1:35 LRDG Crew 2

LRDG Crew 2, a set of 1:35 figures from Thunder Model

A set of figures in 1:35 scale depicting members of the Long Range Desert Group, the British reconnaissance and patrol unit that operated in North Africa during the Second World War. The unit moved across the desert over long distances in modified trucks and light vehicles, and that shaped its equipment: loose clothing, headgear against the sun and personal kit carried on the vehicle itself. The figures are conceived as the crew of such a vehicle.

Place in the series

The number in the designation distinguishes the individual sets in the same series; it is not the number of figures in the package. Thunder Model produces several separate sets on the same theme that complement one another, and anyone building a whole scene around a single vehicle usually combines more than one.

Building and painting tips

Before gluing, go over the parting lines and the remains of sprue gates with a scalpel and fine sandpaper; on figures every line left in place shows up once they are painted. Help yourself with a base coat in a single color, which reveals what is still unfinished. The desert scheme rests on warm sand and khaki tones, which come into their own if a darker glaze is drawn into the folds once they have dried and a dry brush is run along the edges of the cloth. The skin is painted separately from the equipment and given more coats; on figures in this scale the face is the first thing the eye goes to.

Who the set is for

• For builders of Second World War desert dioramas.
• For vehicle modelers who want to anchor the scale of a scene with a human figure.
• For figure painters looking for more civilian clothing instead of a uniform.

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