Bronco Models 1/35th Scale
Sherman T-51 Workable Track Link Set
Kit no. AB3542
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $20.50
Bronco is a model company based in Hong Kong, China.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $20.50
Bronco is a model company based in Hong Kong, China.
THE KIT:
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped end opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box. Invariably PE frets, decals or other small parts will find their way past the end flaps to become lost forever. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a length of the T-51 tracks next to a Sherman. The text here is in Chinese and English. It says that parts in the kit are realistic and movable. It is easy assembly, accurately detailed with extra spare tracks. It is for adults and not a toy, designed for modelers 14 years of age and older. It contains functional sharp edges and points and the model may vary from the image on the box art.
One side panel has a warning that the kit is not for children under 3 years of age, due to small parts. The kit contains functional sharp edges and points (said again) and keep it out of the reach of children, in English and Chinese. This is followed by Bronco’s street address in Hong Kong, China and their E-mail and web addresses. The copyright date is given as 2010.
The bottom of the box serves as the assembly and painting instructions, with parts trees illustrations to one side. The assembly instructions is just one exploded drawing. There is a listing of just 2 paint colors – STEEL and TIRE BLACK, with paint numbers for Mr. Hobby, Hobby Color, Humbrol and Tamiya brands of hobby paints. Each side run should be built to a total of 83 track links it says. Some parts should not be cemented so that the tracks will flex after assembly and don’t use too much glue on them.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 16 tan parts trees, with 8 each inside 2 sealed cello bags.
There are 8 identical tan letter A parts trees. Each of these holds the metal parts of the links. (96 parts per tree)
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped end opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box. Invariably PE frets, decals or other small parts will find their way past the end flaps to become lost forever. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a length of the T-51 tracks next to a Sherman. The text here is in Chinese and English. It says that parts in the kit are realistic and movable. It is easy assembly, accurately detailed with extra spare tracks. It is for adults and not a toy, designed for modelers 14 years of age and older. It contains functional sharp edges and points and the model may vary from the image on the box art.
One side panel has a warning that the kit is not for children under 3 years of age, due to small parts. The kit contains functional sharp edges and points (said again) and keep it out of the reach of children, in English and Chinese. This is followed by Bronco’s street address in Hong Kong, China and their E-mail and web addresses. The copyright date is given as 2010.
The bottom of the box serves as the assembly and painting instructions, with parts trees illustrations to one side. The assembly instructions is just one exploded drawing. There is a listing of just 2 paint colors – STEEL and TIRE BLACK, with paint numbers for Mr. Hobby, Hobby Color, Humbrol and Tamiya brands of hobby paints. Each side run should be built to a total of 83 track links it says. Some parts should not be cemented so that the tracks will flex after assembly and don’t use too much glue on them.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 16 tan parts trees, with 8 each inside 2 sealed cello bags.
There are 8 identical tan letter A parts trees. Each of these holds the metal parts of the links. (96 parts per tree)
There are 8 identical tan letter B parts trees also. Each of these holds the rubber pads (24 parts per tree)
These are a great replacement for any T-51 type vinyl rubber band type treads you find in a Sherman model kit.
I purchased this kit at my local hobby shop to replace the rubber-band type tracks included in the Academy M3 Grant kit with British tank crew that I have just about completed (kit no. I3228). Those treads are the type that you are supposed to heat melt the ends of to join them into a continuous loop. This method with a hot screwdriver has always never worked worth a damn for me. The rubber turns to goo and a bad weld always and adding staples in desperation when the seal parts company results in an unsightly gap that must be hidden from site. Plus getting a realistic weight sag into the runs is difficult with rubber band type treads. Also, the ones in this grant kit have numerous pot holes on the faces of the rubber blocks and the detail is mediocre to say the least. Better replaced, like I’m going to do.
The big plus is that these Bronco individual links are workable. Assembly calls for 5 parts per link. This consists of the upper and lower halves of the rubber blocks with the connection rods sandwiched inside and 2 of the triangular end connectors. I put a similar set of these together by another brand years ago and be warned that it takes a while to make a run and is an extra bit of work.
Bronco has pulled out the stops when it comes to marketing various types of tracks used on the Sherman and it’s derivatives. No less than 6 other sets are available:
Highly recommended.
Kit is courtesy of my wallet.
I purchased this kit at my local hobby shop to replace the rubber-band type tracks included in the Academy M3 Grant kit with British tank crew that I have just about completed (kit no. I3228). Those treads are the type that you are supposed to heat melt the ends of to join them into a continuous loop. This method with a hot screwdriver has always never worked worth a damn for me. The rubber turns to goo and a bad weld always and adding staples in desperation when the seal parts company results in an unsightly gap that must be hidden from site. Plus getting a realistic weight sag into the runs is difficult with rubber band type treads. Also, the ones in this grant kit have numerous pot holes on the faces of the rubber blocks and the detail is mediocre to say the least. Better replaced, like I’m going to do.
The big plus is that these Bronco individual links are workable. Assembly calls for 5 parts per link. This consists of the upper and lower halves of the rubber blocks with the connection rods sandwiched inside and 2 of the triangular end connectors. I put a similar set of these together by another brand years ago and be warned that it takes a while to make a run and is an extra bit of work.
Bronco has pulled out the stops when it comes to marketing various types of tracks used on the Sherman and it’s derivatives. No less than 6 other sets are available:
- Kit no. BOMA3538 of the T48 type workable tracks (chevron type)
- Kit no. BOMA3539 of the T62 type workable tracks (steel type)
- Kit no. BOMA3544 of the T49 type workable tracks (horizontal bar type)
- Kit no. BOMA3545 of the T74 type workable tracks (another chevron type)
- Kit no. BOMA3546 of the T54E type workable tracks (still another chevron type)
- Kit no. BOMA 3547 (no type number mentioned) (cuff chevron type)
Highly recommended.
Kit is courtesy of my wallet.