BTR-60PB – the USSR/ Russian/ Polish/ Lithuanian armored personnel carrier

The BTR-60 was the first eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier of Soviet construction. The first copies of this armored vehicle, which replaced the BTR-152, were adopted for service in 1959 and were designated BTR-60P. It was an eight-wheeled vehicle with all-wheel drive. The armored body was divided into two separate compartments: the crew compartment in front and the engine compartment in the rear. In the front part of the vehicle, the driver-mechanic and commander's seats were located next to each other, and behind them were benches, that could accommodate from 8 to 16 paratroopers. The landing compartment had an open top. Behind the landing compartment was the engine compartment, which housed two GAZ 498 engines. Each of the engines drove a separate axle: the right one - the second and fourth, the left one - the first and third. The armored vehicle was armed with one 7.62 mm caliber SGMT machine gun. In 1966 production of a newer version began - the BTR-60PB. Unlike previous vehicles, this landing compartment was covered with an upper armor plate and a rotating turret with two 14.5 mm caliber KPVT and one paired 7.62 mm caliber PKT machine guns was installed in it. Hatches for landing and disembarking troops were installed on the top of the vehicle. Two small hatches on the sides of the hull also served for this purpose, the transporter could transport 8 soldiers. The production of BTR-60 armored personnel carrier ended in the mid-1970s. These armored personnel carriers were not used in the Polish Army, but several dozen of this type of vehicles, that served in Afghanistan, served in the Polish Militia and later the ZOMO prevention unit of the police. These armored personnel carriers were not armed with firearms; some were equipped with water cannons with its equipment. The BTR-60 wheeled armored personnel carriers were used in combat in Afghanistan in 1979–1989. The BTR-60 was exported or manufactured under license in Poland, Finland, Estonia and Lithuania.

An average, medium-complexity, well-designed and not overloaded with details model, suitable only for medium-experienced and experienced modelers. But an advanced beginner or a modeler with little experience, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, will also be able to make this interesting model perfectly, but You will need not rush, work carefully and attentively. The model has a fairly well-detailed chassis and suspension, exterior detailing, a slightly worse situation with interior detailing - there is only average detailing of the driver's and commander's spaces, a water cannon is installed in the turret, and a bulldozer to destroy obstacles and barricades is attached. The model recreates the OPP Warsaw Police Department armored personnel carrier in the "heavy" version with a bulldozer and water cannon. There is a considerable reserve of colors. The textual instruction in Polish and English is considerable, informative, quite detailed and perfectly complements the considerable amount of drawings - photos, informative, detailed and easy-to-read graphical instruction.