1:35 German tank crew close fight

The subject

Tank crews were not always on the battlefield behind armor. When a crew left its machine, whether because of a breakdown, a hit, or because the enemy had come too close, it had to defend itself with whatever was to hand. It is exactly such a moment that these figures capture: members of a German tank crew in a fight at short range, outside the safety of their own vehicle. It is a subject that gives a diorama a story, because the viewer works out for himself what happened a minute earlier.

Scale and use

In 1:35 scale an adult figure one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall comes out at five centimeters. The figures therefore suit models of armored hardware in the same scale, and equally dioramas with buildings and terrain. Without figures even a carefully built tank looks like an exhibit on a stand; with them it looks like a scene.

Building and painting tips

Cut any excess material away a little distance from the part with a sharp blade and sand the remainder carefully, so as not to sand away the engraving of the folds. Wash and degrease the figures before painting, or the paint will rub off during handling. Match the choice of glue to the material of the parts; cyanoacrylate glue will join practically anything. Paint from the bottom up and leave the faces until the end, once your hand is warmed up. Shadows in the folds of a uniform do more on a small figure than the most carefully chosen shade of cloth.

Who it is for

For builders of dioramas and for modelers of armored hardware who are missing the human dimension beside a vehicle. Paints and glue are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.