1:76 WWI U.S.Infantry

First World War American infantry in 1:76 scale (Airfix)

A set of unassembled and unpainted plastic figures. This is not a vehicle model and these are not finished collector's figures, but a classic infantry set meant for dioramas and for peopling scenes with vehicles. The 1:76 scale corresponds to a railway scale and in practice it is routinely combined with vehicles and figures in 1:72 scale, because the difference in size is negligible at a normal viewing distance.

The real subject

American units entered the fighting of the First World War in Europe from 1917 and were deployed chiefly on the Western Front. An infantryman's equipment at this time was marked by a flat steel helmet, a belt with ammunition pouches and a gas mask in its bag, that is by items that set the infantry of this period apart from the units of the Second World War. For the modeler it is a period with a markedly different look of uniforms and equipment than the one he is used to in later conflicts.

Building and painting tips

Figures in this scale are usually molded from a softer plastic on which paint holds less well. First wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent and let them dry thoroughly, then use a good base coat from a spray can or an airbrush. Paint from the darkest areas toward the light ones, pick the faces and hands out with a dry brush and finally unify the whole with a dark wash that runs into the folds of the uniform. A final matte varnish protects the paint against rubbing during handling.

Who the set is for

• builders of First World War dioramas
• modelers working in 1:72 and 1:76 scale who need to add infantry
• tabletop gamers looking for small-scale figures
• beginners who want to try painting figures

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