1:48 Czechoslovak fighter pilot for Avia B.534 Pre-War period.

A pre-war fighter pilot from the Avia B.534 biplane

The Avia B.534 was the peak of Czechoslovak fighter aviation of the 1930s. A biplane with an enclosed cockpit, four machine guns and solid performance, in its day it belonged among the world's best, and at the international air meeting in Zurich in 1937 it drew the attention even of foreign experts. A year later it was already at a disadvantage against all-metal monoplanes, yet it remained a symbol of the interwar army.

The figure matches exactly that period: a leather jacket, a helmet with the goggles pushed up onto the forehead and the calm stance of a man who has just come back from his machine. The figure gives a finished model scale and a story, because without a human silhouette beside the wing the viewer does not realize the true size of the biplane.

• One figure of an airman in 1:48 scale
• A resin casting, supplied unpainted and without a base
• The dress matches the period before the Second World War
• Suitable for a display case as well as a smaller diorama with the aircraft

Wash the casting first, because residues of mold release agent from the mold reliably repel paint. Cut the casting gate under the feet off with a saw, not with pliers, or the resin will crack at the thin point. For the face a basic skin tone is enough, with a darker glaze in the hollows and light highlighting on the nose and the cheekbones; exaggerated contrast looks like a theatrical mask at this scale.

The figure looks best in line with the machine it relates to, rather than stiffly face on; turning the head by a few degrees gives the scene action. If you are planning a whole scene, bear in mind that a mechanic and a second crew member do not belong to this item and have to be obtained separately.