Well, I don´t know if 25 soldiers could be carried but in SCW they carried Quad Maxims with all the crew and equipment ...And that´s quite a load

Hola, As you most probably know, ZiS-5 was rated for 3 tons but due to its simple and robust construction allowed considerable overloading. However, I didn't mean the weight of those soldiers. The ZiS-5 GS body internal dimensions are L=3m x W=2m (rounded a bit to ease calculations). Try to imagine how 25 soldiers with full gear can be distributed in 6 sq m area, even staying.

You said it, probably standing...Soviet Army wasn´t famous for the way they treated their soldiers Now, seriously, it seems too many people for such truck. I have to agree with you By the way: By your name I suppose you´re well versed in Soviet subjects. CanI ask you if this is a 1938 ZIS and if so what color should it be? everybody uses 4BO for SCW russian subjects but I think it should be 3B. Don´t you think so?

There is a parade photo with sixteen paratroopers in the bed (4 x 4) and a fifth could easily fit in each row to make 20. Perhaps not that far-fetched. KL

FYI, the ZiS5 was an Soviet export-built version of the domestic Autocar SA Dispatch 3 ton truck. I just finished a conversion using the old Fort and Zveda kits and I'm very much looking forward to this one!

There is a parade photo with sixteen paratroopers in the bed (4 x 4) and a fifth could easily fit in each row to make 20. Perhaps not that far-fetched. KL[/quote] Well, low cost airlines average seat width is 17", which means 2,18 meters for five seats... I do not think 5 persons in 2 meters are impossible for a military truck. Five rows in 3 meters are possible as well, at least for war time. Better squeezed than walking! Anyway, I have not been able to find a photo of this configuration, nor any other for troop transportation apart from the one mentioned by Kurt. How many troops could be carried according to your sources?

Sorry, I really cannot distinguish the production period, from 1934 till the introduction of the wartime simplified ZiS-5V they were externally the same. I'm not much into those "correct colours" and with Soviet vehicles of 2WW period my rule is "any colour as far as it is green". Probably you're right, 4BO was fixed as basic colour in August 1939. For troop transport 4 transverse removable benches were provided for the GS body. Judging from those parade pictures, it seems the standard was 4 seating soldiers in full gear on a bench. However, let's say 5 slim soldiers each. Still not 25 Just don't tell me the rest were in the cab AMO-2 - license-built Autocar SA, i.e. assembled in the USSR of 100% imported parts; AMO-3 - AMO-2 with some imported parts replaced by domestic production, some details simplified; ZiS-5 - AMO-3 assembled of 100% domestic parts, further simplification, strenghtened construction to suite better the road conditions, some external changes (radiator shell logo stamping, front mudguards shape, etc.), uprated to 3 tons load capacity (against 2,5 tons of AMO-3)

Well, this is not the case if AKAN is right. The difference between 3B and 4BO is quite noticeable in their samples... LINK

A few years ago, when Tristar first went out of business, their original kits were being dumped, and I got several, locally, for $15 - $20 CAN. Such a deal!! Now they're back up to the old prices.