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Sharkmouth

Trumpeter's 1/35th Scale Soviet GAZ-67B

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When I saw the box art for Trumpeter’s GZ-67B in their announcement, I was thrilled as it shows a WWII production vehicle going through the ruins of a city. Having built the decades old Tamiya kit and the crude AER Moldava kit. I was aware that the grill portrayed by the Tamiya kit was accurate for a post war GAZ-67B since the prototype studied was one captured during the Korean War. Armo, of Poland, offered a detail and correction set for the Tamiya kit.
Saving myself this trouble, plus knowing that this would be a state of the art kit, I ordered it.

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The box is larger than the Tamiya kit and includes many more parts distributed over five sprues labeled A-E. The canvas top is a separate part. Also in the box is a small photo-etched brass fret, decals, and five well molded rubber tires. The latter do have side wall details but no size or manufacturer marks./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueAf.JPG
Above and below, we see both sides of Sprue A. Note the front mud guards produced with a multi part mold. Excellent side details are incorporated. The rear body panels have good detail and the pin marks are covered by the storage boxes mounted within. The body pan detail is accurate and the pin marks (on the underside) are slightly raised so they are not too difficult to remove if one wishes./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueAr.JPG
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Sprue B includes the motor, some of the body panels, erection hoops for the canvas, bonnet, and radiator grill./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueBf.JPG
Above and below are both sides of sprue B. I found it strange that the hoops in the erected position are not complete. Looking at the inside of the canvas top reveals that the rest of the hoops are not molded within and will need to be added./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueBr.JPG
While molded with accurate side details thanks to a multipart mold (see the spaces to either side), this grill represents a simplified post war (circa 1948) part. Armo Models produced a correction and detail set for Tamiya's GAZ-67B with a replacement grill and the AER Moldava kit came with it. Being designed for the Tamiya kit, it does not fit Trumpeter's rendition of the staff car. Note: Tamiya's 1/48th scale GAZ-67B does include the WWII grill./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BxDetails08.JPG
The bonnet includes the hot air vents (molded solid) which were in production until about 1949 when they were replaced with two louvers on either side. I will replace them to make them properly hollow./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BxDetails09.JPG
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Sprue C provides many small parts which are well molded and the use of multipart molds is evident here as well. This is good as it cuts down on the amount of pieces needed for a complicate part./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueCf.JPG
Above and below are both sides of Sprue C./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueCr.JPG
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Sprues D. These include repeated items and show many small prts which are finely molded. /gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueD.JPG
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Sprue E is for the clear parts. I was disappointed to see a lack of ribbing usually found on head lamps./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueE.JPG
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Two views of the canvas cover. Note the lack on internal detail./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueHood1.JPG
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Decals for two vehicles are provided./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSpruexDecals.JPG
Tires and photo-etched fret./gallery/albums/userpics/10065/TrumpeterGAZ67BSprueXtras.JPG
Well, this is a very nice kit of a post war production GAZ-67B as would be encountered during the Korean War. For a WWII era vehicle, we will need to either scratch build a new grill or wait for an aftermarket company to produce it.
References used:
  • GAZ-67B, Topshots 11011, by Albert Okiński. 2005, Lublin, Poland. ISBN 83-89088-81-9. Polish/English text. High photo content of post war restored vehicle. Comes with decals.
  • GAZ-67 Tchapayev in Detail, Wings & Wheels Publications No. 16, by Frantiśek Kořán, Aleś Knížek, and Michal Burian. 2001, Prague, Czech Republic. ISBN 80-86416-06-2. English text.
  • ВездеходЫ РККА (Cross Country Vehicles of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army), Armada 77, by Евгний Прочко (Eugene Prochko). 1998, Moscow, Russian Federation. ISBN 5-85729-015-5. Very short English Summary, many photos with detailed Russian text. Note that there is a Polish version of this book by Wydawnictwo Militaria but it contains various errors in the text along with labeling a 1953 production GAZ-67B as 1943 production.
  • Artifact Folder for the BA-64B (same chassis) from Aberdeen Proving Grounds as well as photos and measurements from the example in the Foreign Materials Branch motor pool.

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Sharkmouth
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