Monday, September 19, 2011

Building the Zvezda GAZ truck 1/100 15mm

   Here I am coming to the end of the "snap-tight-only" experiment with the GAZ truck from Zvezda. As is usual with these products the molding is crisp, sharp and well-defined. This is mostly the same as the Katyusha kit, the only difference being the box-bed instead of the launcher platform.

the cab parts ready for assembly

the cab and engine mounted on the chassis,
the engine is important as it helps hold the radiator in place

the radiator installed,
notice in the background the hood that has to be bent to shape,
be careful when doing this I have managed to snap one by hurrying

I like to install the cab first because it is a very tight fit
 and requires some pressure to ensure that it is installed fully,
if you mounted the axles first you run the risk of crushing your suspension

With the wheels on front and back,
this could form the basis for a lot of conversions

the bed cradle, the bed  and the tilt
once the cradle is installed you line up the three pegs
 on the bottom of the bed with the holes in the top of the cradle and gas tank,
press carefully it is a tight fit.

excellent fit and clean lines

frankly, I find it hard to believe that this is a snap-tight model

and with the tilt on


     This model has a dozen other uses as the real vehicle just essentially a Ford truck from the late twenties (Ford liked the Russians and sold them an entire factory). It could be used in the Spanish Civil War, South American Conflicts and throughout the Communist-influenced Third World after WW2. This  truck was also the basis for a lot of experimental efforts in the period just prior to the Nazi invasion. It served as a prime-mover and supply vehicle throughout the war. Again the very affordable price combined with the ease of assembly and accuracy of this kit will make this a very popular addition to the Zvezda stable.

     Very Highly Recommended,     John

1 comment:

  1. That is not GAZ but a ZIS5. A completely different truck with a heavier payload.

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