After an intensive search of the 'net, I was unable to come up with any real historical background on this particular vehicle. Thus I am forced to quote from the instructions, which gives the same info for all of these PST fire truck kits!

"The production of the PMZ-2 fire trucks was initiated in the Soviet Union before the Second World War. The fire-fighting units of the Red Army Air Forces, large military garrisons and storage facilities as well as city fire departments were equipped with these vehicles. Attached equipment of the PMZ-2 could be installed on different types of truck chassis.

At first the ZIS-5 chassis was chosen as the only acceptable vehicle. Later a small batch of PMZ-2s were built on ZIS-6 frames. During the war years the ZIS-6 was discontinued and the production of the ZIS-5 was greatly reduced. This meant that near the end of the war (1944-45), firefighting equipment was installed on on the chassis of the ZIS-42 half-track and the US-6 Studebaker truck.

PMZ-2 fire trucks served in Soviet fire fighting units for almost twenty years and were phased out by the mid-1950s.

As you have seen from the other two reviews, PST has done multiple versions of the PMZ-2 fire truck, each with something just a bit different in regards to chassis. This is the basic version as placed on the ZIS-6 chassis. Perhaps a ZIS-5 version will be coming later on, assuming that PST does a ZIS-5 model. Anyway, this kit has the same basic sprues as the ZIS-42 preview done earlier, but it has the 'normal' truck rear drive section instead of the tracks.

Just like other PST kits, the parts are very well done and have some ejector pin marks and sink marks. Also like the other kits, they are either very easy to fill or are in locations where they will not be seen when the kit is completed. There are also a number of parts that will not be used for this version, the instructions clearly showing which are to be used. Also in common with the ZIS-42 kit, there is reference to a metal rod to be cut for the drive shafts and a few other bits. This was not found in the kit box so we'll have to make these parts out of stretched sprue. Not a problem for most of us. Perhaps it is a safety thing where they don't want little Johnny to hurt himself with flying metal bits while cutting the piano wire. Though I didn't mention this with the previous PST reviews, no clear bits are supplied. These will have to be provided by the builder. However, they are flat surfaces so a nice piece of clear acetate should work most satisfactorily.

Anyway, the instructions are super and show all the colors and bits to be modified or eliminated when doing this version. Again, paints seem to be referenced to Humbrol colors and generic names are given where needed. Though the box art shows an orange truck, the instructions show it to be bright red. Guess you could use either one.

The side of the box says it is suitable for ages 14 to adult and I'd agree pretty well with that. The plethora of small parts is such that inexperienced modelers would be easily frustrated. For the rest of us, it will build into a very nice model and one that will be most unusual.

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