BM-21 Grad Late Type Russian Multiple Rocket Launcher Trumpeter 1/35

I made a Russian Ural track-based rocket launcher. It was built in May 2015.

I want to make a unique and unusual military vehicle kit. It’s a Russian multiple rocket launcher BM-21. I have never made a truck model, so it looks exciting. Anyway, I praise Trumpeter’s release of this kind of model. I wonder how many sales are in the world. I don’t know the price of each country, but selling prices in Japan is too expensive, even considering many parts and runners.

First, the body, I’m making the chassis and engine. The engine fan belt was photo-etched parts, excellent quality.

Axle and bumper, fuel tank, and suspensions are fitted to the chassis. This kit’s plastic is soft.

There are seven detailed tires, including the spare. I keep clean the parting line in the center as the left photo line, and the right three are after filed. These tires seem to be the big appeal point of this kit.

I built thin brass wires in various places to change the front wheels movable. Many fragile parts are complexly composed.

I could move the tires with installed brass wire placed in 6 parts. But strength is fragile, and some places cracked, finally unstable. Unfortunately, I fixed all shafts to be in the straight direction of the tires.

The chassis was completed. It is tricky timing to paint the inside of the driver seat and the engine. Oh, even this stage looks quite remarkable.
(24-April-2015)

The driver’s seat assembly looks complex, so I’ll make the rocket launcher first.
During this time, I was watching a disaster film called “Metro 42” in Russia-related. The Russian original title is “METPO.” it’s excellent work and must be spent on the cost of film production. The contents are pretty interesting, and the characters are lively. I suppose it’s much more competitive compared with Hollywood movies.

There are many burrs near the bunch of rocket launcher nozzles. I shaped them as carefully as possible because it’s one of the main points of this model.

This rocket is placed just on the loading platform like the turret of Pz.Kpfw.III Dragon models. There is no need to turn it over at the time of display, so it may be no problem and would be easier to paint.

Now I’m checking every part of the driver’s compartment. It’s box composition and requires careful handling. The most delicate process of assembly. After cleaning the burrs, it seems almost fit clearly. I’ll paint the inside next time.
(28-April-2015)

I painted a driver’s compartment and trial assembly. The panel decal was very sensitive and easily broken, so I needed to handle it carefully. I can’t paint these detailed descriptions. It’s very nice and realistic, even if it’s not so clearly viewed inside after completed.

I did the washing before the final adhesion. I have never looked at genuine Ural Trucks, only photographs. I compared the parts to the real truck photo, which is almost the same shape as the steering and meter panel; I think it’s a nice kit.

I couldn’t attach the driver’s compartment because that part was mistaken upside down. I need to fix it at any cost.
At first, I didn’t notice that mistake, so I felt it was like solving a challenging 3D puzzle…

In the photo below, the driver’s seat, hood, fender, and exhaust muffler were a complex combination; I have a carefully temporal assembly. I’ve struggled a little with mounting the steps up to the driver’s seat; the others are almost well.

I suppose it’s the timing of the primary color paint. Otherwise, this process changes very hard.
(03-May-2015)

Before painting, there were many windows on the driver’s compartment, so I covered them with masking tapes.

I blew the dark color on the chassis flame and other dark areas.

I am using camouflage paint No303 Green FS34102, No321 light brown, and No137 tire black. The bright part was instructed dark yellow on this manual, but I’m sure that modern Russian AFV’s camouflage pattern’s color is brighter as Creos Mr.Color No321 light brown. I am uIt is also unique and individual, like German WWII tri-color camouflage.

Wow, it’s a good feeling to see the Russian AFV camouflage pattern.

I’m planning light weathering to finish up. Now I’m set up all the modules except rocket launchers and clear light parts.
(11-May-20115)

BM-21 Grad is a 122mm self-propelled multiple rocket launcher developed by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. It’s been used all over the world, especially ex-Communist countries. “Grade” means hail in Russian. In the Soviet Union, 12 launchers were deployed per division.

It can launch a variety of rockets; the range is from 5km to 40km. BM-21’s launch preparation is completed in 3 minutes after stopping moving. It takes 20 seconds to fire all 40 rockets, and re-loading is about 10 minutes. The loader seems quite busy.

Assembly order is quite different from ordinary tank making. Before making it, I started to paint in the driver’s seat.

This time I hesitated whether to do weathering on the clear parts such as glass windows; in the end, I decided not to cover dust. Clear parts were good accents; some were shining, such as headlights. It is fun to see glance at the meters in the driver’s seat.

The front of the Ural truck. When I watch Russian movies, sometimes appears Ural Truck-based special vehicles such as fire trucks and tankers. I focused on watching the proportion of Ural trucks leave the main story.

I blew the dark color and light dust on the lower side of the vehicle fender. This time I cared not to be strongly powdered.

Some photos of the Russian modern truck camouflage pattern are uneven and scattered. However, I painted a camouflage pattern as much as possible to have a sense of unity, and the three colors harmonized.

When launching, I imagine it blows a relatively large amount of dark soot.

The spare tire is a significant and excellent appeal point. I wonder if this time, chipping paint is the same old pattern. I’ll try to work on more complex patterns next time.

There is a label like the layout of the rocket is pasted on the loading point. I wonder what that meant. This launcher can shoot salvo and single-shot.

As I wrote in the making memo, decals are thin, delicate, and require careful handling.

It has vacant space between the launcher and spare tire. There is a significant step in the middle; maybe they often work on here.
Because this track is a 6-wheel drive, I think the off-road performance was good.

It can be parted like this; the rocket launcher is only put on the chassis.

Generally, AFV models are not colorful; this kit has a shining mirror, headlights, orange warning lights, and tail lights. Red valves on the rocket launchers are also nice.

The rocket’s angle is fixed, not moving up and down in this kit.

The position of the fuel tanks is the same as the trucks and trailers running in Japan.

It is an enormous sense of accomplishment after completing the military truck, which I have wanted to challenge. At first, I was worried it was all right; I tried carefully temporarily assembling the parts and possibly avoid disaster. I suppose the three-color camouflage of modern Russian’s good looks becomes one of the excellent collection items.
(16-May-2015)