Vance;

Tristar 38(t) ausf B kit? GREAT choice, by me! I have, oh, maybe 7 or 8 Tristar 38(t) kits on the stack - the B, the E/F, the G. Just fab kits and great building, IMO. I did an E/F last year based on a 1941 Russian campaign pic - 38(t) in general looked pretty lived-in during that period and often loaded with junk, and I seized the opportunity.

The original kit is full of detail and very well molded. But natch there is room to tweak and add... A wood unditching beam, some different fender boxes, bits and bobs here and there, little chains, tiny tie-down eyes welded to rivets, wires and cables. That sort of stuff.

The kit guns are super nice and don't need metal replacements on these kits - but do work on that armored housing on the MG a little to get better inside "clearance" around the barrels. I think the tracks are really very nice - a little fiddly given the tiny links, and no, they are not "workable", but they go together fine with a little patience and will really look fine on the tank - both on the ground and as spares on the hull. But do bear in mind that the tracks may be the wrong type for the B... I think all Tristar 38(t) and variant kits use a later track style than would have been seen on the stock B tank. But I could be wrong...

The B kit has that early stepped driver's glacis - a feature which was in common for Ausf A - D tanks. And with some tiny differences and details, you can use the B kit to do any of these!

I think you'll enjoy it. I do confess that I am a Tristar 38(t) fan, but so what? I'm trying to be detached and objective here!

As I did my E/F before ever this campaign started, I'll just punt a pic of it in here to "plump" for Tristar 38's and head to my stash to see what 38 I'll pull up for THIS campaign. Maybe the Dragon "S"...



Cheers!

Bob

[quote="Jamie Tainton"][quote="Roy Schlicht"]I wish Tristar would have made the A version. That would be different and only 38(t) avail. for the Polish Campaign. I think the B can be easily enough converted by leaving off the German fittings with the most difficult part being the long tube that ran the length of the hull on the right side to the radio pot.

Roy

James;

Hey, Pard! Some nice fixes and stuff you have going there!

Depending on what one wants out of the conversion, much of what you addressed are indeed, by me, pretty simple and nice fixes to get closer to the A - the Tristar B kit does sadly let us down on account of missing lower hull rivets (which you have done super well IMO) - but for many these will be pretty much sight-unseen once those wheels and tracks are in place (No, I'm not excusing Tristar that they skipped them, but they maybe were less concerned with that area, given it being largely obscured? I, for one, am bewitched by model companies which provide detailed bits that get completely boxed - in and cannot ever be seen in almost any build - Dragon's SdKfz 251 kits with sub-floor bits and stuff come to mind - but leave off more-visible stuff!). Likewise that seam-line between side-plates, which, as you corrected it, should be perpendicular to the bottom line. Some things, like the bumper which is supplied but should not be there are the pit-falls that catch all of us! Short of seeing that not-supposed-to-be-there detail in a pub or such, we can only hope to see someone else's catch on it (your's, in this case!).

When I did up a Tristar E/F, I didn't find that ill-fit problem of those tiny end-plates on the deck lids that you found. Mine were a little fiddly, but once I got stuff lined up that gap vanished. Luck of the draw, I guess!

For some, the biggest correction issue will be those early-version open spring-mounts. My plan is to actually simply second the complete DML spring over to that Tristar suspension - while the Tristar springs are a better overall form, IMO, the only part you'll see after wheels are on is that mount, so I would skip the work and just do the minimal surgery to swap the whole part. But you certainly did get a good fix, there!

I wait with anticipation your topside work, including creation of that early Czech "combat antenna" tube on the upper hull side. IIRC, the other Czech fender mirror and antenna mounts are provided in the kit, so that side antenna tube will be the big upper fix to do (I think).

Of course, building the A version gives one a legit opportunity to paint a 38(t) in brown over gray, for the Polish and French campaigns!

The biggest overall issue, I think, will be the tracks more appropriate to A and B tanks - I think the Tristar kits all have a later track style and the early open-horn version simply isn't to be had - least not that I know of.

Great work and informative!

Bob

The assembled track runs do look impressive but it should be noted that the tracks links are the later type (Ausf.E and later) which have indentations in the side of the guide teeth. The early track fitted to Ausf.A to D 38(t)s had solid guide teeth but otherwise the same. WWII Productions have released a set of early 38(t) tracks (set #35042) with the solid guide teeth if you wish to update the tracks to the appropriate type.