1:35 U.S. Infantrymen with mule

American infantrymen with a mule 1:35, Plusmodel resin figures

The set holds figures of American infantry together with a mule, that is a pack animal used to carry loads where vehicles could not get through. The castings are of polyurethane resin and are supplied unassembled and unpainted. These are therefore not finished painted figures but a resin set meant to be assembled and painted. The manufacturer is the Czech company Plusmodel, long aimed at figures and accessories in 1:35 scale.

The subject

Pack animals stayed irreplaceable even in the Second World War in the mountains and in muddy terrain, where neither a truck nor tracked equipment could get through. Mules carried ammunition, food, parts of weapons and the wounded along trails on which motor transport came to a halt. For a diorama it is a rewarding subject: it explains how the supplies got up there and at the same time offers a composition that does not rest on combat equipment.

Building and painting tips

Wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water, cut the casting blocks off with a fine-toothed saw and fill the joints, so that the transitions at the shoulders and the neck are clean. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Paint the uniforms in thin coats with shadows in the seams; the coat of the animal proves best built from a dark base through a dry brush to the light areas. Darken the harness and the load with a wash and add dust on the lower areas, as a pack column was always dusty or muddy.

Who the set is for

• Builders of dioramas with American infantry in 1:35 scale
• Modelers who want a supply scene instead of combat equipment
• Those interested in figures with an animal and a more demanding composition
• More advanced modelers with experience of painting figures

The figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.