1:43 BTR-152 Soviet APC

BTR-152 in 1:43 scale from AVD Models

An assembly model of the BTR-152 wheeled armored personnel carrier. Among the same maker's vehicles it represents armor amid largely trucks, and that is exactly why it makes an interesting counterpoint: it shares their chassis layout but has an armored body. 1:43 is a less usual scale for armored vehicles, but all the more easily does the model combine with collector car models in one cabinet.

The real subject

The BTR-152 was a wheeled armored personnel carrier built on the chassis of a production three-axle truck, which was a usual and low-cost approach in the post-war period: a ready-made drivetrain and a new armored hull. The vehicle had all-wheel drive, an open or covered fighting compartment depending on the form, and was used to carry a crew, as a weapons carrier and in signals and command versions. The silhouette with its long front end and sloped hull front is unmistakable.

Building and painting tips

The armored hull is largely made up of flat surfaces, so the joints really have to be level, or the light will give them away. Paint the inside of the fighting compartment before you close it up or seat the upper edges, because afterward you will not reach the detail. Choose a matte base shade and break up the monotony by shading the individual surfaces rather than with a second color. Weathering suits above all the lower part of the hull, the fenders and the area around the hatches, where equipment and crew rubbed in service.

Who the model is for

• collectors of armored vehicles who collect in 1:43 scale
• modelers focused on wheeled armored vehicles
• those interested in vehicles derived from truck chassis
• builders of dioramas where the vehicle is to complete a group of trucks

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