Trumpeter announces the AA-60 Firetruck variant of their now well known MAZ 8x8 chassis:



Trumpeter's September release schedule focuses on Soviet / Russian heavy duty trucks.

Read the Full News Story at:

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=32952

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Announcement also posted elsewhere on Armorama at:

http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=279110

The AA-60 should be hot! (pun intended) I started a scratch conversion of the MA3 firefighter some years back with good results. Unfortunately I bore easily so it is still a work in progress. This should be a nice addition to the great Trumpeter/MAZ 8x8 line of heavy vehicles!




The beginnings of my scratch/conversion.

For you guys (like me) that immediately start thinking about modifications and conversions just know that in real life there is a slightly smaller AA-50 version AND an even bigger AA-70 version of this vehicle!


SMALL:





MEDIUM: (The Trumpeter offering)



LARGE: (Transverse mounted secondary foam/chemical tank. With or without the high reach extended folding nozzle arms.)

Difference between the AA-60 and the slightly shorter AA-50:

The 50 lacks the rear mounted pump and storage locker for the large area foam spreader equipment.

When the time comes for you guys to build this big beautiful new Trumpeter Firetruck here is my 60+ photo reference file on the subject.

http://s1061.photobucket.com/user/165thspc/library/MAZ-Firetruck

Check out the nice set of four (foam/chemical/oxygen???) bottles mounted on the right side behind the cab.

Those are getting added to my model- - for sure!

There is even an auxiliary water transport truck.



This tanker is built on the shorter MAZ semi tractor chassis that utilizes a shorter wheelbase and heavy leaf spring rear suspension. (Note closer spacing on third and fourth axles.)

Thanks for the information Mike, those vehicles are really huge (and beautiful indeed)

I love these big trucks, added this kit to the wishlist. It'll probably be a long time before I'd ever get to building one, so I hope to see some build threads when this comes out.

Wonder if the kit will have markings for Nyonoksa Fire Dept. , after the recent brouhaha there. Too soon???

Anyone have the final news report on that? As you would expect coverage over here was minimal. Was there an actual detonation or just a release of nuclear material?

From what little I can discover it was an experimental nuclear powered (driven) missile and it was the engine itself that blew up, killing 5-6 scientists with a release of nuclear (mostly gamma) radiation.

Do not know why the Russians would even become involved in such experimentation but I presume that means the US and China have been doing similar research.

The US was experimenting with two nuclear powered bombers in the fifties (I know an ex-draftsman that was on the design team.) but the effort was scrapped after static tests and the building of one aircraft that carried a working reactor. The reactor was functional but did not provide functional drive power to the aircraft.