Fruilmodel
E-100 Track
Friulmodel 1:35 Scale Track Set No. ATL-120
Review by Terry Ashley

DMLTrumpeter
The Set:
The Panzerkampfwagen E-100 was a conceptual 150 ton tank designed by Krupp in parallel with the Porsche Maus and the only partially built protoype hull was captured by the British at the end of the war. No turret was actually completed for the project but it was proposed to use the turret from Maus with either a 15 cm Kwk44 or 17 cm Kwk44 main gun.

The set of E-100 track from Friulmodel consists of 420 white metal links divied up into four track link sections, three assembly jig segments and the usual coil of 0.5mm brass wire to cut up for the track pins. The track set is supposedly designed for either the Dragon E-100 (kit #6011x) or the Trumeter E-100 (kit #00384) although it doesn't state on the box the actual target kit. I should start by aplogising as I don't actually have either of these kits so can't test fit the track to the kit drive sprockets, therefore the review will confine itself to the accuracy and details of the track links and the assembly. The review comments are based on the only reference I would trust for such a conceptual vehicle given some of the speculation we see about the place, that being the Panzer Tracts Maus and E-100 book No.6-3.

Metal parts
Fruilmodel
Fruilmodel

The actual E-100 combat tracks are made up of one large 1000mm wide main link with a three segment connecting link with a pitch of 150mm (the pitch is the distance between the track pin centre lines on each link). The 1000mm equals 28.6mm in 1:35 scale and the 150mm pitch equals 4.3mm in 1:35 scale with the Friulmodel track links matching those dimensions precisely give or take a fraction of a millimetre.

Each track link is nicely cast with a solid guide horn on the main link and nicely done link details, the only cleanup required is a few small pour burs on each link, the link details match nicely to the photo of the actual combat track in the Panzer Tracts book (page 6-3-64). The track pin holes are mostly open but you will need to use a 0.5mm drill to check all are clear of any obstruction and again only a small portion of the links required actual re-drilling of some holes with the wire cut up into 24.5mm segments ready for assembly.

There is one thing to watch with the small end sections of the three segment connecting link, one has the track pin bolts cast solid and the other has holes for the wire track pin and you should ensure the ones with the holes are on the inside on the track runs when fitted to the model with the solid bolts on the outside, other than this the links aren't handed in the true sense.

Images showing the after cleanup showing the parts that make up two track links plus the wire cut into the required 24.5mm lengths
also the small end connecting links with and without the wire pin holes.

Fruilmodel
Fruilmodel
Assembly:
After cleanup of the links and cutting of the track pins which is best done using a steel ruler as a cutting board so you cut (using a #11 blade) each pin to the exact 24.5mm required the links can be assembled.

Included with the set are three assembly jig sections that fit together to form a longer jig and each track segment has the main large link, the three smaller connecting links and the wire pin as shown below. To assembly the links sit two larger links and the smaller connecting links onto the jig and insert the wire pin through the link holes, this does require a bit of care due to the number of holes on the links that all have to line up perfectly and as there is very little clearance for inserting the pins any slight misalignment of the holes can cause problems. If you have previously checked that all the pin holes are fully drilled don't force the pin if it hits an obstruction, just move the links about a little in the jig until the holes line up and the pin slips though, once in place a small dab of Cyanoacrylate on the open pin hole end will hold the pin in place.

The assembled track runs are extremely robust being metal and articulate freely allowing you to get a very natural track sag when fitting to the kits which is a big plus for the metal Friulmodel tracks.

Link assembly
Fruilmodel
Fruilmodel Fruilmodel
Fruilmodel

Conclusion:
This is an excellent set of replacement tracks from Friulmodel for the huge E-100 with the links matching the Panzer Tracts data dimensionally and in link detail. There is very little cleanup but you do need to ensure all the pin holes are fully drilled and assembly can be a little tricky due to the number of link holes that have to line up to insert the pins.

But the resulting track runs are very robust with excellent detail and will provide additional detail over the kit tracks.

Rating 9/10

References:
Schwere Panzerkampfwagen
Maus and E-100

Panzer Tracts No.6-3
Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary Louis Doyle
Book
Thanks to Friulmodel for the review Set.


Page created April 24, 2012



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