1:35 British SAS Africa N°2

1:35 British SAS Africa No. 2 from Black Dog model

A resin figure in 1:35 scale from the series of the British Special Air Service in North Africa. The designation No. 2 is a distinction within the series, that is a different figure from No. 1, not a different package of the same thing. Both figures can be set beside one vehicle and complemented with the combined set from the same run, which is also available.

The real subject

The British SAS was born in the desert as a unit of small mobile groups that raided airfields and supply hubs deep behind the front. The vehicles were overloaded with jerrycans, supplies and ammunition, the crews drove long moves with no support, and their appearance differed markedly from ordinary infantry: loose desert clothing, scarves and goggles against the dust, carrying straps and improvised kit. For a modeler it is a rewarding subject precisely because the figures look informal and give a scene a story.

Building and painting tips

Wash the resin in lukewarm soapy water before painting because of the mold release. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a cutter, level the surface and sand it gently with respiratory protection. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Build the ground with primer, then work the desert shades from a darker base to lighter areas. Pull the depths out with a dark glaze, the edges with a dry brush, and right at the end add a little dust of pigment at the boots and hems so that the figure fits the sandy ground of the vehicle.

Who the figure is for

• Modelers of desert scenes of the Second World War in 1:35 scale.
• Builders of SAS light vehicles and patrol cars looking for a crew.
• Figure painters who want a figure different from the classic uniformed soldier.
• Collectors who already have No. 1 and want to widen the group.