Introduction

There exist quite a number of Soviet armor models in 1/35th scale today but, unfortunately, the majority of these kits were produced in early '90s in absence of reliable technical data on the subjects and thus suffer from excessively generalized and simplified detail. Perhaps the least accurate part of these kits are the tracks which are especially complex, multiple sub-link, tracks for the T-80 family of MBTs. Up until middle 2007, modelers really had only two choices: settle with over-sized vinyl tracks lacking essential detail or try to obtain hard-to-come-by resin sets from Masterclub or Miniarm. Apart from limited availability, these sets, doubtfully spot-on accurate, are quite pricey especially when shipping costs are considered. Modelfixer, a new company from Russia, now offers a considerably well-detailed and affordably priced alternative in the form of an injection molded individual tracks set.

Review

The sprues are packaged into a quite large, for an accessory set, top-opening box made of standard cardboard much like that used by Tamiya or DML. Inside the box there are 10 sprues with track segments, enough to outfit any one tank from the T-80 family plus a few spare tracks to attach on either the turret or rear hull if desired. The instruction sheet is a small, but informative, leaf which actually shows frame polys of the 3D model used to make the mold for the links.

The tracks themselves are molded in high quality white semi-soft plastic and attached to sprue trees with very thin extensions. There are no molding imperfections whatsoever and detail is crisp and the sprues oil free. The tracks, when assembled, are very accurate dimensionally however they do miss out on some fine detail when compared to their resin rivals. Most notably, the bolt heads are not as pronounced as the ones on Masterclub's rendition, due mostly to llimitations of the injection molding process.

The guide horns are produced with a stretched uniform prism in cross-section which is not accurate as the actual tracks have a thin horn body and considerably thicker portion where rubberized rods are placed through. Nonetheless, the pattern on the outer surface of the track body and rubber couching appear to be quite accurate. One should also remember that this particular set is sold for one third of the price of a resin set.

Conclusion

The set has good fit and molding and is an ideal solution for those on a tight budget. The guide horns are not as accurate as they could be but the set does provide an AM alternative for the T-80 family of vehicles that's cheaper than the resin-only options that previously were available.