M41/M42 T91E3 Track
AFV Club 1:35th Scale Kit # AF 35046
Review by Terry Ashley

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This set of individual T91E3-Track from AFV Club was originally released for their M41 Walker Bulldog kits but is also applicable to the just released M42A1 Duster.

The set consists of 164 individual links in chocolate coloured plastic with and additional 160 track pads in a softer vinyl type material, each link is truly individual with not sprues and only a few of the links had some minor flash but most were totally clean meaning there is no cleanup required. The track pads are easily cut from their sprues with a shape blade and if you cut close to the pad there is no further cleanup require don these either.

Plastic links and vinyl pads

The actual T91E3 track links are 21 inches wide with a pitch of 6 inches (the pitch is the distance between the track pin centrelines), this equates to 15.24mm and 4.35mm respectively in 1:35 scale. The kit links are 15.2mm wide and pitch of 4.4mm to be basically spot on in size.

The links have good rib details and also includes the pad retaining bolt nicely defined on the inside face of each link as well as the nicely rendered end pin detail, there is what appears to be two large pin marks on each link face but these are covered when the pads are attached so there is not issue.

Images showing the link parts, note the minor flash on some links
and the pin marks covered by the separate track pads

Track links with the pads glued in place.


The box includes an assembly guide on the back but the assembly is very straightforward with each link having two small pins on one side and corresponding locating holes on the other side, to fit together you simply fit one pin in place and clip the other over the pin using your thumbnail to ease the link into place, given the larger size and the outer link has a bit of 'play' this process is quick and easy. The pad links glue to the links with normal plastic cement and it's a good idea to attach the track pads before fitting the links together to avoid any possibility of gluing the track pin while attaching the pads.

The actual M41/M42 uses 75 links per track run and you will need to use only 74 kit links to get the correct track tension when fitted to the kit, this 1 link difference is probabaly due to the small difference in track pitch and the extra "play in the track join but is of little consequence and is not at all noticeable with the track runs added to the kit.

The assembled track runs are quite robust and have excellent details but you should still handle with care to avoid any of the links coming apart as they do only have small attachment pins and not full with wire pins like metal track links.

Link assembly



The tracks fit perfectly to the AFV Club M41 and M42 kit drive sprockets as you would expect. The actual track is "live" meaning there is tension on the link joins and the track will curl up on itself when not fitted to the vehicle, this also means there is no appreciable track sag between the top return rollers as is seen with "dead" track used on WWII German and most Soviet tracked vehicles.

I also test fitted the track to the older Tamiya M41/M42 (re-issued kit) drive sprockets and again the fit was perfect should you wish to use the tracks on these kits.

Track links fitted to AFV Club M42A1 Duster kit suspension.


Track links fitted to Tamiya M41 drive sprocket showing good fit.


This is an excellent set of replacement M41/M42 track links with good track link detail and with virtually no clean-up required and simply click together assembly makes for a very quick and easy update to improve the appearance of whichever kit they are used on.

Rating 9/10

M42 Duster Walk Around #5705 Squadron Signal Publications	M41 Walker Bulldog in action #2029 Squadron Signal Publications
SHERIDAN A History of the American Light Tank Volume 2 R.P.Hunnicutt. Presidio Books	US Army Manual TM 9-2350-201-12 76-mm Gun Full Tracked Cambat Tanks M41 (T41E1) and M41A1 (T41E2)

Thanks to my credit card and for the review kit.