This tremendous machine is a Soviet-era MAZ-537L, an 8×8 heavy ballast truck which – in this configuration – was designed to pull the Soviet Union’s largest aircraft.
The exceptional recreation of the MAZ is the work of [Maks] of Flickr, who has constructed it beautifully, complete with four-wheel-steering and working suspension. There’s much more to see at [Maks]’s ‘MAZ-537L’ album, and you can tow a ginormous Cold War bomber somewhere in Russia via the link above.
Here at The Lego Car Blog we love enormous, many-motored machines. Because we’re six. But there’s joy to be found in the small things too, as proven today by Nathan Hake and this wonderful micro-scale MAZ-537. Constructed crossing an autumnal bridge, Nathan’s miniature MAZ is a tiny tribute to his own enormous, many-motored version built for a Lego show that appeared here a few months ago. There’s more of Nathan’s mini-MAZ to see via the link above, you can find the huge show-stopping version from which this diorama is derived here, and if you’d like to see more of the many MAZs to appear at TLCB to date you can click this bonus link to find them all.
This astonishing vehicle is a MAZ 543, an enormous Soviet 8×8 truck developed in the 1960s as a strategic missile carrier. Powered by a near 40-litre tank engine, the 543 could weigh up to 41 tons loaded, featured eight-wheel-drive, four wheel steering, planetary hubs, and an on-board tyre inflation system.
The single-cab ‘M’ variant followed in 1976, with the amazing creation pictured here representing part of the ‘A222 Bereg’ coastal defence force, which consisted of around half-a-dozen artillery units, a couple of support vehicles, and a central command centre (which is this one), all based on MAZ 543 M platforms.
Samuel Nerpas’ incredible Technic recreation of the MAZ 543 M-based central command centre recreates the enormity of the real ‘A222 Bereg’ coastal defence force vehicles brilliantly, and is packed with working functionality.
Six Power Functions L-Motors drive all eight wheels, a Servo steers the first four, two M Motors power pneumatic compressors that operate the stabiliser legs and engine compartment blinds, whilst three more lift a rotating radar antenna and observation equipment through an opening roof hatch.
It’s a terrific example of Technic engineering, and you can take a closer look at this gargantuan creation via Samuel’s Flickr photostream and at the Eurobricks discussion forum, where a full build description and several videos of the model in action can be found.
Slightly less Russian military hardware will be unleashed on Ukraine of late, what with the latter’s decision to bring the conflict of Russia’s warmongering president to his own soil.
At least two Russian bridges, used to transport weaponry amongst other things, have been destroyed by Ukraine in recent weeks, making the scene above a little less common than it was a fortnight ago.
Said scene comes from previous bloggee Nathan Hake, whose MAZ-537 and gorgeous bridge-based diorama was built for a recent Lego show.
Fantastic attention to detail, presentation, and construction techniques are evident in abundance, with the MAZ packed with working functionality too, featuring remote control all-wheel-drive, steering, and trailer hitch lock, whilst the trailer also includes motorised legs and ramps.
There’s more to see at Nathan’s photostream and you can head to a bridge somewhere in Eastern Europe via the link above.
Russia, and its puppet regime next door in Belarus, really know how to make a heavy duty off-road truck. It’s just a shame they’re currently using them for such evil.
Nevertheless, the Belarusian-made MAZ-537 8×8 military truck is a seriously impressive piece of equipment, and so too is gkurkowski‘s spectacular recently updated remote controlled Model Team version, which captures the real thing brilliantly.
A suite of Powered-Up components equip the model with an accurate 8×8 fully suspended drivetrain, along with a powered V12 piston engine underneath the detailed cab too.
An extensive gallery of images display the MAZ-537 on-location and in render, and you can take a closer look at this amazing machine on Brickshelf via the link above.
And finally, if you’d like to help the Ukrainians affected by the Russian MAZs like this one that have brought war to their home, please do take a look at the Disasters Emergency Committee, the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal and the UN Refugee Agency Appeal, where donations are desperately needed.
We may not be the most professional, well connected, articulate, or competent Lego blog, but we sure do have the most tenuous Christmas titles!
Continuing the Christmassy nonsense is this, Danifill’s marvellous MAZ 5316 4×4 truck, complete with BuWizz power, Servo steering, remotely locking pneumatically-controlled differentials, live-axle suspension, a tilting cab, and working LED head and tail lights.
Danifill has taken his MAZ into the snow to show what it can do, and you can read more about the model and watch a video of it in action at the Eurobricks forum here.
This mega MAZ-537 8×8 truck, complete with an enormous logging trailer, was inspired by a similar creation by Pavol Vanek that featured here back in 2015. Following appropriately slowly is this version by Matt’s Lego Creations, whose own MAZ logging truck has arrived here half a decade later. Measuring over a metre long it’s quite a beast, and one you can see more of on both Flickr and Eurobricks.
Like most Soviet vehicles, the MAZ 5432 suffered from Communism’s compete ban on creative naming, but it did look rather nice. At least in Lego form it does, thanks to this beautifully constructed and remarkably well detailed Model Team replica by Flickr’s Vladimir Drozd. There’s more to see on Flickr, and you can take a look via the link above.
We love classic 4-wide Town creations. Whilst oddly proportioned and a bit frumpy looking compared to modern Speed Champions or City sets they were the heart of the LEGO range for decades. Previous bloggee de-marco‘s ‘semi-truck’ looks like it has come straight from Town’s golden age, managing to resemble both the truck from the 6541 Intercoastal Seaport set from 1991 and a soviet MAZ-504. There’s more to see at de-marco’s photostream, where you can also find a link to video building instructions should you wish to build this for yourself.
