Do AFV Club rubber tracks for Shermans fit to Dragon kits (M4A4, M4A1 (76w)?

Do you recommend them or should I avoid them?

Thanks in advance

Copied might help you.

Need to use some T49 on an Academy M3 Lee, a DML Sherman III, and a Tamiya M4A3. There are two lengths, and my experience with their M3A3 and Churchill "rubber" band tracks, is they are too short, distort easily, and won't take paint very well. Are the "vinyl" tracks any better, specifically the 35027 and 028, and should I use the longer 83 track string for brands other than AFV Club?


Respond to this message

Author Reply
david nickels
(no login)
71.100.201.90 I don't like them June 2 2009, 11:47 AM


The AFV vinyl Sherman tracks are IMHO too short and tight. Yes they sell them in two lengths (standard and lenghened for the long M4A4 hull) but the standard length was a good 1/2" too short on AFV's own M10 tank destroyer. The lengthened tracks were a TIGHT fit on a Tamiya Sherman.

Academy and Dragon have okay vinyl Sherman tracks so I am not sure of any benefit in replacing them with AFV's.

AFV has better semi workable (you should glue them) plastic link tracks. Panda Plastics has reworked the older RHPS plastic tracks as well.

Academy sold their assorted Sherman tracks in a set via I think Academy Europe or Academy Germany.


Respond to this message

Gerald Owens
(Login GeraldOwens)
74.186.175.36 Cyber Hobby June 2 2009, 11:17 PM


The AFV Club vinyl tracks are okay, but they are "old school" style moldings made with two-part molds that capture top and bottom detail, but cannot render recessed side details and have a nasty seam down the edge. The flexible plastic tracks designed for Dragon's new range of Shermans are the best yet, as they use four-part molds that capture the edge detail of the track connectors as well the top and bottom detail. The soft DS (Dragon Styrene) plastic glues using ordinary cement, and unlike the Tamiya soft plastic tracks (which can self-destruct if exposed to enamel or lacquer thinner), it takes paint well. Since US tanks used live tracks which resisted sagging when properly tensioned, there is little advantage in using link to link track on a Sherman. These Dragon tracks are now offered separately by Cyber Hobby.