1:72 Tatra 815 GTC „Tatra kolem světa“

Tatra 815 GTC, Tatra Around the World, 1:72, Brassica

A resin kit for experienced modelers from Brassica, a Czech manufacturer specializing in models of Tatra trucks in small scales. The package contains quality resin castings, a photo-etched sheet, decals and clear film for the windows. Let us be honest: 1:72 is a small scale, so the finished model fits comfortably on a shelf, but the level of detail is naturally limited compared with large scales. That is exactly why resin is an advantage: the castings carry finer surface detail than ordinary injection-molded plastic could manage at this size.

The real subject

The Tatra 815 GTC (Grand Tourist Caravan) is an expedition vehicle built on a modified Tatra 815 chassis with a body from the Studenka works. And its story is extraordinary: the Tatra Around the World expedition set out on March 18, 1987 and came back in April 1990, after thirty-seven months on the road. The crew took the vehicle through more than 60 countries on every inhabited continent and covered more than a hundred thousand kilometers. It was a demonstration of the legendary toughness of the Tatra, in the desert, in the mountains, in the tropics and in the mud. Behind that ability lies the unique Tatra concept: a central load-bearing tube instead of a classic ladder frame and independently suspended swing half-axles. The wheels therefore follow the bumps independently of one another, which gives a Tatra exceptional cross-country ability and the capacity to drive faster where other trucks slow down. It is a design nobody else builds in this form, and it is Czech. The expedition vehicle can be seen today in the technical museum in Koprivnice.

Building and painting tips

First wash the resin parts in warm soapy water; that removes the mold release residue, without which paint will not hold. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a knife, do not snap them. They are bonded with super glue (cyanoacrylate), not with cement for plastic. Protect your breathing while sanding, as resin dust must not be inhaled; work wet or with a respirator. Apply a primer before painting. A small scale forgives less: thin the paint and spray it in thin coats, so that the engraved detail is not lost.

Who the model is for

• Fans of Czech engineering and of the legend called Tatra
• Those who remember the Tatra Around the World expedition and those who admire it
• Experienced modelers who can work with resin
• Collectors of trucks in 1:72 who are short of space
• Builders looking for a subject nobody else has in a display case

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.