Panzerserra Bunker- Military Scale Models in 1/35 scale: GAZ-AAA truck BZ-38/3 fuel tank

Tankers!!!!

Another weekend coming up and my workbench is empty ....What a shame!!! But is briefly ... Gave me a desire to build a resin kit and I remembered a promotion of a dual purchase, of Jadar, where I bought these two cuteness:

So, let´s go...First of all, the real thing...

GAZ-AAA model 1937

History:

GAZ-AAA truck was the triaxial variation of GAZ-AA (truck based in the American truck Ford-Timken).

GAZ-AA truck

During the serial production (from 1934 to1943) were produced 37.373 trucks and during WWII 9.724 trucks left the production lines. The GAZ AAA became a favorite of the Russian Army as a general cargo transport and was used in a wide variety of configurations. The AAA shared nearly identical cab and engine configurations with the A and AA but could easily handle 2.000 Kg of cargo on rough terrain or 2.500 Kg on roads.

GAZ -AAA- A robust and sturdy truck...

GAZ-AAA trucks were used for transportation of goods, staff and for towage of artillery systems, besides being adapted to carry various weapons in their chassis. During pre-war period, variations of GAZ-AAA trucks has been produced, like as self-propelled artillery, named SU-1-12. This armed truck carried a 76mm howitzer, as fire support for infantry. During WWII, antiaircraft emplacements with four machine guns Maxim (4M), antiaircraft emplacements with heavy machine gun DShK, Bofors 25mm and 37mm automatic air defense guns were also built in GAZ-AAA chassi.

GaAZ-AAA with 25mm Bofors AA gun

GAZ- AAA with 76mm howitzer

GAZ-AAA with AA machine-gun system
quadrupled "Maxim" 7.62 mm MG

GAZ-AAA with Heavy MG DShK 12,7mm

In 1938 GAZ-AAA was updated with new 50 horsepower engine, the central clasp brake on a shaft of auxiliary gear box and the spare wheels were moved to front fenders. In 1940, a new kind of rear towing device was settled.

GAZ-AAA model 1940 in German hands
Notice the spare wheels in the front fenders

GAZ-AAA 1940 in the mud....

Other different special trucks were produced on base of GAZ-AAA chassis such as radio station RSB-F, movable repair shops PARM and PM type A, fuel tanks BZ-38 and BZ-38U, water-oil-bowsers BMZ-38, ground starters AS-2 etc.

GAZ-AAA radio truck type RSB-F

GAZ-AAA fuel tanks BZ-38 refueling a biplane bomber

Gaz AAA fuel tanks BZ-38 fueling fighters

Also armoured vehicles BA-6 and BA-10 were produced on base of GAZ-AAA chassis.

BA-6 armoured cars - when the Germans were
not yet enemies of the Russians.

BA-10 armoured car

In late 1941, the model has got simplified fenders, cabin with canvas doors and only one headlight. Bumpers was only on pre-1942 trucks. Later, in 1943, cabs had wooden doors.

Gaz AAA- 1941 - no doors

Gaz AAA- 1943 - wooden doors

Specs:

GAZ-AAA type BZ-38/3 Fuel tank
Type	Fuel tanker truck, 6x4 2 ton.
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Specifications
Weight	2.475 Kg
Length	5.535 mm
Width Height	2,040 mm 1.970 mm
Crew	2

Armor	none
Main armament	none
Engine	GAZ 50hp/2800rpm, 4-cyl. SV, 3285cc
Suspension Road clearance Wheelbase Gearbox	wheels, 4x6 230 mm 3200 mm, 940mm between rear axles (4 speed + 1 back) x 2-speed auxilliary box
Speed Tyres Fuel tank (truck) Fuel consumption Bz 38/3 fuel tank	65 Km/h 6.50 x 20 60 +40 l (40 ls in the firewall's tank) 4 Km/liter 1.350 ls

Gaz AAA cargo truck

Gaz AAA fuel tank Bz 38/3

The kit:

The kits are from Zvezda and ARMO:

The players...Zvezda and ARMO

The Zvezda kit of Gaz truck is very crude and basic, but honest. Now, the ARMO resin conversion kit is a real gem. Excellent casting, no bubbles or defects ... A beauty!!

Starting the saga....Building the front chassi, by the ARMO instruction sheet: All parts fit perfectly ...The images speak for themselves ...

Front chassi: resin part (light gray) and Zvezda part (in green)

building the engine...

Dry-run with the cabin...

Tank test...

Painting the cabin interior. Russian green...

The building of the rear axles are very simple. Beware and attention to perfect alignment...

The truck in the wood block - a very good tip for alignment...

almost ready for paint...

Yesterday, I gave a good advanced in the job ... I got resin tires to replace the "original" vinyl tires. The problem with vinyl tires is that they can "melt" over time. They are produced by Electric Products. Very good!!

Resin tires for GAZ-AAA

The resin tires need a little adjustment to fit in the wheels. I discovered that the Dremel tool grinding has the diameter perfect for this.

Increasing the internal diameter of the tires. Dremel tool

While the wheels dry, I painted the cab and the fuel tank with Russian Green, using lighter and darker shades of the color base...

GAZ-AAAcabin with Russian Green. The chassi is in black...

The fuel tank painted and with Future

Resin tires painted in rubber-black

The ARMO kit has no decals. But it comes with metal stencils (very, very good!) , for the markings on Russian: FLAMMABLE (огнеопасно).

The FLAMMABLE stencil in place...

Masking with tape...

Airbrushing....

Voilááá...

In the cabin, I applied the Zvezda decals:

Cabin with decal...

The fuel tank and the wheels almost ready...

I "lifted" the fuel tank in 1.5 mm with the aid of plasticard strips on the chassi top. The end result was much better.

The truck with wheels...

Gents,,,I finished this fuel tanker in this weekend. These are the pics:

The fuel tank and spare wheels in position...

GAZ-AAA - right side

GAZ-AAA - rear view

GAZ-AAA - front view

A piece of casting that failed were the fire extinguishers. I decided to make two new in my mini-lathe. I used scraps of sprue and a few more details ...