Above: Gürkan Özkan's 1/72 Trumpeter ZIL 157 as featured on the MiniAFV Blog.
The ZIL 157 was the Soviet Unions standard general purpose 2.5 ton 6x6 truck from the end of the Second World War and through most of the early Cold War. But my interest in it is that it was a direct copy of the American International Harvester K-7 truck, many of which were supplied to the Soviet Union as lend lease during WW2. And - more importantly for me - the Finnish army purchased several of these big K-7 trucks as heavy artillery prime movers early in the war.
The International Harvester K series trucks were manufactured in all maner of formats, from the convensional 'stake bed' truck (like the ZIL pictured above) to the articulated multi-axeld heavy movers. Information I have found indicates that the Finnish artillery had 23 of the 6 wheeled versions and 31 of the longer (articulated?) 10 wheeled versions.
Differences between the American K-7s and the Soviet ZIL 157 copies were minor - such as the front grills being vertical instead of horizontal on the Soviet version and the front fenders and bumper being a slightly different shape. Nothing too difficult to make, a pretty simple conversion really.
Once converted my two fake K-7s will join my Altaya Steyr RSO/01 diecast model as my Finnish heavy artillery prime movers.
That sounds like a plan! I look forward to hearing how you get on with this kit.
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