JK Resin


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German WW II Damaged Tracks for
Pz.III /StuG III Ausf.G /StuH 42

Kit #: JKT72022 Preview by Rob Haelterman
   

This resin set is meant as an easy solution to represent a vehicle of the Panzer III / StuG III family with both tracks damaged, as illustrated in the instructions.

The parts are separated into a right set

and a left set.

 

The quality of the parts is up to the usual very high standards of JK, with almost no flash, crisp track detail and small attachment points to the backing plate. The tracks are perfectly aligned and the way they are draped around the running gear is very convincing.

The set contains all the tracks that are necessary for a complete vehicle based on the Panzer III chassis, so no tracks will be needed from the base kit, which might otherwise lead to visual differences with the tracks of that kit. As the Panzer III and IV shared the same tracks, one might consider using them for that vehicle, but then the tracks will be short (which might not be too noticeable) and the geometry around the return rollers might not match. Perhaps JK will release a set dedicated to the Panzer IV in the near future and all this will be moot.

About the type of tracks: they are 40cm Kgs 61/400/120 with rectangular recesses in track face, double side connections and solid guide teeth. These appeared in the second half of 1942 (according to Panzerketten by Peter Schwarzmann), which is the time when PzKpfw III Ausf. L and StuG III Ausf.F were still in production. They might have become rare by the end of the war when tracks with chevrons on the faces were more common.
Width of the tracks is spot on, while the pitch might be around 10% overscale. This is visibly larger than the pitch of the Dragon tracks and might thus be an issue, especially around the Dragon drive sprocket which is probably dimensioned to take the Dragon tracks and which have a much more accurate pitch. Incidentally, the JK tracks are almost identical in size (but not in design) to the Revell tracks and would thus most likely fit better on the Revell drive sprocket, contradicting the mention "for Dragon kit" on the boxtop.


Dragon DS tracks from a Panzer III Ausf.N kit compared to JK tracks of set 72025 (which are the same design as in this set).


Revell hard plastic tracks from a StuG III kit kit compared to JK tracks of set 72025 (which are the same design as in this set).

 

In all, a very useful and well executed set, and while a skilled modeler might get the same results with the tracks that are provided in the base kit (if they are hard plastic at least), it will not be easy to get the same convincing result as provided by this set.

 

 

Review sample kindly provided by JK Resin.

 

JK Resin kits can be purchased from Tracks & Troops

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Article Last Updated: 17 October 2017

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