Bronco ModelsTrumpeter
Sd.Kfz.6/2 3.7cm FlaK36
auf Fahrgestell Zugkraftwagen 5t

1:35 kit comparison
Bronco Models Kit No. CB-35043 - Trumpeter Kit #05532

Chapter 2: Running Gear/Track
Chapter 2: Running Gear:
BroncoBronco: The drive sprockets are the correct size with excellent rim and rubber pad detail that includes the correct offset of the drive rollers (teeth), this means you have to make sure you fit the sprockets on the correct side of the chassis, the rollers face forward on either side.

Other detail includes the rivets around the insides of the outer rim although there are fine mould seams to clean from between the rivets which need care but the round hub step lacks the tread plate pattern required.

Comparison of kit drive sprockets with the Trumpeter sprocket way undersized.
Sd.Kfz.6/2

The final drive housings are the correct style and detail for the BN 9 chassis with the sprockets designed so you attach the inner sprocket half to the separate final drive housing with a small pin cap (part A3) to allow the sprocket to rotate with the outer sprocket half than attached to finish the assembly. This is rather tricky as the contact for the pin/cap is very small and gluing this securely without getting glue on the sprocket is not easy. The easiest method I used was to attach the small cap with a dab of thick cyanoacrylate to the pin and holding the cap and final drive firmly between the thumb and forefinger turn the drive sprocket half so the cyanoacrylate touching the drive sprocket will not bond. You have to do this fairly quickly after attaching the cap and make sure the cap itself doesn’t move while turning the drive sprocket but the resulting join held the sprocket halve firmly in place while allowing it to rotate, you just glue the outer drive sprocket half to the inner half to complete the assembly.

The road wheels have nicely done details with the correctly sized and shaped ‘teardrop’ lightening holes in the outer wheels and dish detail with the hubs also include the offset grease nipple on the wheels and idlers. On the inner wheels the dish detail is nicely done but the outer ring of lightening holes appear slightly longer than references indicate, The wheels again have the small pin cap (part A3) to attach the inner wheels to the axles but again it would probably be easier to just glue the wheels to the axles.

The axles are also nicely detailed with detail on the hull attachment and arms, there is an additional location tab on the back of the axle to secure to the hull but this is totally hidden behind the road wheels when fitted. One thing to note is the position of the axles results in the kit sitting a little lower on the suspension than is “normal”, or representing a fully loaded vehicle with full ammo load and full crew on the rear deck in action mode and this configuration is evident in numerous period photos of fully combat laden Sd.Kfz.6/2s. The kit represents nicely this “loaded” configuration, if you wanted to model the kit with “normal” unweighted suspension fitting the axles slightly lower than indicated would raise the ride height slightly, this doesn’t require any alterations to the kit other than positioning the axles, this is entirely up to the modeller and isn’t a critique of the kit as such, just an option should you wish?

The rear idler axle mounting has the axle correctly offset from the mounting with the additional tensioning bolt to allow the idler wheel to be adjusted for the correct track tension as on the real vehicle, it’s best not to glue the idler axle in place until fitting the tracks to allow for any such adjustment on the kit track for the right amount of track sag.

At the front the main wheels are the correct size and are nicely done all in plastic with well defined tread pattern, the rim and hub also have nicely defined details including the air valve stem. Also included in the kit are a set early style tyres with aggressive tread pattern but there is no evidence this style of tyre was ever used on the Sd.Kfz.6/2 BN 9 chassis with all available data and images showing them fitted to earlier production vehicles only.


TrumpeterTrumpeter: The drive sprockets are almost 3mm too small in diameter with quite heavy detail as it is ‘squashed up’ for want of a better description, also the drive rollers (teeth) are not offset on the faceted sprocket pads as they should but are located centrally for what are really terrible representations of the Sd.Kfz.6 drive sprockets. Included is an etched circular foot step for the central hub but given the issues with the sprockets it’s probably not worth the effort fitting these. As a consequence of the undersized sprockets the track is also undersized for it to fit the smaller sprockets

The final drive housings don’t resemble those of the BN 9 chassis at all and are designed for the drive sprockets to simply glue to the final drives and therefore the sprockets can’t be made to rotate without considerable work should you want them too?

The outer road wheels have incorrectly sized and shaped ‘teardrop’ lightening holes while the inner wheels have details a little on the heavy side, the hubs on the wheels and idlers also don’t include the offset grease nipple as they should.

The axles are very basic without any detail but these are mostly hidden behind the road wheels when fitted. The rear idler axle mounting is incorrect (as well as oversized) as it doesn’t have the axle offset from the mounting but includes the additional tensioning bolt.  As such you are unable to adjust the idler wheel position for the correct track tension as on the real vehicle. At the front the main wheels are oversized and the vinyl tryes tread pattern is fairly basic as are the rim and hub details that lack any real detail of the actual rims.

At the front the main wheels are oversized and the vinyl tryes tread pattern is fairly basic as are the rim and hub details that lack any real detail of the actual rims.

Comparison of the front wheels with the Trumpeter wheels oversized and lacking rim/hub details
Sd.Kfz.6/2
Comparison of the road wheels and image of actual wheels
The Bronco outer wheels have better defined teardrop holes but the outer ring of
holes on the inner wheels are too elonganted.

Sd.Kfz.6/2
Sd.Kfz.6/2
Close-up of the assembled wheels added to the chassis.
Sd.Kfz.6/2

Chapter 2: Track:
Both kits include individual link working Zgw 55/320/160 tracks that are broken down and assemble in the same way with one link pin fitting into the next and held in place with the separate rubber pad. Both pads include part of the link to form the open casting on the link after assembly, but there are issues with both.

Bronco Bronco: The actual track links are 320mm wide which in 1:35 scale is 9.1mm with the kit links being 10mm wide, the resulting 0.9mm difference also shows up in the spacing on the road wheel pairs which is also too wide by the same amount. If you are using the kit track this is probably something most will overlook as it doesn’t stand out and there is little you do about it in any case other than use the recently released Friulmodel Sd.Kfz.6 track set which has the links the correct width. This also requires the wheel spacing being reduced accordingly, see full review of the Friulmodel Sd.Kfz.6 tracks (set #ATL-112) for details.

Other than the width issue the track is very nicely detailed and after assembly (45 links per side used) articulates freely giving natural track sag when fitted to the kit running gear, you will need to leave the idler axle separate until fitting the track to adjust the tension for best fit.


TrumpeterTrumpeter: The track links are the correct 9.1mm scale width but the length (pitch) is about 1mm too short to allow the links to fit the undersized drive sprocket meaning you have to use 53 links per side instead of the actual 46 on the real vehicle.

Assembly of the links sees the link join being very tight and this results in the track runs being quite stiff and don’t articulate freely at all, enlarging the pin recess in the links would allow a more loose fit but would require a fair bit of work but the tracks are undersized (pitch) in any case. Fitting the track around the sprockets is quite tight and needs a little force due to the drive teeth not being offset and the opening being slightly too small due to the pitch issue and you will need to glue the track to the top of the road wheels for the sag effect.

Assembled running gear and track, note again the undersized Trumpeter drive spocket and the stiff tracks that don't sag naturally.
Sd.Kfz.6/2
Assembled drive sprockets on chassis with track fitted, note the fender spacing due to the undersized Trumpeter drive sprocket.
Also note the shorter pitch (length) of the track links as a consequence of the undersized sprocket.

Bronco Models
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Page created July 12, 2011



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