The latest M2A3 Bradleys being delivered to Germany have a new track that looks like Diehl tracks that are on German Marder IFVs.






Does anyone have a set of Tamiya Schutzenpanzer Marder track to compare to the above pics and see how they fit the Brad sprockets?

These tracks are also seen on the new M109A6 Paladin PIM.

The Tamiya Marder tracks fit the Meng Sprockets pretty good. The only problem is the guide horns aren't the same. The Brad ones look like the ones on the new Abrmas tracks. The ones in the Tamiya kit are similar to the ones on the Leopard or M60

I think the ones in the Revell Marder 1A5 ISAF kit are the right kind, except their guide horns look molded solid. Not sure about length. PSM makes MArder 1A5 tracks too, but again the guid horns are solid

Looks like the Bradley tracks are rounded on the corners where the Marder tracks are squared ...


James

Use tracks from Revell M109 A3 GA1.

Rob - Apparently, that kit is not to be found. I'm looking for an alternative as the AFV Club Diehl 828A track set seems readily available.

Not quite. While they look the same from the outside, the Paladin and Marder tracks are different. The guide horns on the Marder are on the track link between the pads. On the Paladin they're in the joint between each track link.
Th'at not to say the Marder and Bradley ones aren't the same(I have not seen a close up of the new Diehl Bradley tracks) but intuition tells me the Bradley and Paladin PIM tracks are more likely to be the ones that are the same.
At any rate, as Jason points out, the guide horns are the wrong shape anyway. Since I'm not sure how well new one will adhere to the old Revell tracks, I'm thinking the easiest remedy is a set of resin tracks.

The AFV Club ones seem to have an open guide horn but a different shape.
http://s427.photobucket.com/user/cliveharman1/media/misc/af35168c.gif.html?sort=3&o=10

UUUGGGHHHH!!! Looks like I will just wait and see what may pop up in resin or something else.

I thought we were done with armor in Germany? Read a story a few years ago about the last M1 leaving Germany, and I have to tell you, I was kind of sad reading it

Fruilmodel make a set of white metal tracks för the German M109 if that could help. Not sure if they are the same as these Bradley tracks, but perhaps an option?

Would the diehl tracks for the Norwegian Chaffee work?

Not really, they have the center guide in the middle of the track block. It needs to be between each block. I believe the German M109 tracks are the same way.

I've got a Revell M110A2 (a very rare kit nowadays), which apparently has the same tracks (they tell you to shorten them in the instructions). The pads look too square compared to those in Gino's pics.

Cheers,

Christophe

True, but they're very close and will have to do on my Paladin for now at least. My biggest issue is the guide horns. I've got four sets of them, and plenty of Bradley/MLRS hulks, so I'll see what other uses I can put them to.

Revell have/had a MLRS (or M.A.R.S) in German "uniform" which has Diehl tracks. Maybe those are the same as the ones on those Bradleys (except for the number of links ??)
/ Robin

I contacted Diehl regarding the tracks on the Norwegian Chaffee.
They are Type 224A, only found on Norwegian Chaffee and Austrian Kürassier .

Thomas

Thanks Gina and Thomas, so we can rule out the Norwegian tracks :-)

How about the Fruil German M109 tracks?

http://www.historexagents.com/shop/hxproductdetail.php?ProductCode=ALT125

Why don`t wait and see? I dearly hopr that the M1 and M2 will be on display at the Volksfest in August.

H.-H.

Did a quick googlesearch on Abrams T158 track, hoping to find a link to the Bradley tracks. It turned out that the T158 track is manufactured by Thai company Chaiseri. Are there no track making companies in the US?

H.-H.

Is it just me, and I posted in the other thread on this but do the tracks from the R.O.K K9 thunder not look very similar to the ones used on the new brads.

I have that kit at home. If I ever make it back there I'll check to see if the pitch is correct.

These have been in the pipeline for some time now, just took a while to finally show up. The review manual I have for them is dated July 2008 and we in the AAV community were reviewing the manual in 2011/12. As the AAV utilizes the same tracks as the Bradley, even before the RAM/RS upgrade, it is only a matter of time before these also are seen on the USMC's AAVs. The manual I have specifies these as XT-161 Track System. I do not know if this is still the nomenclature in use or if the "X" has been dropped or even a new number adopted since fielding.

Related article on Military.com :

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,98389,00.html

H.P.

My eleven year old research assistant managed to scoop me on this one. She got the video before I thought to take any photos! I was also unaware she was taking it - but that's a different skill set altogether.
You can tell by the way she answers my question, she's even learning quite a bit.

Click on image - it'll go to the Photobucket site.



Warning: Video may contain goofiness.