1:48 Red Army WW II Commander

Red Army commander, Second World War, 1:48 (CMK F48268)

A resin figure in 1:48 scale from the brand CMK, the sister brand of Special Hobby, the manufacturer's part number F48268. It is not a kit of a machine but a standalone character that gives a finished model a sense of size and a story. The 1:48 scale is the home scale of aircraft kits, so the figure is most often used beside an airplane, in an airfield scene or beside a vehicle in the same scale.

The real subject

A Red Army commander is told apart from an enlisted soldier mainly by his equipment and by small details: a map case, binoculars, a holstered pistol and a peaked cap in place of a field side cap. His appearance changed considerably during the war, because shoulder boards with rank insignia returned in 1943, so the choice of year decides how you paint the figure. An airfield scene, where the crew gathers at the machine with the unit commander, needs exactly such a character.

Building and painting tips

Wash the resin with water and dish soap before gluing so that the mold release agent disappears, and cut off the casting gates. Go over the mold seams with a scraper, because in 1:48 every groove is accentuated under the paint. Bond it with super glue. A primer is a must; without it the paint does not hold on resin. At this scale the face is not painted in fine detail: a flesh tone, shading and a dark line for the eyes are enough, and overdone detail looks coarse. Paint the uniform and the leather parts of the equipment separately so that they differ in surface.

Who the figure is for

• For modelers of Soviet aircraft and vehicles in 1:48 scale
• For airfield scenes and small dioramas beside a finished model
• For adding a sense of size to a model in a display case
• For modelers with experience of resin and fine brushwork

The figure is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.