Skarach's world

The vehicle

“The M-72 was a motorcycle built by the Soviet Union. Conceived as a replacement for the two heavy motorcycles used by the Red Army … the replacement chosen was the BMW R 71. As a result of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact the necessary legal, political and economic procedures were in place for BMW to provide the design, tooling and training for the manufacture of the motorcycle and military sidecar.” [1]

The kit

Zvezda 1/35 kit [3].

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dnepr_M-72
2. https://www.net-maquettes.com/pictures/dnepr-m-72-walk/
3. http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=7588

The vehicle

“The GAZ–MM is a truck with a maximum usable weight of 1.5 tons and was produced at the end of the 1930s and at the first part of the 1940s by GAZ in the Soviet Union. It is a simplified version of Ford Model AA’s Soviet licence version. At the beginning of World War II more than 150,000 were in use with the Red Army.” [1]

The kit

Zvezda 1/35 kit [2].

The build

I built this years ago and for most of the intervening time it has remained stored in a box in a cupboard. But, I fetched it out the other day and decided that, with a little work, I could display it now. I remember it being a basic kit – probably missing some details – but not bad to put together. I suppose that if I ever do another of this era it would be one of the Miniart ones. Anyway, I don’t exactly have many soft-skinned vehicles so this should be a good addition until I do more. I reckon that back then I would have painted it with Vallejo Model Air and Model Color paints, but, apart from drybrushing the high points, I pretty much stopped at that. Today, I did some minor weathering with pigments and oil paints, mainly on the wheels and underside.

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAZ-MM
2. http://modelingmadness.com/scott/misc/military/previews/zvezda/3574.htm

• Paint chips were simulated using Vallejo Model Color “German Camouflage Black Brown” (70822), applied with a sponge, brush or flicked from the end of a brush.
• The entire vehicle was washed with a dilute mixture of Winsor & Newton “Burnt Umber” and “Lamp Black” oil paints (ratio about 5:1) in enamel thinner – the excess being cleaned up with a dry brush or cotton bud.
• AMMO Oilbrusher “Starship Filth” (A.MIG-3513) was worked into the recesses of the tow chain.
• Wilder “Dark Olive” (LS35) was used on various high points of the turrets and hull to provide some variation in colour.
• The wooden handles of the tools were painted with Winsor & Newton “Raw Umber” and then immediately drawn in one direction using cotton bud to simulate wood grain.
• The tow cable was given a dilute wash of Abteilung 502 “Light Rust Brown” (ABT060) in Humbrol enamel thinners.

Primer: Tamiya “Fine Surface Primer” (light grey) , decanted from spray can.

Base coats: In all cases the paint was sprayed as a 1:2 mixture in Mr.Color leveling thinner.

• Mr.Color “Olive Drab Shadow” (CMC03), sprayed over the entire model.
• Mr.Color “Olive Drab (I)” (12), sprayed onto the vehicle surfaces from above and the sides and ignoring the deepest recesses and underside. My previous attempt at using certain Mr.Color Olive Drab paints on the M3 Stuart ended up with it looking slightly too green to my eyes. I have used a different olive drab colour this time and I think I prefer it.

Details:

• Headlights: Citadel “Runefang Steel”
• Rear lights: Vallejo Model Color “Red” (70947)
• Machine guns: Vallejo Model Color “Black” (70950)
• Tools: Vallejo Model Color “Black Grey” (70862) and “Khaki” (70988), Vallejo Panzer Aces “Old Wood” (310) and “Canvas” (314), Citadel “Runefang Steel”
• Tow cable: Vallejo Model Color “Black Grey” (70862)
• Wheels: Vallejo Model Color “Black” (70950)
• Stowage: Mr.Color “Khaki” (55), LifeColor “Russian Uniforms Helmet” (UA446) and “Soviet Army 4BG Light Khaki” (UA240), Vallejo Model Color “Leather Brown” (70871), Citadel “Runefang Steel”. Drybrushed with Vallejo Model Color “Khaki” (70988) or “Buff” (70976).

Gloss coat: A 1:2 mixture of Mr.Color “Clear Gloss” (46) and Mr.Color Leveling Thinner was sprayed over the entire model.

The decals were applied. I agree with others I have read that they are a little thick. As for the text, unfortunately no translation is supplied. But I am pretty sure the side slogans are something like “For Stalin” and the one on the lower front mentions perhaps “victory”. I am very open to correction!

I replaced the gun barrels with those of the RB Model sets 35B74 (75mm M2 L/31 and 37mm gun) and 35B82 (M1919 Browning machine gun). The upper hull, built up from many separate pieces, was not the nicest to put together, with a few gaps to fill. I think this should either come in fewer pieces or have an underlying frame onto which they are attached, such as is done for the turret in this Panther model. I sculpted a couple of stowage items to cover some slight misalignment issues on the upper hull – I probably did do something wrong here but I also refer to my points above about the choices they made when designing this kit.