Thursday, August 13

Miniart fuels your modelling fire with a new tanker…

You no longer have to go for an expensive resin kit or conversion to make a Russian refuelling tanker in 35th scale with their new BZ-38 based on the GAZ-AAA truck chassis. This truck will no doubt also be used by 32nd scale modellers as well so let’s have a look at what’s concrete and what is CAD so far.

 New from MiniArt
35145
BOX: 345x240x70 mm
This   kit contains 545 parts.
Box contains one model of this soviet refueller. GAZ-AAA based Refueller
The first BZ-38 tankers were a derivative of the GAZ-AAA truck and initial conversion was first seen in 1938. This refuelling truck was the basic transport and refuelling machine of the soviet airforce for much of the war. It was used to refuel most of the fighter aircraft, scout-airplanes with smaller fuel needs as this was not a large truck.
Based on the chassis of the automobile GAZ-AAA with a tank of 1350 litter volume, the rudimentary cabin was forward of the fuel tank and scarily it was made out of wood!
The truck weighed 4 tons with a maximum speed 65km/h. With 1942 the soviet forces began manufacture of the simplified variant, which has called the  BZ-38U.
Contents of the box- the sprues
Clear sprues - there are Photo Etched parts and markings yet to come with this kit

The CAD drawings of the truck look pretty good so far – we need some Yaks or Ratas to put this next to… 
 Note track links for rear bogie wheels on rear fender top.



OK more on this kit when it comes to our door and we review it – till then you can see all of Miniart’s kits at their homepage.