This style of track was used throughout the war and was for a time fitted with metal track pads, but these were later replaced with rubber pads due to the reduction in speed limits on paved roads due to the vibrabions generated and the metal pads were easily lost or damaged and the kit represents the rubber padded tracks.
The track links have excellent details as do the separate track pads, but there is a couple of shallow pin ejector marks on the inner faces of each link and a mould seam line down the middle of each pad that is easy to remove.
The track pads are moulded in normal plastic, not the vinyl material of the early tracks (set AF 35044) which does make removal of the moulding seam easy but the box top instructions show to glue the pad to the track link while still on the sprues and assemble afterwards. This is virtually impossible as there is no movement as with the vinyl pads and you should assemble the links after removal from the sprues by fitting one link into the other and then gluing the pad in place, but take care not to use too much glue so the link will still move.
The other problem is the same as with set AF 35044 in that the plastic around the track locating pin makes the fit too tight and the links won’t move freely and you have to trim some plastic from the pin extension to get a good fit and allow free movement.
This is a bit time consuming and while the locating recess has been moved slightly further back on the link than on the early tracks unfortunately it still does not leave enough room for free movement.
Once these modifications have been done the tracks fit together well and articulate freely when assembled using 55 links for the left side and 56 links for the right side track due to the offset of the torsion bar suspension and do look very good when fitted to either the later Sd.Kfz.251 or Sd.Kfz.11 kits.
The assembled links fit precisely around the AFV Club Sd.Kfz.251 or Sd.Kfz.11 kit drive sprockets as you expect and will offer a different appearance for either kit.
Recommended
References:
On the WWW:
AFV
Interiors
SdKfz251 Ground Power Special |
Sdkfz251 Osprey New Vanguard 25 |
SdKfz251 in action Squadron Signal #2021 |
SdKfz 251 Militaria in Detail 001 ISBN: 83-7219-061-5 |
German Halftracks 1909-1945 Spielberger Book 6 |
SdKfz251 Wydawnictwo Militaria No.12 ISBN: 83-86209-06-2 |
Kit courtesy of my Credit Card and the excellent service from Rainbow Ten.
Page Created 19 June 2004