In Box Review of PST 1/72nd Scale
Soviet BZ-35S Fuel Truck
Kit no. 72043
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $12.99 + shipping from PM Store in Kyiv, Ukraine
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $12.99 + shipping from PM Store in Kyiv, Ukraine
HISTORY:
The Soviet Fuel truck BZ-35S was created in 1942 by mounting the tank and units of the BZ-35 on the chassis of the Studebaker US-6 that was received by the Soviet Union from the USA on the Lend-lease Agreement.
Creation of the fuel truck was done by the manufacture of the ZIS-6 automobile which was stopped at the end of 1941 in connection with the evacuation of the Moscow Automobile Plant. At the same time, the issue of tanks and units without the chassis of the fuel truck BZ-35 was continued.
The BZ-35S fuel truck was supplied to the Red Army during WWII for fuel servicing of both aircrafts and ground vehicles under field conditions
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 6,800 mm
Width: 2,200 mm
Height: 2,230 mm
Weight: (when loaded with fuel) 7,600 kg
Tank volume: 3,200 litres
Pump: Gear type.
Pump output: 400 litres/min
Pressure: 3.5 atm
Pressure height: 5 m
Length of hoses: Distribution hose 7.5 m, Receiving hose 60 m, Re-pumping hose 6.0 m.
Interior surfaces of tank and pipelines were covered with anti-corrosive zinc coating.
THE KIT:
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
PST is a model company based in Minsk, Belarus. As far as I can determine, they only make 1/72nd scale AFV kits.
The kit has a copyright date of 2000.
The box art shows a BZ-35S on a snow-covered airfield with a P-39 Airocobra fighter in the background. The truck is overall Russian green with a large white number 25 on the rear doors and smaller on the doors of the cab below a white number C-7-09-27. A large white word is on the sides of the fuel tank. I haven't a clue as to what this translates into. I don't read Russian.
One side panel of the box has a small color side profile of the box art subject, followed by PST's street and e-mail address and their web site address in Russian and MADE IN BELARUS in English. In Russian and English there is a CAUTION about being careful with glue and paint around an open flame and provide good ventilation. The parts count given for the kit is 107.
The other side panel says that the kit is suitable for ages 14 to adult and PST's addresses, web site and phone/fax numbers are provided in English
The Soviet Fuel truck BZ-35S was created in 1942 by mounting the tank and units of the BZ-35 on the chassis of the Studebaker US-6 that was received by the Soviet Union from the USA on the Lend-lease Agreement.
Creation of the fuel truck was done by the manufacture of the ZIS-6 automobile which was stopped at the end of 1941 in connection with the evacuation of the Moscow Automobile Plant. At the same time, the issue of tanks and units without the chassis of the fuel truck BZ-35 was continued.
The BZ-35S fuel truck was supplied to the Red Army during WWII for fuel servicing of both aircrafts and ground vehicles under field conditions
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 6,800 mm
Width: 2,200 mm
Height: 2,230 mm
Weight: (when loaded with fuel) 7,600 kg
Tank volume: 3,200 litres
Pump: Gear type.
Pump output: 400 litres/min
Pressure: 3.5 atm
Pressure height: 5 m
Length of hoses: Distribution hose 7.5 m, Receiving hose 60 m, Re-pumping hose 6.0 m.
Interior surfaces of tank and pipelines were covered with anti-corrosive zinc coating.
THE KIT:
This kit came in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
PST is a model company based in Minsk, Belarus. As far as I can determine, they only make 1/72nd scale AFV kits.
The kit has a copyright date of 2000.
The box art shows a BZ-35S on a snow-covered airfield with a P-39 Airocobra fighter in the background. The truck is overall Russian green with a large white number 25 on the rear doors and smaller on the doors of the cab below a white number C-7-09-27. A large white word is on the sides of the fuel tank. I haven't a clue as to what this translates into. I don't read Russian.
One side panel of the box has a small color side profile of the box art subject, followed by PST's street and e-mail address and their web site address in Russian and MADE IN BELARUS in English. In Russian and English there is a CAUTION about being careful with glue and paint around an open flame and provide good ventilation. The parts count given for the kit is 107.
