1:48 Wheels for GAZ-AAA

A field airfield needed more than aircraft

The Soviet three-axle truck was part of the equipment of almost every unit. It carried fuel drums, spare propellers, tools and ground personnel, so it serves as supporting equipment even where an aircraft is the main subject of the build. In 1:48 such a machine comes out at around eleven centimeters: big enough to read and small enough not to overshadow the main model.

Seven parts that carry the weight of the whole truck

The list of contents speaks of a pair of steered wheels, of four assemblies for the driven axles and of one piece over. At the rear it ran on dual wheels on two axles one behind the other, at the front on single wheels with a narrow track. The spare piece was normally carried flat under the cargo bed or bolted to its side.

Three small things that decide

Turn the front wheels. A truck lined up straight looks like a technical drawing. A couple of degrees to one side is enough and the machine looks as if it had just pulled into the scene.

Let the tire settle. A weighted tire spreads at its lower edge. Sanding the contact patch lightly flat suggests a load better than any shade.

Dust upward, mud downward. A light deposit settles on the upper edges, a dark one on the bottom of the rim. When both layers are the same, the whole thing goes limp.

Before gluing them in, check that all six contact points lie in one plane. On a vehicle with two rear axles every unevenness shows immediately, because one wheel is left hanging in the air.