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Girls & Panzer Hetzer Kit : Only half the tracks?

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  • Member since
    November 2014
Girls & Panzer Hetzer Kit : Only half the tracks?
Posted by RoboClerk on Monday, November 17, 2014 10:45 AM

So I recently bought the Girls and Panzer kit quite cheap with some other kits as filler for the airfreight. So now that I decided to build it I find a major problem. This kit only supplies about half of the track links, only the lower half. Everything that is on the upper side, underneath the fender is just not there.

Any ideas on how to fix this.

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 4:04 PM

OMG, how bizarre?! Are you sure that's the intention of the kit? Maybe it's a mistake, an omission? I would write to customer service and ask if they can send more?

Alternately, the only thing you'd be able to do is to secure some extra track links, either from a new kit or on ebay or something. You might aslo replace them with a set of rubber band Marder tracks from Italeri or Tamiya from any 38t chassis vehicle?

  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: On my kitchen counter top somewhere in North Carolina.
Posted by disastermaster on Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:37 PM

 

http://ourstories.ourstories.cz/components/images/emoticons/smile32.gif Hey, no upskirting here........  http://images.ironfistclan.com/smilies/facepalm.gif           

Sherman-Jumbo-1945

"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now"

 

 
  • Member since
    November 2014
Posted by RoboClerk on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 5:31 AM

Sorry if I did not make myself clear. This is not a packaging error, but even the manual shows that there are only tracks for the lower part of the rollers. From my research I gather that the kit is identical with the Dragon kit, the sprues are also marked accordingly. But why would you only have half the tracks? this is a rather cheap copout.

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Longmont, Colorado
Posted by Cadet Chuck on Wednesday, November 19, 2014 9:31 AM

You got it- cheap!  I'd try to get a refund on it.

Gimme a pigfoot, and a bottle of beer...

  • Member since
    November 2014
Posted by RoboClerk on Thursday, November 20, 2014 2:34 AM

So it turns out as long as you don't pick the kit up and look at it from underneath the armor skirts it is not visible. Still I feel cheated.

  • Member since
    March 2008
  • From: The Bluegrass State
Posted by EasyMike on Thursday, November 20, 2014 11:33 AM

To be honest, with the skirts istalled, you don't actually need the upper tracks.

Smile

  • Member since
    November 2014
Posted by RoboClerk on Friday, November 21, 2014 3:15 AM

When I am done with it I'll post some pictures.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Friday, November 21, 2014 3:49 PM

No, you don't actually need them but still it seems to me to be a big cop-out. The Dragon kit comes with a complete set of treads, I'd assumed this one just had the replacement decal sheet for the manga tank but was otherwise the same- weird.

Please post this, I'd love to see how she looks done. I've half a mind to try building the hot pink Lee/Grant from the series.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    February 2014
  • From: N. MS
Posted by CN Spots on Friday, November 21, 2014 4:25 PM

For a company to make a product for the type of customers that spend a weekday griping about the diameter of a 1/35 scale antennae, it seems implausible that they would omit such an important part.  Visible or not.  Especially since some of the tracks had already been molded.

Write 'em.  Tell them you're disappointed and ask if they'd be so kind as to send that parts to finish the kit properly. Give them a chance to make things right.

If they won't play ball, move on.  The internet will finish them.

  • Member since
    November 2014
Posted by RoboClerk on Saturday, November 22, 2014 1:40 AM

I am not Even where I would need to complain, the spruces are by Dragon but the box says platz hobby.

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Saturday, November 22, 2014 2:02 AM

I'd head over to Missing Lynx where just about every German armor modeler replaces plastic with aftermarket barrels/PE/tracks/etc. Ask if anyone has a spare set of Dragon Hetzer tracks, Eduard or Tamiya for that matter. You'd probably get them for the cost of postage.

A month or so ago, I ran across my old Italeri Panther A kit. Old, inaccurate kit and not worth trying to sell or trying to add any aftermarket with serious money. I asked if anyone had some old Dragon indy tracks to replace the shiny silver vinyl ones. Got a set sent to me and someone else sent me some extras they didn't need from an old Dragon kit that included some better molded detail parts. I sent one guy $5 to pay for the odds and ends. The track guy sent them to me for free.

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Saturday, November 22, 2014 2:49 PM

RoboClerk

Sorry if I did not make myself clear. This is not a packaging error, but even the manual shows that there are only tracks for the lower part of the rollers. From my research I gather that the kit is identical with the Dragon kit, the sprues are also marked accordingly. But why would you only have half the tracks? this is a rather cheap copout.

Oh my god, that's outrageous, really! I can't believe what a chintzy, cheap cheat that is! Is the whole world going to greed and cheapness these days? Shocking, really.I would DEFINITELY write them and complain vociferously!!!

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: NE Oklahoma
Posted by Allen109 on Saturday, November 22, 2014 4:54 PM

Model Kasten, Friulmodel......

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, November 23, 2014 12:29 AM

the doog

RoboClerk

Sorry if I did not make myself clear. This is not a packaging error, but even the manual shows that there are only tracks for the lower part of the rollers. From my research I gather that the kit is identical with the Dragon kit, the sprues are also marked accordingly. But why would you only have half the tracks? this is a rather cheap copout.

Oh my god, that's outrageous, really! I can't believe what a chintzy, cheap cheat that is! Is the whole world going to greed and cheapness these days? Shocking, really.I would DEFINITELY write them and complain vociferously!!!

You're looking at this from a true scale modeler's viewpoint; these kits are aimed at fans of the Girls & Panzers show who may or may not be modelers. Cutting corners to allow them to build the kit quicker.

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Sunday, November 23, 2014 6:30 AM

Allen109

Model Kasten, Friulmodel......

Yes we understand that there are AM alternatives,but the point was the cheapness of the kit in providing only 1/2 run of tracks.

you say it like it's easy to drop $35-50 extra on something that should be there.

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Sunday, November 23, 2014 6:51 AM

Rob Gronovius

the doog

RoboClerk

Sorry if I did not make myself clear. This is not a packaging error, but even the manual shows that there are only tracks for the lower part of the rollers. From my research I gather that the kit is identical with the Dragon kit, the sprues are also marked accordingly. But why would you only have half the tracks? this is a rather cheap copout.

Oh my god, that's outrageous, really! I can't believe what a chintzy, cheap cheat that is! Is the whole world going to greed and cheapness these days? Shocking, really.I would DEFINITELY write them and complain vociferously!!!

You're looking at this from a true scale modeler's viewpoint; these kits are aimed at fans of the Girls & Panzers show who may or may not be modelers. Cutting corners to allow them to build the kit quicker.

Tob, you're exactly right. It makes perfect sense to help novice builders build a representation of these "comic" vehicles.  I guess this just caught me in a sour mood -- I just noticed the other day how so many products in the stores are getting smaller and smaller while the prices are going up, up, up--mostly foodstuffs. It seems to be a trend that never really reverses. You wind up paying for less in nearly everything these days. But I guess I can see the thought behind this omission. Indifferent

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, November 23, 2014 11:09 AM

A lot of kits are being produced that cut corners and eliminate some of the more tedious aspects of modeling. For instance, Revell does those star wars kits that are predecorated as well as some of the snap tanks and planes.

Italeri released a bunch of 1/72 scale tank kits that included a quick build option with one piece track road wheels for war gamers and also included regular pieces for the small scale modeler.

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: NE Oklahoma
Posted by Allen109 on Monday, November 24, 2014 2:35 PM

Tojo72-  No reason to get offended,just a suggestion. Its just a model,do what you want with it.

Model Kasten can be found for cheaper,along with Tamiya.

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