In their quest to do for Soviet vehicles what Dragon has done for German WW2 ones Trumpeter gives us the ubiquitous ZIS-5 truck. Due for imminent release.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Hobby Boss

How is this different from the GAZ series of trucks by MiniArt?

The box and photoetch sprue do indeed say Hobby Boss.

Hi Bill,
Basically GAZ-AA is Ford-AA, rated to 1,5 tons load capacity. ZiS-5 is Autocar Dispatch SD, rated to 3 tons respectively. ZiS was a bit bigger but to get the difference you'll need to see them parked near each other.
However, it isn't that hard to tell which one is GAZ and which one is ZiS. The easiest recognition point are the wheels: on GAZ-AA/AAA they are with 5 holes and 5 studs (i.e. same as on Fords), on ZiS-5/5V/6 the wheels are with 2 holes and 6 studs (as on Autocar SA/SDs).
Another good recognition point is the front bumper. Most ZiS trucks lack it, for it was considered by the Russians "unnecessary luxury" and deleted at the early production stage. Only ZiS-8 buses have front bumper, it was also fitted on some trucks for export.
On the other hand, on GAZ-AA and its derivatives the front bumper is always there, being an integral part of the chassis frame (frontmost crossmember), as it is on the Fords.
The difference in the windshields is also obvious, etc.
HTH
Cheers!

C'mon, what's more important with "/news" that has no time urgency: Getting it right or getting it NOW?

KL

GREAT, another softskin love it ! as iowabit would say it, Hobby Boss!

Someone please tell Matt to deferentiate between Trumpeter and Hobby Boss news....!

Got it! It showed up on the Trumpeter Facebook page, and I was hurrying. Apologies for the mistake but corrected now.

Hi, Bill! The GAZ AA and AAA Trucks (and GAZ cars, based on the Ford Model A) were built under license from Ford. They were picked because of their simplicity, ease of operation and repair, and especially for their reliability. The American Ford Model A Automobile (built in the US from December, 1927 to September, 1931) is an icon within the automotive community, along with the AA (single rear axle) and AAA (dual rear axles) Trucks, share a rich history, which is well worth looking into...

I understand that there are some discrepancies and difficulties that modellers have found in the MINIART GAZ AA and AAA kits; I haven't built one, so I don't know for myself. I haven't read any reviews of the HOBBY BOSS AA kits, so I can't offer any qualified opinions regarding their accuracy or their build-quality...

I REALLY LIKE Soft-skins, so the ZIS kits will more than likely make their way into my collection...

So do I need to get rid of the Alan Zis-5 in favor of this one?

I think that's up to you. I'm pretty sure that ZVEZDA also makes a ZIS-5. In any event, if I were you, I wouldn't get rid of your ALAN ZIS-5; I'm pretty sure that there are A/M parts out there that you can improve this kit with, if you feel the need to do so...

Good Luck!

Can't wait!!