1:32 RAF Fighter pilot N°3

The real subject

This figure in 1:32 scale represents a fighter pilot of the Royal Air Force. The number in the name tells the individual versions within the range apart, so a small group of pilots can be built without the same pose repeating in it. In the large 1:32 scale a great deal is visible on a figure, which is both an opportunity and an obligation: it pays to give it time.

What you will find in the box

A pilot figure. How many parts it is divided into, what pose it is in and what equipment it has are specified in the manufacturer's instructions; from them you can also tell how the individual parts follow on from each other and in what order to put them together. The joints on figures tend to be run so that a fold of clothing or the edge of the equipment then hides them.

Building and painting tips

Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little away from the part and sand the rest down. Before painting, wash the figure, degrease it and apply a primer. Paint from the large areas to the details: first the clothing, then the equipment, and leave the face and the hands until last. Build the shades up with thinned paint in layers, as sharp transitions look hard on a figure. Darken the folds of the clothing and, conversely, lighten the edges and the raised parts; that is what brings a figure to life.

Who it is for

The figure will complete an aircraft model or an airfield scene in 1:32 scale and give it both scale and a story. Before you seat it in a cockpit, check that the pose fits the space available; with a figure that is to stand beside a machine, check its height against the wing or the step instead. A model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.