By the way, though totally off I topic, yesterday I started working on my RM-5007 (M1A1/2 with full interior) tank. I got anxious, after all the discussion here, to see how a Rye Field model goes together, since this my first one. I figured I’d start with the tracks. All my prior Abrams tanks were the Dragon 3535, and I used the Bronco aftermarket tracks for all of them, and had been pleased with them (hate Magic Tracks!). I really wanted to see how easily the Rye Field tracks built up. The tracks come with 2 seven part templates, which work reasonably well. Cutting the upper and lower track pads from their sprues is a huge pain. I decided not to clean up the area where I cut the parts from the sprue, which would have taken FOREVER! I think those spots will look acceptable after painting. The track pins, which are the parts that connect the pad parts together, do have a very nice, fine sprue connection, and really don’t need any cleanup, if you carefully trim them from the sprue. I found that the lower track pads don’t sit in the templates very well, particularly at first, until the templates ‘wear in’ a bit. The templates (guides) allow you to put up to 7 sets of lower pads in place at one time. I found that it was best to put the track pins in place one at a time, as you get ready to put the top track pads in place, or the pins wouldn’t stay in place. A small amount of Tamiya extra thin cement works well, just before the upper pad goes down. Be careful with the amount of cement!! I was able to get both sets of tracks done, without the guide horns, in one day. I eventually got into a rythym, and I’d say it took about 90 to 120 minutes per track, not including breaks. I just started to work on the guide horns, and they are the hardest part, in terms of trimming the parts from the sprue. Two attachment sprue points per horn, and the point at the top of the horn is too thick, and really requires cleanup, which is difficult and time consuming, and the result is not the greatest. I hope, again, that paint will help cover up the imperfect sanding. Also, gluing the horns in place is not that easy, and requires some fiddling. The tracks, overall, look fine, though, and if you are careful with glue, they should end up being mostly workable, or at least flexible enough to go around the drive sprockets and idlers. I hope the RM-5006 with the chevron pads are this easy, or even better, if possible. I’d say these tracks are about on par with the Bronco tracks, in terms of easy of construction, but definitely look a little better, particularly on the ends of the track pins, which are solid with a mold line running through the Bronco parts, but have the hollow axle look without the mold line on the equivalent Rye Field parts.
