1:72 Luftschutz Gladiator

The real subject

The German civil air defense, Luftschutz for short, was in charge of shelters, the warning service and clearing up after air raids during the war. Its members wore a helmet with a pronounced comb on the crown, for which the designation Gladiator has come into use. It differs from military patterns by its silhouette alone, so even in a small scale it tells a viewer that the figure does not belong to the army.

What you are buying

An accessory for figures in 1:72 scale rendered as this helmet. At this scale the headgear measures only a fraction of a centimeter, so you work with tweezers and it is a clean outline rather than the number of details that counts. The manufacturer makes the same subject in 1:16, 1:35 and 1:48 as well and offers a variant of it marked as detail.

Building and painting tips

• Work over a tray with a raised edge, otherwise the part will end up on the floor.
• Cut the excess material off with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the remnant gently.
• Wash and degrease the part before painting.
• Thin the paint more than usual, as a thick coat would fill the comb on the crown in.
• The right glue depends on the material of the parts, which the manufacturer gives on the box.

Who it is for

For a modeler of small scales who is building a scene from the German home front of the Second World War and wants non-military figures in it as well. It also serves to set apart figures from one kit, which would otherwise all have the same headgear. Figures, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.