1:32 THE PILOTS OF the Russian Aerospace Forces (SVO) PSO NAZ-IR. SET No. 14

Russian Air Force pilot figures with an emergency survival kit, 1:32, set number 14

The set brings 3D printed figures of Russian Air Force pilots in 1:32 scale from Temp Models. The designation in the name refers to the emergency survival kit the pilot carries in a pouch by the seat. It is not a model of an aircraft but figures for building a scene around a finished model.

The real subject

The equipment of a present-day Russian fighter pilot consists of a flight suit, an anti-g garment, the parachute harness and a protective helmet with an oxygen mask. The emergency survival kit is a pouch with the basic equipment for surviving after an emergency escape from the aircraft: signaling devices, medicines, water and the means to survive in the field. It is stowed so that it stays with the pilot even after an ejection, and it therefore forms part of the seat equipment. A figure that carries it is noticeably bulkier in its lower half, and that even on seemingly small figures in a large scale.

Building and painting tips

The parts are printed from resin and are held only by thin supports. Cut them off with a sharp scalpel as close to the part as possible, sand the marks down with fine sandpaper and protect your airways while sanding. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Paint holds longer on a smooth print if you lay a thin coat of primer under it. Paint the figures in layers from the base tone toward the light edges, and leave the face and the hands for last.

Who the set is for

• Modelers who build the crew for an aircraft in 1:32 as well
• Builders of dioramas with ground support and preparation for a flight
• More experienced modelers used to resin and to painting figures
• Collectors of present-day aircraft equipment in a large scale

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