Alex
True, vinyl tracks are so 1980. My kit arrived yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to open the box. In any case, I am sure some company will offer aftermarket tracks soon.

Nigel
It's not as if the kit is so expensive that AM tracks would be offensive. As opposed to Dragon who charge premium prices and then cheap out on the tracks so you have to pay even more.

But I would prefer plastic AM. The whole Fruil thing leaves me cold.

Kamil Feliks Sztarbala
..but you know that these tracks were two strips of fanged rubber with rubber-plated metallic inserts?

Nigel
...and the tank itself was made of steel. What of it?

The point is not what the tracks were made of, but how the modelling materials handle. And rubber bands just out-and-out suck (IMO, YMMV etc.)

Alex
Agreed. I could live with rubber bands for tracks with no sag (i.e. WW I Mark I-4), but in this case, meh!

Rui S
I've seen rubber bands simulating sag. Not easy, but possible and Much cheaper

Katya Hodgson
Looking at photos of the real thing, the tracks don't really seem to have any sag...

Kamil Feliks Sztarbala
@Nigel, the point is not material, which tracks were made of, but its construction. It will be not easy, and - first of all - not very expensive to prepare imitation of rubber band in hard styrene.

Nigel
@Kamil, aha! I misunderstood the point that you were making. Sorry!

@Katya, the problem with rubber band (vinyl) tracks is how well they take to adhesive (or, rather, how badly they take to it). And while there are tricks to work with them, there are plenty of models out there that don't need those tricks because the manufacturer gives us proper styrene tracks (and, no, DS does not count!)

Holger Kranich
Maybe i´m alone with my two cents but i love DS and rubber tracks. 😄

Nigel
My only experience with DS is with a Tiger I (6600). It was not positive since the tracks were hardened and brittle. Not a great impression!

Holger Kranich
So you maybe had a "monday ds track". 😎

Kamil Feliks Sztarbala
I know problems with rubber tracks, and I also really don't like it. But as I've said - according to shape and cosntruction of reack in this vehicle it will be complicated and expensive to make them in hard plastic. Best, but also most advanced and most expensive way could be multi slide molding and one piece tracks - known from IBG's and Flyhawk's 1/72 miniatures. Much cheaper, but still reasonable - rubber tracks made with material which can be glued with styrene glue. Something similar to DS tracks. Similar, not the same - i know weaknesses and problems whith hardened, crumbling etc. DS's rubber

Katya Hodgson
I watched a Russian review, and whilst subtitles were not great, apparently superglue worked very well on the rubber tracks.

Either way, i'm really looking forward to building this little one, just need to decide on how to paint it before it arrives. 🙂

Rui S
Rubber tracks are Also easier and Much faster to finish😢.
Trumpeter Has the right policy in this Mater, (IMO, YMMV etc) but i give the 👍 to ICM too.

Nigel
"Rubber tracks are Also easier and Much faster to finish"

I didn't realise that it was a race!😉

Katya Hodgson
Not everyone likes or is able to fiddle around with independent links... the Hobbyboss T-18 I ordered for example has them, and i'm honestly terrified.

Nigel
Some companies, some kits, have both vinyl and independent links (or link and length as a second-best option). Best of both worlds! 😄

Kamil Feliks Sztarbala
best, but only for track links with separate tracks construction.

Rui S
Not a race but it could be. At least they don't ruin My mojo.😉
For me cleaning individual track links his a race that never ends 🙁
And with the quantity of ready made solutions in the aftermarket like pigments (like eurpean earth, Russiam earth etc.) colours, mud, grime, streaking etc, by vallejo, mig and ak, and others, sometimes the ONLY thing missing his a already made and painted kit. A very expensive race, if you get my drift😎

The Old Tanker
I remember when all we had were rubber tracks... Actually, RUBBER BAND tracks, because most of our kit's had electric motors in them, so we could drive em' around after they were built. To me, it's actually so 1960's!