1:48 TECHNIQUES OF THE RF VKS. Set No. 1-2

Russian Air Force ground crew figures, set 1-2, 1:48, from Temp Models

The set holds resin figures of Russian Aerospace Forces ground crew in 1:48 scale. The manufacturer keeps it under the combined designation 1-2, that is as a companion to the earlier sets in the same line. It is not an aircraft kit but an accessory for a finished model or for an airfield scene.

The real subject

More technicians than aircrew move around a combat aircraft between flights: they top up the fuel, hang the ordnance and check the landing gear and the engines. That is exactly why a scene with ground crew gives a model a story that a lone aircraft cannot have. Figures in working clothing differ from aircrew in what they wear and in how they hold themselves; they are usually bending, reaching or carrying something. Several sets from one line make it possible to fill a whole parking apron.

Building and painting tips

Wash the 3D-printed figures in warm soapy water and cut the print supports away with a sharp blade, carefully around the fingers and the gear. Sand them with respiratory protection and glue them with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Apply a thin primer as the base, paint the faces and hands with a brush and lighten the shades step by step, and finish the clothing with a dark wash in the folds. Add gloss varnish to the helmet and the visor.

Who the set is for

• Resin figures of ground crew, 1:48 scale
• Adds to the earlier sets of the same numbered line
• A diorama accessory, not an aircraft kit
• A figure gives the model a yardstick for comparison
• Needs cyanoacrylate glue and a primer under the paint

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