Zvezda 1/100 Soviet Truck Zis-5

In 1931 Moscow Avtomobilnoe Moskovskoe Obshchestvo (AMO, Russian Автомобильное Московское Общество (АМО) — Moscow Automotive Enterprise) truck plant was re-equipped and expanded with the help of the American A.J. Brandt Co., and began to produce a new truck with designation of AMO-2. AMO-2 was intended as a replacement of the previous AMO-F15, the first Soviet truck ever built (it was a copy of the Italian Fiat F-15).

Soon AMO-2 was improved, and new models AMO-3 and AMO-4 appeared. In 1933 AMO was rebuilt again and renamed into Factory No. 2 Zavod Imeni Stalina (or Plant of Stalin's Name, abbreviated in ZIS or ZiS) and in Summer first prototypes of the new ZIS-5 appeared.

Serial production of the new truck started on October 1, 1933. The truck was an instant success and, which together with GAZ AA, became the main Soviet truck of 1930-50's. It also evolved into the workhorse of the Soviet armed forces: at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa the Red Army could line up 104,200 of those trucks.

Facing the German invasion, in the autumn of 1941 the production line at Moscow plant was stopped and ZIS was moved to Ulianovsk (on the Volga river) and to Miass (in the Chelyabinsk region of the Urals). Production at Ulianovsk UASZIS lasted from February 1942 to 1944, while UralZIS at Ulianovsk it began in July 1944; UralZIS fitted the truck radiators with own label and produced it until 1955, well after the end of the war.

In the meantime Moscow ZIS plant had restarted production of these trucks in April 1942, and continued until 1948, when the new ZIS-50 (ZIS-5 with new engine) appeared.

In 1955 UralZIS also modified the ZIS-5: It got new engine and oval fenders, different from pre-war ones. This new model received the designation of UralZIS-355 or ZIS-355.

This is another of Zvezda's war gaming kits and as it is a vehicle it is in 1/100 scale. It seems a bit odd a scale for a kit, but perhaps it is more important for the overall kit to be a specific size than it is to match the scale of other hardware used.

Anyway, there are two very glossy sprues of plastic and a movement card included in the square box. The packaging shows that these kits are designed to hang from a display rack in stores.

There are ninteen parts on the sprues, making it one of the more complex kits in this series. The kit includes the usual movement flag and I notice that the hood will need to be folded when installed. It comes with an open bed, but also a tarp cover, which is a nice option.

Instructions are a very simple exploded 3D drawing. No painting information is supplied and no decals are included. There is a four view of the completed kit on the back of the box for those who want to paint these.

This kit is part of a number specially done for Zvezda's 'Art of Tactic' game system. It should make into a very nice and quickly built model in its own right and is really perfect for new modelers thanks to its snap construction.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIS-5_%28truck%29

September 2011 

Thanks  towww.dragonmodelsusa.com for the preview kit. Get yours at your local retailer.

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