Komintern Models 1/72
GAZ-AAA Red Army Light Truck

by James D Gray

The Truck

The GAZ light truck series was a Soviet license-built version of the Ford Model A light truck. Strange as it might seem that a Socialist State would produce something from that ultimate exponent of Capitalism, Ford, this truck was very close to the Soviet idea of what a truck should be; easily manufactured and repairable with moderate skills, and very durable. The Soviets produced many thousands of them up to 1943 in a host of variants; the AAA variant has twin driven rear axles in contrast to the original single axle.

Here is a new 1/72nd kit from a manufacturer I have never heard of before, Komintern Models, and the Dneiper Model Group. I have been looking for a GAZ truck for some time and so I took a chance and bought several from NKR Models in Australia (from whom I received excellent service, by the way.)

The Kit (click on thumbnails for full image)

In the rather flimsy box is included a single bagged sprue in dark green plastic, containing 67 parts, or at least that is what the box says. Parts are included for both the AA single-axle and AAA double axle variants; only the boxtop and instructions are different. Some of the parts have some slight flash. There are some minor ejector pin marks but all of these are on the bottom or inside of the pieces. There are, alas, shallow sink marks on the thickest components, but mostly not on critical surfaces with the possible exception of two marks on each running board. Even these are slight, and I don't know if they will show when covered with a flat paint and some weathering. The thick gooey mold-release agent found in some Eastern European kits is not to be found in here. Unlike most limited run kits, the sprue gates are numerous but very small.

I saw no sign of any short-shot pieces, which is amazing when you consider that this kit has the smallest pieces, bar none, I have ever seen in an injection molded kit. Due, no doubt, to the limitations of his molding process, even the radiator cap is a separate part; and a very tiny part it is, too. You can tell that the manufacturer has very carefully considered the limitations of his molding process. The parts are tapered where he thought he could get away with it. Even more, the truck is broken down into the smallest possible flat pieces, so for example the cab is broken down into ten major components, not counting seats, shift levers, rear view mirror, etc. I can see this will be a case for slow drying glues and careful assembly to get all the parts flying in formation. The drive train and suspension is the same way, a lot of tiny parts which are full of sharp detail which don't look all that easy to assemble. Hasegawa would give you all this as one or two parts; then again, how long could you wait for a Hasegawa GAZ truck?

Further upsides are the fact that the doors are separate, as are the sides of the bed, so they can be opened or dropped, respectively, without cutting. On the downside; no clear parts. I bought four and there were no clear parts with any of them, so I don't think it was a mistake. However, like its father the Ford, all the windows are absolutely flat so it will be easy to supply that want with a little clear plastic. I do wish that the headlights had come hollow so I could drop in an MV lens without surgery, but we can't have everything we want, eh? There are no decals but these trucks rarely had any markings at all.

Conclusion

So its not a shake-the-box kit? So what! It looks like with a little work you will get a very nice, highly detailed model of a vehicle not previously kitted in injection-molded plastic. I've bought four and I'll buy more! And the back of the box has drawings of twelve variants, from the BA-6 and BA-10 armored cars to a dump truck, armored ambulance, fire truck and more. Heck, I want 'em all.