Standartkette / Ostkette / Winterkette für Pz.Kpfw. III/IV

This is the first accessory set that Maco brings out and I am quite sure it will be a best-seller, as for the first time (that I am aware of, at least) we are being offered plastic replacement tracks for the Panzer III and Panzer IV (and consequently for the StuG III, StuG IV, et alii).
Not only do we get the standard 400mm wide track, but we also get treated to Winterkette and Ostkette. Until recently, the latter were only available in resin, and with all due respect to the manufacturers that gave us these sets, injection plastic will still be easier to work with.

You get 4 identical frets in a small bag. On each fret you find a mix of each of the three types of track, with the longest sections being six track links long, so you're in for some assembly work.
It is somewhat surprising to see that each fret contains a total of 52 track links for the Standartkette, while you get 58 for the Ost- and Winterkette. As the Panzer III had 93 track links per track and the Panzer IV 99, this is no trouble at all, as you still have plenty to go round, and if need be you can always cut off the extensions of a Winterkette to convert them to a Standartkette.

Detail is quite good, but not completely as nicely done as the Revell tracks in the Panzer III, Stug III and Panzer IV kits, but far beyond what Revell gave us in the StuG IV kit.
It might be interesting to compare the types of track between the Revell kits and the MACO set, as it gives the opportunity to do some crosskitting.

Tracks included in Revell kits and Maco set.

References

Sturmgeschütz III Rückgrat der Infanterie, Peter Mueller, Wolfgang Zimmermann, History Facts

Article Last Updated: 23 January 2011