Crusader Mk.III

Ron Garcia
A couple of things to add to what has already been said about this kit. This is my first Border Model kit. Overall, they did a fine job with it as I had no fit issues. However...

As I've read from others, the tracks are a MAJOR pain! I knew this coming in, though, so I have no one to blame but myself. The plastic is super soft so many pins will inevitably bend when you try to inset them. I used a needle and swirled it around to open the holes before adding each pin. Most of the time this worked, sometimes not. If the pin bent, rinse and repeat. Some tracks actually have one side flashed over so check both sides before committing to a pin.

I already knew for my sanity that I would use the side skirts so I wouldn't have to make two full runs. If you use 17 tracks on either side of part C40 (a long pre-built track piece), one side will wrap over the top of the drive sprocket and the other will go 3/4th of the way up the idler wheel. You could go +/- one or two links on either side as you desire. Even doing just that small amount and using part C40 it took me more than three torturous hours to put both sides together! To top it all off, C40 doesn't even have any molded on pins! I will say, however, is that the tracks actually do articulate which is more than I can say about some other so-called working tracks.

The PE is a mixed bag. Some have bends etched on them, some don't. So you have to be very careful about bending them. I'm sure I jacked up the antenna mount Y2 since there are no directions on how to fold it, but I got the top level and the correct angle so I consider that a victory. PE pieces Y10 and Y11 are also fun because they have no bend lines. My recommendation is to place the biggest part against C24/C25 and slightly bend the front and back sections forward. The PE is stiff so at that point use a PE bending tool or you will have rounded edges.

One other strange omission is a missing fuel line from the drum to the aft of the tank. There is a fuel line, but it attaches to a PE piece that is offset several mm from the tank. I cut a barrel of a machine gun in my spares box and fit it into the void.

Really, if this kit had better tracks and PE, I would totally recommend it. As it is now, I wouldn't say don't buy it, but be prepared for some very frustrating modeling. This kit is definitely NOT for the beginner!

Juepak
Nicely detailed but...
1.the plastic is extremely soft (I've heard this comment from other modelers) which requires extra care when sanding otherwise it is too easy to over do it.
2. The instructions are incomplete. If you want the track suspension to work then do not cement the two bottom pins on the axles - the instructions don't highlight this, you need to work it out for yourself.
3. The tracks are a nightmare. The holes for the pins are too small and require drilling, the pins are too soft and bend and break and the tracks themselves will tear open (see 1.) I drilled the holes with a 0.4 MM bit (which is pretty small) but the pins are tapered and don't grip their full length. Use a touch of glue and the tracks don't move. After 4 hours of different attempts I gave up and ordered a Fruil Model set.
4. Comes with a nice metal barrel but the metal barrel has no male to fit the female of the mantel - so I reverted to the plastic.
5. The cradle for the gun set is very rudimentary and there is no real base to secure it.
6. The gun mantle leave a gap into the turret. 7. Comes with photo etch but no step-by-step instructions on how to execute multi-fold pieces and only some of the pieces have fold lines marked.
8. A couple of pieces I couldn't even find on the drawings. All in looks like a first attempt kit - and this may explain why there is a separate single unit insignia decal to go with the two on the main sheet - almost as though it was forgotten.

All in all 5/10.