1:43 Soviet All-Wheel Drive Truck GAZ-66

The GAZ-66 in the collector's 1:43 scale

Zvezda offer the cross-country truck GAZ-66 at 1:43, a ratio more at home among car collections than among military vehicles. The finished model therefore fits in size with ordinary collectors' display cases. It is an injection-molded plastic kit, not a finished metal model.

A legend of Soviet roads and of no roads at all

The GAZ-66 was built in Gorky from the middle of the 1960s and stayed in production for almost four decades. Its characteristic feature is the cab set above the engine, which gives the vehicle a short front overhang and outstanding ability to get across country. All-wheel drive, central tire inflation and the ability to be dropped by parachute made it the backbone of supply work in the army and outside it. It served as a flatbed, a workshop, a tanker and a carrier for bodies of all kinds, and in civilian use it lasted on country roads long after series production ended.

Building and finishing advice

A cab above the engine means large flat surfaces on which every imperfection shows, so sand the seams with fine paper and check them against the light. Paint the cab and the body separately and join them only at the end. The military configuration wears a uniform green, while lighter shades appeared on civilian vehicles; fine dust on the fenders and matte rubber on the tires will finish off the look.

Who the kit is for

The model comes unpainted and unassembled, and paints and glue have to be bought separately.

• collectors of car models at 1:43
• anyone interested in Eastern bloc equipment
• modelers who want a truck smaller than the usual 1:35
• builders of scenes on a rural or supply theme