was an Italian Second World War fighter, widely regarded as the most successful fighter operated by the Regia Aeronautica. Designed by Mario Castoldi, it combined the airframe of the earlier MC.200 Saetta with the German Daimler-Benz DB 601 inline engine, built under licence in Italy by Alfa Romeo as the R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone. Switching from a radial to an inline engine gave the aircraft a streamlined nose and a clear performance gain.

The Folgore first flew on 10 August 1940 and reached front-line units in the summer of 1941. It fought over Malta, in North Africa, on the Eastern Front and in the defence of Italy. In a turning fight it was a match for contemporary Allied fighters, though its relatively light armament - two heavy machine guns above the engine, supplemented on some aircraft by wing-mounted guns - remained a weak point.

Original aircraft specifications (Macchi MC.202 Folgore):

• Length: 8.85 m
• Wingspan: 10.58 m
• Height: 3.04 m
• Wing area: 16.8 m2
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: Alfa Romeo R.A.1000 R.C.41-I Monsone inline engine (licence-built Daimler-Benz DB 601Aa), approx. 1175 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 600 km/h at 5600 m
• Armament: 2 x 12.7 mm Breda-SAFAT machine guns above the engine; some aircraft also carried 2 x 7.7 mm machine guns in the wings
• External stores: 2 x 50 or 100 kg bombs
• Production: approx. 1100 aircraft

About the manufacturer - Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice, best known for releasing plastic kits based on proven moulds from established manufacturers, supplemented with high-quality decals and masks. The brand consistently develops its aviation range, with a particular focus on Italian, Japanese and Polish aircraft. Since 2026 Hobby 2000 has also produced its own line of 3D-printed resin upgrade parts - wheels, exhausts and gun barrels - dedicated to kits from its own catalogue.