In conjunction with their T-34 kits, AFV Club has also released a number of workable track link sets for the T-34.
Not all track link sets are applicable to the kits so far released by AFV Club which may indicate future kits or are aimed at other T-34 kits available.
This set represents early type “wafer-type” 500mm wide track produced in the summer of 1942 which had holes on alternate links for anti-slip pawls. This is also the style of vinyl track included in the two T-34 kits released to date T-34-76 Mod.1942 Factory 112 (kit #35S51) and T-34-85 Mod.1944/45 Factory 174.
The set consists of multiple small sprues for the alternate track links, those with the guide teeth are 6 per sprue and the flat links have two links per sprue. The basic instructions are on the back of the box but don’t indicate how many links to use with the references listed indicating there are 72 links per side.
The links are moulded cleanly without any pin marks especially on the inside face as is often the case and you only have the sprue attachment burs to remove. There was the odd bit of minor flash but the majority of links are cleanly moulded and also there is a mould seam line on the ends of each guide tooth link that to remove and you need care not to remove the track pin bolt heads in the process.
Dimensionally the links are spot on being 14.2mm wide which equates perfectly to the actual 500mm track width as well as the guide teeth matching the size indicated in the references, or do they, more this shortly.
The cast ridges on the links are nicely done but have quite sharp edges when representing the “softer” cast links and light sanding may “round” the edges a little although this may not be that noticeable on the links once fitted to the kits. Also there should be small casting numbers on the links depending on the factory but these are not included.
Each guide tooth link has four small pins designed to clip into corresponding holes on the flat links allowing for fully working links after assembly.
Assembly is quite straightforward providing you take care when clipping the links together to not use too much force which could damage the small pins but otherwise there was no problems clipping the links together.
After assembly the track runs articulate freely but you must handle the tracks with care as rough handling will see some of the links come apart and if you have to clip these back together too often it could wear down the pins, so handle with care.
After assembly the track runs articulate freely but you must handle the tracks with care as rough handling will see some of the links come apart and if you have to clip these back together too often it could wear down the pins, so handle with care.
The track set is obviously designed for the AFV Club T-34 kits and they fit the drive sprockets perfectly allowing natural sag over the drive sprocket/idlers and road wheels. If you wished to show a disabled tank in a diorama the links will make positioning the tracks very easy.
Fitting the tracks to the DML T-34 kits was not as simple and the initial trial fit saw the tracks “sitting off” the drive sprockets with the guide teeth not “sitting” fully between the drive sprocket rollers.
Checking this further we find the AFV Club sprockets are fractionally (about 0.5mm) larger in diameter than the DML kit sprockets, also the drive teeth on the AFV Club links are 0.5mm deeper and about 0.3mm thicker at the base than those on the DML tracks. All these minute variations seems quite innocuous but is enough for the AFV Club track not to fit the DML sprockets without slightly reducing the thickness of the three AFV Club guide teeth that mesh into the DML sprocket drive rollers.
As mentioned we are only talking differences of about 0.5mm between the respective kits parts and to make things more interesting we see the 1:35 plans in the T-34 Mythical Weapon book show the drive sprocket and guide tooth sizes equalling those of the AFV Club kit parts. Conversely the 1:35 plans in the Wydawnictwo Militaria T-34 books show the drive sprocket and guide tooth sizes equalling those of the DML kit parts, all very interesting.
The net result of all this is you really can’t say either kit is wrong in these areas with the minuscule differences between the kits parts and plans. It wouldn’t be worth even mentioning other than it results in the minor modifications to the three guide teeth needed if you wish to use these tracks on any of the DML T-34 kits.
If you have the AFV Club T-34 kits, you get three different styles of drive sprockets so you could also use the leftovers on the DML kits along with the AFV Club tracks to bypass the minor fit issues when combining the two kits.
that mesh into the sprocket drive rollers the fit was also perfect.
In all this is a very cleanly moulded set of one of the most common T-34 track types in the second half of WWII with fairly reasonable cleanup for individual link tracks prior to assembly.
Assembly is very straightforward providing due care is taken clipping the links together and is handling thereafter.
The tracks fit perfectly to the AFV Club drive sprockets and only minor mods required to fit the DML T-34 drive sprockets so can be used on any of these kits to add a little detail definition.
Highly recommended.
| T-34 Mythical
Weapon by Robert Michulec Published by AirConnection  |
T-34 vol.III Wydawnictwo Militaria No.268 ISBN: 9788372192684  |
T-34 In Combat Model Fan Encyclopaedia #6 ISBN: 83-914521-5-8  |
Thanks
to AFV
Club for the review kit.