1:35 T-34 500mm Width Cast Links Type 1942 (Workable)

Workable cast 500 mm tracks for the T-34, 1942 type 1:35 — AFV Club

A set of workable plastic tracks for the Soviet medium tank T-34 in 1:35 scale from AFV Club. It is the cast link 500 mm wide, the 1942 type. It is not a vehicle model but an add-on for a kit that is already built: the links join into a track that stays movable and can be shaped over the road wheels.

The real subject

The T-34 track was among the widest used on medium tanks in the Second World War, and it gave the vehicle its legendary mobility in mud and snow. Early machines ran on a track 550 mm wide; from 1942 a narrower track 500 mm wide with a characteristic alternating pattern took over on a large part of production. Beside the width, the technology differed as well: a stamped link was lighter and quicker to make, a cast one was stronger. A great deal can therefore be told from the track about the period and the factory a vehicle came from.

Building and painting tips

Deburr the links carefully and sand the seam lines down. Apply a thin cement and only at the points indicated, so that it does not run into the joints. A cast link has a rougher, irregular surface, which comes out well if you first spray the track in a dark metallic shade and then dry brush a lighter metal onto the raised areas only; rust belongs in the recesses. Count the number of links you need from the instructions before you close the track up, and fit it right at the end so that the sag can be shaped.

Who the set is for

• Modelers of Soviet equipment in 1:35 scale
• Owners of a T-34 from 1942 production onward
• More experienced modelers, as assembling the links calls for patience
• Diorama builders, as the track is clearly visible on a T-34

This is an add-on set, not a vehicle model. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.