PMMS
WW2 Productions
VK 30.01 "Sturer Emil" Track
1:35 Set No. 35031
Review by Terry Ashley

Trumpeter

WWII Productions have released this set of individual track links for the Trumpeter 12.8cm Selbstfahrlafette L/61 "Sturer Emil" (kit #00350) which consists of 220 links cast in light grey resin with 88 on the Port side and 89 on the Starboard side with a few spares left over. The instructions also state there is a bow plate spare track mount and 4 spare track mounts but these were not in my set, just the track links.
Resin track links
WW2 Productions

The actual track links according to the Panzer Tracts book No.7-3 Panzerjaeger are 520mm wide with a pitch (depth) of 160mm, this equals 14.85mm and 4.6mm in 1:35 scale. These tracks measure out at 16mm wide x 4.5mm deep which is a little over 1mm too wide and are 1.5mm wider than the Trumpeter tracks which are 14.5mm wide.

Each link has very crisp rib details on the outer face with good definition on the end connectors and characteristic curved track shoe as well as hollow guide horns for nicely detailed links.
There is unfortunately a lot of cleanup required with all the drive teeth and guide horn holes having fairly heavy resin film to be cleaned out plus a casting scar along the edge of each link and this took approximately two minutes per link with a sharp X-Acto #11 but the end result are as mentioned very nicely detailed links.
There are also some small air holes present on a few links but these are quite small and tend to get lost when the links have been clipped together.

Details of the links showing the cleanup needed
WW2 Productions

Each link has the usual two pins that clip into corresponding holes in the next link to form the track runs and these clip together easily to make assembly very quick to compensate for the amount of cleanup time required.

Unfortunately the link pins are only just large enough to hold the links together and the assembled track runs are very fragile and will come apart if you look sideways at them and will need careful handling during and after assembly or you will be forever joining the links up again.

Method of clipping the links together which is quick and easy
WW2 ProductionsWW2 Productions

The assembled track runs articulate very freely and will form very natural track sag and look very good with the fit around the Trumpeter drive sprocket being perfect as you would expect but you will need to handle them carefully to keep them intact.

Conclusion:
This is very well cast and detailed set of Emil tracks but there is considerable cleanup required and the fragile track runs will need special care when being fitted to the model but articulate freely to form natural track sag.

Recommended.

This is the second set of individual link “Emil” tracks released following those from Atelier infinite and a set just released from Lionmarc (review to follow shortly) and also a set threatened from ModelKasten for a good choice of aftermarket tracks for the Trumpeter kit.

Assembled tracks around kit drive sprocket.
WW2 Productions
Assembled track runs with well defined details after cleanup
WW2 ProductionsWW2 Productions

See the "Emil" Subjects listings for reviews of additional set available for the Trumpeter kit.

Thanks to me Credit Card and the excellent service at Rainbow Ten for the review set.



Page Created 3 January, 2006

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