The other side panel says that the kit is suitable for ages 14 to adult and PST's addresses, web site and phone/fax numbers are provided in English
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains a black parts tree, a dark green tree, a dark grey tree, a steel rod, a single dark green cab roof part and the decal sheet inside an opaque sealed cello bag. The instructions and a customer service request card with Squadron MMD'saddress on it in Texas.
There is no clear parts tree provided. Windows for the cab will have to fabricated from some clear sheet plastic then.
However, a look at Squadron's web site does not list this kit anymore.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 8 pages in 5 3/4" x 8" page format.
Page 1 begins with the history of the BZ-35S in Russian and bad-grammar English. Below this is the parts trees illustrations.
The parts tree illustration of the letter A tree is very poorly done. It looks like all the parts are loose with no sprue. Very strange.
The bottom of the page repeats PST's addresses again.
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations in Russian and English and illustrations of various parts and what to paint them, followed by general assembly instructions.
Page 3 to 7 give a grand total of 23 assembly steps. Quite a few for small kit like this I think.
Page 8 has a 2 view illustration for painting and marking the truck in the lone box art scheme.
Below this is illustrations of 3 more parts and what to paint them. There are several sentences in Russian at the very bottom of this page and heaven only knows what is being said.
Dark green letter A parts tree holds: the frame, exhaust pipe, fenders, cab floor, steering wheel, leaf springs, grill, hood, axles, upper engine part, drive train parts, seat etc. (59 parts)
This kit contains a black parts tree, a dark green tree, a dark grey tree, a steel rod, a single dark green cab roof part and the decal sheet inside an opaque sealed cello bag. The instructions and a customer service request card with Squadron MMD'saddress on it in Texas.
There is no clear parts tree provided. Windows for the cab will have to fabricated from some clear sheet plastic then.
However, a look at Squadron's web site does not list this kit anymore.
The instructions consist of an unbound booklet of 8 pages in 5 3/4" x 8" page format.
Page 1 begins with the history of the BZ-35S in Russian and bad-grammar English. Below this is the parts trees illustrations.
The parts tree illustration of the letter A tree is very poorly done. It looks like all the parts are loose with no sprue. Very strange.
The bottom of the page repeats PST's addresses again.
Page 2 begins with international assembly symbol explanations in Russian and English and illustrations of various parts and what to paint them, followed by general assembly instructions.
Page 3 to 7 give a grand total of 23 assembly steps. Quite a few for small kit like this I think.
Page 8 has a 2 view illustration for painting and marking the truck in the lone box art scheme.
Below this is illustrations of 3 more parts and what to paint them. There are several sentences in Russian at the very bottom of this page and heaven only knows what is being said.
Dark green letter A parts tree holds: the frame, exhaust pipe, fenders, cab floor, steering wheel, leaf springs, grill, hood, axles, upper engine part, drive train parts, seat etc. (59 parts)
There is no letter B parts tree.
Black letter C tree holds: wheel rims and tires, suspension parts and an alternate exhaust pipe.
Co-joined to this tree is 3 parts that have the letter K on a tab. It holds 2 storage boxes and alternate fenders. Since this letter K part is not illustrated in the parts trees illustrations I assume it is excess and not needed for this model.
There are 41 parts on the letter C part of this tree.
Black letter C tree holds: wheel rims and tires, suspension parts and an alternate exhaust pipe.
Co-joined to this tree is 3 parts that have the letter K on a tab. It holds 2 storage boxes and alternate fenders. Since this letter K part is not illustrated in the parts trees illustrations I assume it is excess and not needed for this model.
There are 41 parts on the letter C part of this tree.
The dark grey tree is not alphabetized. The parts on it are just numbered. It holds the parts of the fuel tank and pipes (25 parts)
Next is the single dark green cab roof part and the metal rod. You have to chop up this rod into three 0.6 mm lengths for axle strengtheners.
The decal sheet completes the kits contents. Most of it is printed white on white and nearly impossible to read. However, it is clear that there is more than just the box art scheme on it.
I recommend this kit to modelers of average building skills. My only gripe is that there are no clear parts or figures in the kit and no mention of the other marks on the decal sheet.
I got my kit as a raffle prize at the IPMS contest held in a nearby town.
I got my kit as a raffle prize at the IPMS contest held in a nearby town.