Dragon 1:72 scale kits and "DS" tracks.

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I need advice from some tank guys:

Up until recently I was a modern fighter guy in 1:72 scale, but I needed a break and switched to WWII tanks and planes for a while. I did a King Tiger first and the tracks went ok as they sag across the top and covered by skirting. Exact fit wasn’t an issue for this one.

Keep in mind this was my first effort:

Now I am working on a Panzer IV which has smaller road wheels, and return rollers across the top. There is also no skirting, and no sag. A trial fitting shows the tracks to be very tight and will be hard to fit. I understand the tracks can be stretched if needed? Will heating them with a hair dryer (carefully) or something help? I have installed everything except the drive sprocket and the large idler wheel at the back. I’m afraid of breaking them.

Thanks for any advice.

Jim

2

Can’t offer much advice about the tracks, unless you could move forward the mounting for the idler wheels.

What I wanted to say was, hard to believe that Tiger is 1/72, excellent build…cheers…Kenny

3

No, if you are able to stretch the tracks, they will simply hang loose around the sprockets and idlers, as they simply do not have enough mass to hang as if they are sagging. You can try “pinning”, by drilling strategically placed holes in the hull sides and passing a thin rod through to depress the tracks to represent sag.

4

Hi,

It looks very nice, but as someone mentioned, you have to keep in mind that in a life size, it would had been very difficult for the painter to get those very straight lines going all the way from the bottom to the top.

Other than that it is a nice looking tank!