1:1 German Pz.Kpfw IV 40cm Track (Mid Type) Kit

Pz.Kpfw IV track link, 40 cm wide, 1:1 scale (Tori Factory)

This set steps outside the usual range of plastic modeling. From it you build neither a tank nor part of one in a small scale, but a replica of a single track link at one to one. The width of 40 cm matches the real thing, and the designation mid type refers to one of the forms of the link from the course of production. The finished piece is not put onto a model; it stands for itself as an object for a display case, a shelf or a workbench.

The real subject

The 40 cm track belonged to German medium tanks of the Second World War and was used by the Pz.Kpfw III as well as the Pz.Kpfw IV types. The individual links were joined by steel pins into an endless track that ran over the drive sprocket, the idler wheel and the return rollers. The shape of the link changed several times during production: the profile of the teeth, the shape of the guide horns and the arrangement of the openings all changed, and it is exactly those small differences that tell the early, mid and late versions apart. A replica at full size is therefore interesting as a graphic illustration of how massive and technically precise a casting a track was made of.

Building and painting tips

Parts at one to one have large glued surfaces, so it pays to try every joint dry first and only then glue it. Sand the seams and the mold marks before you start painting, as on a large surface every unevenness shows. A metal look comes out best over a dark base onto which a metallic paint is applied and only then is the corrosion built up. Rust is well built in layers, from a light orange-brown to a dark one, and is supplemented with pigments and earth in the corners. The wear surfaces, that is the places where the track met the rollers and the road, can be polished with a graphite stick or a polishing metal pigment. Since it is a display piece, expect it to be handled and fix the surface with a varnish at the end.

Who the kit is for

• Collectors who want an unusual exhibit outside the normal modeling scales.
• Modelers of armored hardware who want to get a feel for the real proportions of a track.
• Anyone interested in hardware who is looking for a gift with a story rather than another model.
• Enthusiasts of weathering, because rust and wear can be played out in detail on a large surface.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.