ARM: Review - Military Wheels 1/35 scale UAZ-469 with KPV 14.5mm Machine Gun

Cookie, I have tried *twice* to complete one of these MW UAZs . . . Gave up both times.

KL

14.5mm Machine Gun, Northern Alliance, Afghanistan; 180 parts (155 in light grey styrene, 19 clear styrene, 5 black vinyl tires, 1 black styrene chassis); price and availability vary

Advantages: only plastic kit of this vehicle in this scale; KPV relatively well done

Disadvantages: ?garage kit? feel of very ?bitty? kit with a lot of small parts needed to make larger assemblies; crude details on some parts; very poor clear styrene quality

Rating: Recommended with Reservations

Recommendation: for all Soviet or ?Technical? fans

The Soviet UAZ-469 jeep-type cognate replaced its postwar predecessor, the GAZ-69, in 1972 as a more modern design with what the Soviets also advertized as more ?loshchadi? ? e.g. more horsepower. It is still in production today in a modified form, so it has been a successful vehicle design. It has also been widely exported, and the version shown here mounts the powerful KPV 14.5mm heavy machine gun (a photo of the prototype is included, although I for one would not like to be in or near the vehicle when the gunner opened fire!)

This kit has been around in various versions and forms for about 10 years now, and this version is now offered out of Military Wheels in Poland. It is relatively honest in the fine print, noting that it is a short-run kit for experienced modelers, which is a good way of saying it will NOT fall together.

This kit shows it has sufficient parts and accuracy to make a respectable model of a UAZ but plan on a lot of work and replacement of details. For example, the headlights are flat and simply stick on the grille. To get them to look right you will have to carefully grind them out and replace the lights with after-market lens (e.g. MV or other brand).

The body proper consists of 9 parts and a separate chassis, which will be alien to anyone who has built a Tamiya jeep or GMC truck. This type of construction usually speaks to alignment and fit problems, so be prepared. At least the Poles have apparently redone the directions, which for a kit of this type are reasonably clear and give the modeler a fighting chance.

Overall this is not bad if you have some good Muj figures or want to create a good Soviet dio with tanks and a commander?s or Komandatura vehicle, but plan on some work.

Cookie Sewell

As noted they do cover themselves with the "experienced models" dodge. I guess they figure we must be brain-dead, too!

Cookie Sewell