1:32 US WASP (1943-1945) (3 figures)

1:32 US WASP 1943 to 1945 - a set of three figures from ICM

A set of plastic figures in 1:32 scale from the Ukrainian manufacturer ICM. According to its name it contains three figures of American women pilots of the WASP organization from the years 1943 to 1945. It is not an aircraft kit - the figures are used as an accessory to a model in 1:32 scale, to a diorama, or on their own as a collector's piece.

The real subject

The abbreviation WASP stands for Women Airforce Service Pilots, an American organization of civilian women pilots active in the years 1943 to 1944, whose members mainly ferried new aircraft from the factories to the units, towed targets and carried out other duties in the rear. For a modeler it is above all the look that matters: the combination of flying coveralls, leather jackets and the service uniforms of the time, with the period footwear and equipment. That is exactly what sets these figures apart from the readily available pilot sets and gives an aviation scene in 1:32 scale a fresh element.

Building and painting tips

First remove the parting seams from the figures - in 1:32 scale every trace of the mold shows clearly, so do the sanding carefully and with fine paper. Assemble with painting in mind: leave the heads and the hands separate until you have finished the faces. Apply a primer, which evens the surface out and brings out the shapes. Work the painting from the base tone through lightened edges and folds to a dark shadow in the recesses; on skin work in finer transitions than on fabric. The leather of the jackets takes a higher sheen than a coverall, and small metal details come to life with dry-brushing. Finally, even the whole figure out with a flat clear coat and bring the sheen back only where it belongs.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who want a period human figure and a sense of scale beside a 1:32 aircraft
• Builders of aviation dioramas and airfield scenes
• Those interested in period flying equipment and uniforms
• Collectors of figures looking for a subject other than combat

This is a set of figures, not an aircraft model. The figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted, and paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.