Trumpeter 1/72
ZIL-157 Soviet Truck

Background

The ZIL-157< is a general purpose 2.5 ton 6x6 truck, produced in post-WW2 Soviet Russia. The ZIL-157 was the standard Soviet truck until it was replaced by the URAL-375D series which became the standard Soviet truck in 1979. The Chinese People's Liberation Army also produced the CA-30, a direct copy of the ZIL-157.

The Kit

The kit comes in an end-opening type box. The box art shows an actual photo of a ZIL-157 with some woods and buildings in the background. A side panel shows the box arts of four different boxings of this same truck: this one, a fuel truck in Soviet markings, a Chinese JieFang CA-30 (same as this kit, except for Chinese markings) and the fuel truck version as a Chinese JieFang CA-30. Nothing like getting a lot of milage out of the same molds!

Inside the box are two sealed cello bags of parts. One bag holds 2 dark green trees of parts, a clear tree and a smaller cello holding 3 metal rods to use for axles and 2 alternate windshield parts that are die cut into a sheet of clear acetate. The other cello bag holds one more tree of dark green parts, a single cab roof piece and the small decal sheet. The instructions complete the contents of the kit. The injection molded clear windshield parts are quite thick, so the die cut alternates would be the better choice for seeing through and scale.

Letter A, dark green parts tree holds: the roof rack, cabin interior, shift levers, head lamps, fuel tanks, wheels 2 leaf springs etc. (34 parts)

Letter B dark green tree of parts holds:2 more leaf springs, the vehicle’s frame, the drive shafts and differentials etc. (22 parts).

Letter C, dark green tree of parts holds: the cab floor with fenders molded to it, the cargo bed floor, it’s supports and side walls etc. (13 parts)

Letter D is the clear parts tree. It holds the cabin windows (4 parts).

There are 3 metal rods to use for the axles. These, the decal sheet, the die cut windshield parts and the instructions complete the kit’s contents. The metal rods have their ends machined into rough screw threads, so they will anchor themselves into the wheels without pulling out. Nice move Trumpeter.

The instructions consist of a single sheet, folded in the middle to create 4 pages.

Page one of the instructions begins with a black and white repeat of the box art photo. This is followed by parts tree drawings and a four-view illustration for painting and marking the truck. The truck gets a overall coat of olive drab (FS34087). Markings consist of license plate numbers and an Order of the Red Flag insignia on each cab door.

Pages two through 4 give a total of 7 assembly step drawings. The bottom of page 4 has decal application instructions in Chinese and English. There is no history given on the instructions of the vehicle and no figues in the kit.

Conclusion

This is a neat modern Soviet stake-sided truck. It would have been nice to have had a cargo load provided to put into the bed of it.

Highly recommended.

My sincere thanks to Stevens International for this review sample!