A nicely done kit by Trumpeter with a few quirks which will require attention.

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Great review Jacques.
Thanks for sharing. I hope the mantlet issue is fixed with the later variant to be issued.

Olivier

Yes Jacques, a great review indeed with lots of advise about construction and many indications about accuracy. I think all the reviews have to be done this way

Actually i've already bought the kit and I've been collecting references.
I have a question.




Well, considering the Jacques reliability, I think that's absolutely true but I wonder why most of the exemplars shown in the walkarounds which I've found on internet , have PT-76 track links (so without the holes)

Is it just an issue due to the restoration or It would have been possible that ASU-85 could carry also PT-76 tracks?
(...yes, I'm trying to avoid to drill 360 holes on the track links... )

Thanks in advance for the kind replies

Cheers

Great review Jacques, I'll keep the issues you mentioned in mind when I come to build mine- should be very helpful. I believe Accurate Armour are releasing (or might have already released) a mantlet cover and I reckon we'll get aftermarket tracks for this soon enough, at least I hope so!

Mantlet has been done up and available by Accurate Armor - From the pics I have seen on the internet, it looks ok. Without seeing one in person, I withhold some judgement, but the seams APPEAR to be poor. I hope to be wrong, AA is usually pretty good about this stuff.

Tracks - I think if they show PT-76 tracks, they are museum pieces. The whole reason the ASU-85 got the new tracks with lightening holes was to make them...lighter. Even a little weight loss for air transport makes a big deal, so it is something that would not just be switched out on a whim. Maybe in a emergency they could swap out for PT-76 track ( I honestly do not know if this was possible) but otherwise I would say no, they would always have their unique track on them.

I hope they address these issues in the ASU-85 m1970 kit, but the boxart coming out does not indicate that they corrected it.

As for modeling, you can get away with PT-76 tracks. Only a few hard-core people are going to know the difference, besides you. I always prefer accurate, but I am not sure it is worth the effort to correct the tracks.

Got the New Trumpeter BTR-60, BTR-50 and ASU-85. Still to build the 50 and ASU, so thanks for the heads up about the mantlet.
Euan

Thanks a lot for the reply
Yes, of course holes on the tracks have be done to reduce weight on an airborne vehicle, i was just puzzled by all that walkaround with different tracks

I'll drill the tracks....it will be quite boring

Cheers

Jacques I've written a post about ASU-85 track links.

There are some pics which I wanted to show you and if you don't mind, I'd really like to know your opinion

Thanks in advance

Hi Rob
Not sure if you can help me here or maybe point me in the right direction. I am building the trumpeter asu 85 1970 model but am having a hard time getting the idler wheel brackets fitted. The instructions are not as clear as the could be and it has me stumped. Did you have anything similar with your build? Any help or advice would be great.
Thanks
Pilch

What are the part numbers (just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing)?