introduction

MiniArt continues to add to its GAZ truck line, this time with a makeshift mobile office/ambulance based on its existing AAA trucks. This version has a wooden cabin built onto the standard wood-sided truck cargo bed, and features a cast-iron stove in the corner.

contents

Sliding around in a large lid&tray box there is a single plastic bag containing no less than eighteen grey plastic sprues, a clear sprue, some photo-etch, and decals. Six of these sprues are for the wheels alone, with a parts-count of 418 grey and 12 clear. Most of this kit comes straight from the GAZ-AAA I reviewed earlier, so the reader is referred to that review for details about the truck. The new sprues are for the shelter and the stove. The one omission from the earlier kit is the German figures – this kit has no crew at all in the box.

review

Since the truck has already been covered, I will leave it with only a warning to be careful with the multi-part frame. Oh, and try not to let the salami-sliced wheels drive you crazy! (They do look good when done, so the pain is worth it.)

The big change here is the shelter, which is essentially a wooden shed built on top of the truck’s original wooden cargo bed. We get some nice walls and roof with wood-grain detail on both sides, and a stunning little stove that makes ample use of slide-moulding. The stove sits on a sheet-metal panel (PE, of course) at the inside rear corner of the shelter where its beauty is hidden. Still, I suspect folks will find creative ways to put it on display. I can’t say I’ve ever seen photos of this particular fit-out, but it appears that every OTHER possible load variation was built on the GAZ chassis at some point, so it is certainly plausible.

Decals are provided for a Red Army ambulance, and a captured vehicle in unspecified use by the Germans.

conclusion

Based on an incredibly detailed truck kit, this new combo makes for a visually interesting vehicle. The quality of moulding and level of detail are tremendous, and providing you have the patience to assemble it the result should be worthwhile. Definitely a must for fans of Soviet and Eastern Front subjects!