ICM G7117 Truck with WWII Soviet Drivers (35594) 1:35

[Mike]

G7117 Truck with WWII Soviet Drivers (35594)

1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd

 

 

The Chevrolet G506 truck formed the basis of a range of 4x4 load-carrying vehicles that were capable of carrying up to 1.5 tonnes of cargo or equipment.  They were initially made under the 4100 code, then moved to the 7100 range, and usually had a standard enclosed cab, with a 3.9L straight-6 engine under the bonnet, with a four-speed “crash” (non-syncro) gearbox putting down a little over 80hp through all four wheels.  It rapidly became the Allies’ standard light truck, and served in substantial quantities with the Allies in the West, the Soviets in the East, and the forces fighting Japan in the Far East.  There were a lot of variants, some in US Army service, others in USAAF service, with almost 50,000 of two specific types, the G7107 and G7117 sent over to the Soviets under the Lend/Lease program.

 

The G7017 had a cargo bed with canvas top, while the G7117 was the same except for the addition of a winch to give it some static pulling power.  They were well-liked by their drivers and crews, and were adapted to other tasks due to their ubiquity, such as being used by the Soviets to carry Katyusha rockets on a stripped-down flatbed. 

 

 

The Kit

This is a new boxing of a brand-new tooling from ICM, and a number of these kit variants is in your favourite model shop as I type this.  It’s an ICM kit, and a full interior kit too, with engine cab and load area all included along with some very nice moulding and detail, particularly in the chunky tyres, now complete with winch, deployed load cover and a crew of two drivers to fill the cab.  It arrives in one of ICM’s medium-sized top-opening boxes with the usual captive inner flap, and inside are eight sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and glossy instruction booklet with colour profiles on the rear pages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the ladder chassis, which has leaf-springs fore and aft, cross-braces and rear towing eye fitted to create the structure with a short length removed to accommodate the winch.  The drum is depicted with a full roll of cable, with a pair of spoked ends, axle and motor at the ends, and a strong set of beams boxing it in, plus a new front bumper with in-built roller to protect the cable from wear.  A small C-shaped template slots over a bump on the chassis rail, then the winch is slid into the rails until it comes to a stop thanks to the jig.  The rear bumper irons, fuel tank, and transfer casing are installed, before the engine is built up based on the straight six-cylinder block, with carburettor, dynamo and transmission added, plus the pulleys and fan at the front, and a short drive-shaft at the rear that links to the transfer box in the middle of the chassis.  The front and rear axle are made up and fitted with another drive-shaft each, while the front axle gets the steering arm installed, which keeps the twin ball-jointed hubs pointing in the same direction, providing you’ve not been over-enthusiastic with the glue. The exhaust and its manifold slip into the underside of the chassis from below, and the battery box attaches to the outside of the ladder chassis next to a pair of tread-plated steps, then from the left of the engine, the air box and intake are attached to finish it off.

 

The crew cab is next, beginning with the dashboard that inserts in the front bulkhead along with a top panel, then is joined with the cab floor and decked out with a pair of levers, gear stick and hand-brake on the floor, three foot pedals and the steering wheel on a long column that slides through a hole in the diagonal floor section in front of the pedals. The driver and co-driver (more about them later) share a bench seat that is made up from back, cushion and a C-shaped surround that fits into the rear floor of the cab and has the back wall with small ovalised window, then the roof fitted, after which the doors are made up with handles, winders and glazing, fitting within the frame in the open or closed position as you see fit.  On the front of the firewall a vent is glued to the scuttle panel, and two reservoirs are attached, then the cab is mated to the chassis along with a couple of additional engine ancillaries and linkages to the front axle.  The radiator is laminated from core, surround and tin-work, with a bezel fitted to the front and the assembly is then applied to the front of the engine, attaching to the chassis and input/outlet hoses that are already there.  The cowling sides and front fenders are installed to permit the front grille to be attached, plus the bonnet on top.  Behind the cab a spare tyre is placed on a bracket near the exhaust, and attention turns to the load bed.

 

The load bed floor is a single moulding with a ribbed texture down the walkway, and a thick rear section with hooks, and the reflectors moulded-in, and a frame to stiffen it up.  The same is true of the shallow sides, which also have a series of tie-down hooks fixed along their lengths, and the front upright gets the same treatment.  An upstand incorporating two vertical pillars is glued to the front, and a pair of sides that consist of siding on five pillars per side are made up and are added to their locations, while underneath the floor is stiffened by adding four lateral supports, a trapezoid rear valence with lights, and four vertical mudguard boards and their diagonal supports.  The front valance has a hole with a length of hose for the fuel filler to travel, and the final position of this tricky part is shown in a scrap diagram to help you with placement.   It’s time for the wheels to be made up, with singles at the front, each made from two halves each, and twin wheels at the rear axle, put together with two two-part wheels each, and two hub parts added to the finished pair.  Each wheel slips over its respective axle, and all wheels are secured in place by a central cap.

 

There is a choice of steps when completing the load bed, as the lower portion of the sides can be built either vertically to make maximum use of the cargo area, or with the lower sections flipped down to form seats for the transport of troops.  This is accomplished by using a different set of supports, fitted vertically for stowed, or diagonally below for deployed.  Both options then have the five tilt hoops fixed into the tops of their pillars to finish off.  The new alternative is a canvas tilt in the deployed state, which is made up from roof, ends and sides, with one end open and the flaps tied back.  This assembly is installed over a set of upright sides, but without the hoops of the skeletal option.

 

The model is finished off with front light with clear lenses, door handles, bonnet clasps, wing mirrors, and a choice of open or closed front windscreen parts, which requires the fitting of alternative wipers to accommodate the horizontally stowed screen, which has small supports fitted diagonally against the A-pillars, as shown in scrap diagrams at the end.

 

Figures

This boxing includes the driver and co-driver dressed in their standard WWII-era fatigues with quilted jackets.  One has a cap while the co-driver has one of those prototypical fur hats with the ear-flaps tied over the top.  They’re up to ICM’s usual high standard, and have a separate sheet of instructions that show painting and build numbers.

 

 

 

 

Markings

These Lend/Lease vehicles were usually left in their arrival scheme of olive drab, but were personalised with unit and other markings on the doors or somewhere equally prominent.  Some would probably have been re-painted at some point, but that’s down to your references.  From the box you can model one of the following machines:

 

• Unknown Red Army Unit, East Germany 1945
• Vehicle from a Lend/Lease Consignment 1944

 

 

 

Decals are printed by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.  Although undocumented, there is a decal provided for the central instrument binnacle in the cab, which is nice to see.

 

 

Conclusion

Maybe it wasn’t very high profile at the time, but this was an almost ubiquitous vehicle in the Lend-Lease supplies to Soviet Russia that helped to carry out the crucial task of keeping the front-line supplied with weapons and supplies.  Moulded in great detail as we’ve come to expect from ICM, and with the new tilt parts and figures it’s even better than the previous boxings.

 

Highly recommended.

 

Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd.

 

Review sample courtesy of