1:48 U.S.A.F. Maintenance crew - Farm Gate operation Vietnam War

The real subject

Ground personnel are everywhere at an airfield where an aircraft stands: by a landing gear wheel, on the wing, at an open engine cowling. It is figures like these that give a finished model a sense of scale and turn it into a view in which something is happening. The name of the set refers to the US Air Force deployment in Southeast Asia conducted under the designation Farm Gate, that is to the early period of the American presence in Vietnam.

What the set contains

Figures of mechanics in 1:48 scale, that is in the size matching aircraft kits of the same scale. The number of figures, their poses and the breakdown into individual parts are stated on the packaging and in the manufacturer's instructions. The set serves as an accessory for a finished model; the aircraft itself and a base are not in it. It can also be used on its own: a pair of figures on a small base will stand up as a small view without an aircraft.

Building and painting tips

Seat the figures only on a finished and painted model or terrain, otherwise it is hard to reach them with paint and brush. Before painting, wash and degrease the parts and fill small gaps at the joints with putty. A figure comes out best when a darker wash is used on the face and the folds of the equipment and a lighter dry brush on top. Check the shades of the uniforms against period photographs. Place the figures so that they are clearly connected: two of them together at one job look better than four scattered across the area.

• seat the figures only on finished and painted terrain
• darken the recesses with a wash and pull out the edges with a dry brush
• turn the figures toward each other so that the view holds together
• fill small gaps at the joints with putty

Terms of supply

Figures are supplied. The aircraft model, a base, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.