1:48 Kneeling Soldier (on left knee), US Army Infantry Squad 2nd Division (part 2)

The real subject

The figure captures a US Army infantryman kneeling on his left knee. It is a position a soldier takes when taking cover behind an obstacle in the terrain or firing from a kneel, so the figure comes across naturally in a combat scene as well as beside a halted vehicle. According to the name this is the second part of a larger set of an infantry squad, so the figure follows on from further figures of the same range and is ready to be put together into a group.

What the set contains

This is one figure in 1:48 scale. The number of parts and the material are given in the manufacturer's instructions; go through the contents of the package according to the instructions before building. For a figure around 180 cm tall, 1:48 scale corresponds to a height of roughly 3.8 cm, so it pays to work with tweezers, a sharp blade and good lighting.

Building and painting tips

Cut the excess material and any marks from production off a little way from the part and sand the rest away carefully, so that the surface detail is not wiped off. Before painting, wash and degrease the figure, otherwise the paint will not hold. A procedure from the undercoat through the flesh color to the uniform works well, with the webbing, buckles and small gear added only at the end. Seated and kneeling figures are easier to paint before being finally seated into a scene.

Who it is for

The set suits modelers who are bringing a diorama to life or looking for a human scale for a vehicle or an aircraft of the same size. Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.