ICM 1/72nd BM-21 “Grad” By Michael Kendix

History

These Ural machines were used in numerous forms and for various purposes, carrying anything from cranes to cargo containers. In this kit we have a BM-21 “Grad’ rocket launcher that sits atop a Ural-4320 chassis and cab, the combination of which has been used in the Soviet Bloc since 1976, according to the kit manufacturer. An excellent source for this subject is from Wings & Wheels Productions and was reviewed in an earlier edition of Internet Modeler. I own this book and recommend it. It has numerous pictures plus some limited amount of written material. The Ural-4320 was an improvement on the Ural-375, following the Zil-131 and Zil-157, in its role as a general workhorse in the Soviet bloc.

The Kit

The kit is one in a series of Ural-375/Ural-4320 kits produced by ICM/Omega-k, and is similar to all the other kit series listed above. I have built four versions of Omega-k’s Zil-157 and if past is prologue, the BM-21 “Grad’ should be a decent kit. The kit contains two sprues of smooth, cleanly molded plastic, a sprue for the clear parts, seven sets of wheels halves molded in black plastic, and a small decal sheet containing emblems from numerous Soviet Bloc countries. The instructions are similar to ICM’s earlier kits – fairly clear with specific measurements to ensure the modeler glues the cab and other topside components to the chassis correctly. I have started a different kit in this Ural-375/4320 series and care needs to be taken inserting the cab contents. Further, the side windows are difficult to glue in place although one can replace the side clear parts to give a rolled-down-window effect. The tires come in halves but they are easy to glue and sand without the seam showing. There is sufficient detail on the chassis that it might be possible to have the finished underside available for inspection rather than gluing it to a base. There is plenty of exterior detail too though the cab’s interior is a little sparse. In general, this is an excellent kit and with some care, a potential contest winner, if the Zil-157’s are anything to go by. Highly recommended.

References

František Korán, Aleš Knízek, Michal Burian. “Ural-375/4320 in Detail: Russian Modern 5-ton Truck and his Variants.” Present Vehicle Line No. 5. Wings & Wheels Publications, Rak, Prague, Czech Republic, 2001.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to ICM for kindly providing me with the review kit.