Just started on the 1/72 airfix panther… And the tracks just dont go around the wheels… they’re too short!!! I tried to stretch them but to no avail… Kindly help… Should I buy a new kit??
Thanking you in advance…
Cheers,
Nandakumar
One solution is to try to mount the drive sprocket inwards.
Remove the mounting pin.
Drill a new hole through both sides of the hull, slightly inward from where the original mounting pin was. Use the tracks to determine the location of the new hole.
Get a piece of styrene rod that is the proper diameter and cut it to the proper length (width of hull plus enough to mount the drive sprockets on to). This piece will become the axle.
Mount the sprockets onto the new axle.
Styrene rods can be purchased (Evergreen) or a straight piece of sprue can be used.
I ran into the same problem with revells 1/72 Bradley. What I did was cut some of the pieces so that the gap was left at the top, (on the return rollers). This way, the side armor would hide the gap. If youre Panther has side armor, that maybe your only choice other tha buying a second kit.
Monsterarmor has the idea. Sometimes you cannot solve the problem based on what you have to work with. But, can you hide it? Maybe yes…maybe no? Maybe the problem just can’t be hidden. Well, would buying another kit and splicing the two tracks together work? Just some thoughts!
Glenn
Or possibly (not a good choice) you could have a track repair situation. I changed a few tracks in my Army days. A job I wish on NO one! I also threw a track once in Germany. I was told to stuff an M-548 in a spot that it shouldn’t go and found little tree stumps hidden in the grass. RATS!! We had fun that day. At least I was in the cab and not on the ground with the pry bars!! Bob
All good ideas, but I think a variation of Major Rob’s suggestion would work best.
Instead of the drive sprocket, however, I’d move the idler a bit, since it was the idler that actually moved to set tension on the tracks on the real vehicle. Plus, it might not be that noticeable.
Nandakumar, try to stay away from the old Airfix 1/76 AFV kits. While they were great for their time, as there was nothing else, times have changed. The 1/72 Panthers from Revell-Germany are the kits you really want nowadays…
As far as the tracks are concerned, some great ideas have already been given. The ‘repair’ idea would be great if the tracks were actually looking anything good, but they are not. I’d put as much mud as possible on those in order to hide them anyway, so my advice would be to glue them with the proper sag and have the gap at the bottom of any road wheel, then place the model on a base with lots of muck all over its running gear. Russian mud comes to my mind!
EEWWW… M548’s!! Rattle traps until they’re loaded with rounds. Give me a Cat any day! … of course toss the conveyor out on the ground! Lucky you didn’t bend a road wheel on one of those stumps!!! More fun!
Ron
another 13B(30)
yeah but, poniatowski, the exhaust stack was great for heating up “C” rations. Crank it up, drop in can, slam the gas when hot, and out pops your meal! Bet you can’t do that with a Cat or “MRE’s”! nyuk nyuk nyuk! Bob
Thanks guys for the variety of suggestions…
djmodels1999,Yes they sure are a pain… I’ll try revell next time…
Is this what you guys meant by the ‘dark side’ when I asked about armour models?? Not a great way to start a first kit…
Just one nore question…
How does one go about putting mud on tracks and making them stick to it???
Cheers,
Nandakumar