1:32 NATO Modern Female Combat Pilot

Resin figure of a modern NATO female combat pilot in 1:32 scale

This is a stand-alone figure, not an aircraft model. In 1:32 scale an adult body measures roughly five and a half centimeters, so even the layout of the harness and the shape of the helmet stay readable. A resin casting holds sharper edges and a finer surface texture than injection-molded plastic, which is useful on fabric folds and on the face in particular.

The real subject

Women have been flying combat aircraft in the armed forces of the North Atlantic Alliance for many years, and their kit does not differ from the men's in principle but in the proportions of the body, which a figure has to respect in order to look convincing. The equipment consists of a flame-resistant flight suit, a harness with attachment points, pockets with survival gear and a helmet with a visor and an oxygen mask. The very presence of a female figure in the cockpit or beside the aircraft is the detail that sets a contemporary diorama apart from those built around earlier generations of equipment.

Painting tips

Wash the casting first in warm water with a little detergent on account of mold release agent residue. Separate the casting block with a fine saw and level the mark with wet sandpaper, protecting your breathing as you work. Use a light primer color, which takes a dark wash into the folds well. Paint the face separately and build it up in layers from a darker undertone to lighter areas on the nose, the cheekbones and the chin. Keep the flight suit matte and the helmet glossier; the difference between the two surfaces is what gives the figure real volume.

Who the figure is for

• For builders of contemporary combat aircraft in 1:32 scale.
• For ramp dioramas that need a human scale.
• For modelers who want a different figure in the scene than the same standard one again.
• For collectors of modern aircraft of the Alliance countries.