Hi.

I am just adding the Vision Models IJA Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank Workable Track Set to a Fine Molds Type 3 Chi-Nu (one of the kits the tracks are recommended for) and have found that the number of links needed is 100 per side, not the 96 as stated on the box. Luckily Vision Models have included a "bonus" 8 spare track links so there are enough links to fit the model.

The Tamiya kit might be different but if you are building one of the Fine Molds kits I would warn you to be very careful when cleaning up the links as you cannot afford to lose a single one. As I was preparing one of the links it shot into space and I nearly didn't go looking for it as I had the eight bonus links to fall back on. Luckily I did search for and find the escapee, otherwise there would have been much wailing and gnashing of teeth down the track.

Other than that I would heartily recommend the track set as the links are beautifully detailed (except for the known issue of the missing cut out in the horn which I can live with) and are a great improvement over the rubber-band style tracks included in the kit.

Cheers,
TimTam27

Not knowing anything of this tank I assume there is an idler wheel. and if so could you have placed it too far back?

Hi.

Thanks for raising that possibility. Yes there is an idler wheel but there is no provision in the kit for any adjustments. The idler position is fixed.

I tried the track set on an old Tamiya Chi-Ha I had hanging around and while I can't remember if the idler position was adjustable in that kit, as built it takes 99 links per side to get the tracks to join up.

FWIW I also compared a built up run of Vision track links to the Fine Molds rubber band track and the Vision links are slightly shorter than the links depicted on the Fine Molds track. The Fine Molds tracks have 96 links per track.

Cheers,
TimTam27 .

Tim,

I used the Vision model Type 97 Tracks with my FineMolds Type 97 and had no issues with running out of tracks. Maybe the box you had was shorted a tree or two of tracks?