TLCB Elves are all making ‘NEE-NAW’ noises today, which isn’t annoying at all. The cause is this, ilya_laushkin‘s incredible MAZ-7313-AA60 8×8 airport fire truck. Catchily-named it isn’t, but masterfully-engineered it is, with eight-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering, fully independent suspension (via twenty-six shock absorbers!), LED lighting, and bluetooth remote control courtesy of two SBricks. There’s much more of ilya’s amazing MAZ-7313 to see on Flickr, including some shots alongside the real thing. Click the link above to make the jump.
OK, it’s not a car, but at least it’s not a bloody Thomas the Tank Engine on legs or a mechanised snail. This rather wonderful MAZ 537 and trailer are the work of colognebrick of Flickr, who has captured the Soviet military transport superbly in small scale. The build is packed with properly ingenious building techniques to add realism beyond the model’s size, including a cab with bricks pointing in almost every direction.
There’s much more to see of colognebrick’s MAZ truck at his photostream, where he hopes to add some cargo at some point soon. Take a look via the link whilst we issue the Elves an ultimatum that involves bringing back a car for us to blog or getting a free one-way ticket for the office catapult…
This is a MAZ-535; massive, a little aesthetically challenging, and able to get really dirty. Just like your Mom. It comes from Lego-building legend Sariel (whose Build a LEGO Mustang book we reviewed here last week) and it’s a triumph of Technic engineering.
Underneath the wonderfully accurate Model Team exterior, complete with opening doors, engine hatches and LED head and tail lights, is a fully working replica of the MAZ’s incredible 8×8 drivetrain.
Four Power functions XL motors drive all eight wheels, the front four of which turn on separate radiuses. All eight wheels feature planetary hubs and are suspended via pendular axles, allowing Sariel’s model to go anywhere it is possible for a Lego creation to go, or to pull a chair across a wooden floor according to the accompanying video.
A working V12 piston engine is mounted inside, along with a pneumatically operated high/low gearbox providing the model with two speeds (slow, and really slow), and the motorised drive, steering, lighting and gearbox can all be controlled remotely thanks to a third-party SBrick bluetooth control.
There’s much more to see of this amazing creation at Sariel’s MAZ-535 Flickr album, on the Eurobricks forum, or via the video below. Click the links to take a look, plus you can read Sariel’s interview here at The Lego Car Blog by clicking here.
YouTube Video
The Cold War. A fantastically pointless game between two megalomaniacal superpowers that very nearly destroyed half the planet. Still, at least we won’t repeat that mistake again. What’s that? We are?!… Sigh. Better start storing tinned food.
Anyway, this hulk of Soviet terror is a ‘Rubezh’ coastal missile launcher, shown here in East German specification where it was deployed up until the fall of the Soviet Union and Germany’s reunification in 1990.
This expertly recreated mini-figure scale version comes from Ralph Savelsberg (also aptly known as Mad Physicist) of Flickr and there’s more to see of this Cold War monstrosity at his photostream via the link above.
This website has featured a few tenuously linked erection puns over the years, but today there’s no tenuousness at all, as this green phallus-on-wheels is actually called an ‘erector-launcher’.
This Cold War era Soviet RSD-10 ‘Pioneer’ ballistic nuclear missile and the amazing MAZ 547 transporter erector-launcher which carried it come from TLCB regular Ralph Savelsberg, and they’re terrifying.
Measuring over 54ft in length, weighing 37 tons, and capable of flying 7,500km whilst carrying up to three warheads by the end of its development, the RSD-10 was at the very forefront of pointless nuclear dick-waving.
Over 650 of the things were produced, but are now thankfully destroyed (bar a few decommissioned for display purposes) after the U.S and the Soviet Union signed an agreement in 1987 to stop being total morons*.
The Soviet Union though, being a model of responsibility, sold a few of the launchers to North Korea, because they’re trustworthy and accountable state nation. Sigh.
There’s more to see of this rather brilliant mini-figure scale recreation of the MAZ 547 and RSD-10 at Ralph’s Flickr album via the link above, and if you fancy seeing a real one you can do so at the Ukraine Air Force Museum in Kiev and at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
Or on the streets of Pyongyang in North Korea of course.
*And if you think the U.S is any better, guess who this year pulled out of the agreement that ended the RSD-10 Pioneer’s use… Yeah, this guy.
Last time we mentioned something about a vehicle belonging to Russia’s government forces we got in trouble (despite having been positive in the past too) so today there’ll be no backstory. However none is needed, because this MAZ537 8×8 soviet military truck is incredible.
Built by gkurkowski of Brickshelf this 3.3kg behemoth is one of the most beautifully recreated replica trucks that we’ve ever featured. With superb detailing both externally and inside, gkurkowski’s MAZ is certainly befitting of the ‘Model Team’ category here at TLCB. However, this creation is much more than a static display piece…
Inside that brilliant body is a full Power Functions remote control drivetrain with power going to all eight wheels shod in LEGO’s huge 42054 Claas Xerion tyres. Each of the four axles is suspended and the first two offer four-wheel-steering powered by a Medium Motor. There’s also a V12 piston engine, LED headlights, a suspended fifth wheel/trailer hitch and opening everything.
It’s an incredible build and one that definitely deserves a closer look. A full gallery of over thirty images is available to view on Brickshelf, including CAD drawings of the drivetrain and WIP shots, plus you watch gkurkowski’s amazing MAZ537 8×8 in action courtesy of the video below.
YouTube Video: