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AFV CLUB'S 1/35 Sd.Kfz. 251 WHEELS & TRACKS

By Ray Mehlberger

Kit No. 35043  MSRP: $17.98

Introduction

When I first saw this kit, I thought I was buying individual links. This was not the case.

The kit comes in a small, end-opening box, about the size a 1/72nd scale aircraft would come in. The box is printed in Chinese and English. However, somebody did not proof-read the English because the word WHEELS came out as being WHELLS. I got a chuckle out of that.

The box art shows a ghostlike line drawing of a Sd.Kfz. 251 ausf. D, which only has the front wheels and tires and the road wheels, drive sprockets and tracks painted in solid colors.

This accessory kit is meant to be put on Tamiya's 1/35th scale kit of the ausf. D (kit no. 35147) which they released in 1990. However, it can also be used on Tamiya's kit of a 251/1 (kit no. 35020) or two other kits of the D version: kit no. 35151, which is the Stuka with the 28/32cm rockets mounted in wood crates on the side, or kit no. 35195 ­ again a D version - but this time with just a machine-gun mounted.

What's in the box?:

All the parts in the kit are packaged in one large, main, cello bag. Within this bag, the other trees sport their own bags. The two identical letter "A" trees share a bag together.

As mentioned, there are two identical letter "A" trees, molded in earth yellow plastic. These contain new front tires and rims, road wheels, road wheel axles etc. I cannot see where these wheels and tires are much improvement over what is supplied in the Tamiya kit. However, the Tamiya kit has its road wheel axles molded integrally into the sides of the chassis, so the individual axles in AFV's kit will allow a modeler to pose his 251 going over rough terraign. The Tamiya kit can only be built sitting perfectly flat on a diorama base. (32 parts per tree here)

Parts tree, letter "B", holds the drive sprockets, front suspension, front axles, leaf springs etc. There are a few more parts given to cover these areas, like steering linkage...that is not provided in the Tamiya kit. Again, this tree is molded in earth yellow plastic.(26 parts on this tree)

Two khaki-green colored resin parts are given. They are new vehicle side plates - with holes in them - to insert the new individual road wheel axles into. These are well molded and show no surface bubbles.

Finally is the black vinyl rubber-band type treads. These sport the correct holes in the outer part of the links which are not on the Tamiya ones. The inside of these treads better delineates the links. Tamiya only has the gear teeth, and they are inaccurately molded with ROUND ends. Tamiya's are continuously SMOOTH and do not show that the tread run is separate links. So the AFV ones are an improvement. I just wish they had been individual plastic ones.

The assembly instructions are printed on the back of the box. There are eight steps and colors called out in Mr. Hobby brand paints. Steps 3 & 6 are printed very small and are very busy. You may want to look at these with a magnifying glass, so you don't mess up.

Conclusion

This kit will help a person make a Tamiya 251 going over rocks and bumps. However, it is not much of an improvement otherwise over the Tamiya kit. I also think that the price is a little high for what you get. I can only mildly recommend it, if you want your 251 going over rough ground.

I bought this kit at the local hobby shop. It can be readily found at most well stocked shops.