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History
The KrAZ-255 is a Soviet heavy duty off-road 6x6 truck, developed from the earlier KrAZ-214. The KrAZ-255 was manufactured in the Ukraine from 1967-1994. Compared to its predecessor, the 255 introduced a more powerful 14.9L V8 diesel engine, new headlight/turn signal housings, and massive VI-3 off-road tires. In Eastern bloc military service, it was used for towing of heavy artillery pieces and specialized versions were used for transporting pontoon bridges and other engineering equipment.
The closely related KrAZ-257 actually preceded the 255 in production by two years. It featured a simpler 6x4 drive train, with narrower road tires, dual mounted on the rear axles. Both vehicles shared the same cab, while the 257 featured a longer chassis and cargo bed.
The Kits
Armory from the Ukraine bring us this pair of multi-media kits. I would describe Armory's kits as labours of love - compared to the latest quick-build offerings from China, these are very detailed models, with few areas of simplification. As a result, they require care in assembly.
Both kits are presented with attractive colour box art on the thin lid, over a robust cardboard inner box. Instructions are presented in colour in an A4 sized instruction manual. The two kits share the following:
- A 3D printed YaMZ-238 V8 engine and air cleaner. The engine is printed as one large piece with a separate air cleaner.
- A very delicate 3D printed air horn.
- Clear sprue E with headlights, taillights, lenses and 2 water (or Vodka?) bottles.
- Sprue A with the cab (32 parts). This includes 2 styles of fenders and 2 styles of headlight housing front faces.
- Sprue C with small details (110 parts). This sprue showed some sink marks in the winch body, transfer case, and fuel cans.
- A clear acetate film with windscreen, cab windows and instrument panel gauges.
- The instructions provide templates for several additional parts to be fabricated from 0.2, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 mm wire.
The KrAZ-255B kit includes:
- 6 flattened and 1 spare VI-3 off-road tires. These are 3D printed in black resin with separate grey resin 3D printed hubs. The wheels and tires are available separately as set AR AC7335. The tires are beautifully printed with crisp tread detail and minuscule sidewall markings. I could not see any printing artifacts on the tires.
- Colourful decals for 9 schemes.
- Soviet, Polish (x2), East German versions, all in overall green.
- Ukrainian and Finnish versions in splinter camo.
- Hungarian version in camo.
- Soviet version in Khaki green.
- UN version in 'yellowish white'.
- The colour scheme drawings provide a table of recommendations for Humbrol, Hataka, AMMO, AK Real Colors, Mr. Color/Mr. Hobby and Tamiya paints. I found it difficult to distinguish between the colours in the paint scheme diagrams for the camouflaged versions.
- A Photo-etched fret with approximately 108 parts. Most PE parts do not have plastic alternatives, including the prominent spare tire rack behind the cab, so be prepared to have to deal with PE.
- Sprue B with the chassis and suspension (54 parts). The main chassis is provided as a single part. The sprue includes a set of wheels marked as not for use, since 3D printed replacements are provided.
- Sprue D with the cargo bed (25 parts). The bed floor suffers from sink marks, which will require attention if not covered with cargo or a canvas cover. The sprue includes 2 mystery parts greyed out on the instructions. My guess is that these might be a bending jig for forming the canvas cover support hoops.
Most of the first 32 steps cover the engine, chassis and suspension assembly. The resulting chassis will be very detailed and could possibly benefit from adding brake lines. The front axle is moulded with ball shaped ends to fit in the inner wheel hubs, which may allow the wheels to be posed turned to one side. The large, ribbed box behind the driver's cab is one of the few details provided with both injection moulded and photoetched alternatives.
Steps 33-61 cover the cab and spare wheel rack. The cab interior is well fitted out and includes optional PE and film sandwich instrument panels or an injection plastic part. The doors are provided as separate parts with interior detail, though the instructions do not show an option of having them open. The windscreen panels are acetate with PE frames, and can be shown opened for ventilation. The sides of the hood are only provided as a sandwich of PE parts, with louvres to be embossed from inside. These could also be omitted to show off the engine detail. The hood can be shown open, with separate PE hinge parts for the closed and open positions.
Steps 62-68 cover the cargo bed. The integrated bench seats can be fitted stowed or deployed. Two styles of taillights are provided, with no indication of which goes with which finishing option. The tailgate and boarding steps are separate parts and can presumably be fitted open.
Steps 69-71 cover the wheels and tires. Care must be taken to fit the right wheel hubs on the right axles, and to locate the flats of the tires correctly. As far as I can tell the tires are printed with the sidewall text in 3 different orientations relative to the flats, so the model will show a natural variation on the position of the tires.
Step 72 adds the final details. An optional canvas cover for the bed is shown - this is available as a separate set (AR AC7236).
As an additional bonus, the inside cover of instruction manual provides an A3 size poster of the box art.
KrAZ-255 instructions
The KrAZ-257B kit includes:
- 12 road pattern tires, 3D printed in black resin. I'm not sure if the tires are flattened, but the spare tires are shown as different part numbers than the other tires.
- Colourful decals for 9 civilian and one Soviet army schemes, including overall orange, light blue with a white or red cargo bed, or overall royal blue.
- A photo-etched fret with 128 parts.
- Sprue B with the chassis and suspension (43 parts). The KrAZ-257 chassis is 16 mm longer than the 255 (130 mm long). The wheels are provided as injection moulded parts with no 3D printed replacements.
- Sprue D with the cargo bed (9 parts). The bed parts look to be better moulded than those in the 255 kit, with no sink marks. The wooden bed shows nice plank detail on both sides.
Steps 1-22 cover the engine, chassis, and suspension. This is very similar to the 255 kit, but the 6x4 drivetrain is simpler with a dead front axle and no winch.
Steps 23-43 cover the cab and spare tire rack assembly. Two styles of front bumper are provided, but only the plain version with no lights is called out in the instructions. A dual spare tire rack is fitted behind the cab.
Steps 44-52 cover the wheels and tires. The road tires are much less imposing than the off-road tires on the 255, but seem to be equally finely printed.
Steps 53-59 cover the rear bed. The drop sides (split in fore and aft sections) and rear are only shown in the up position, but presumably can be displayed down. The PE fret provides latch details for the drop sides.
KrAZ-257B instructions
Accessories
Armory have also released some accessory sets to go along with these kits. They are Canvas Tent for KrAZ-255B Soviet Cargo Truck (AR AC7336) & KrAZ-255 series winter
insulating hood mats (AR AC7337). A preview of both sets can be seen here.
Summary
Both these kits look like they will build into a very impressive and detailed replicas. Compared to Armory's ZSU-23-4 kit, the moulding quality looks better. These kits will reward the careful builder.
I lack detailed references, so I won't comment on dimensional accuracy, but the detail found in all areas of the kit suggested the kit's developers are very familiar with the original subject.
Preview sample supplied by Taras Karabyn of Armory Models.
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