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Built Review
135
May 1945

by: Jim Rae [ JIMBRAE ]

introduction
ICM Holding have recently released a new, 1/35th scale four-figure set. The new set is 35541 - May 1945 and comes on a single sprue. The four figures are two Soviet infantrymen, a male Medic and a female nursing officer. The first impression comes from the box-art, which is amongst the best-executed I can remember seeing. On the reverse of the box, is a colour-chart which is coded for Model Master paints. Also included is a double sided instruction sheet.


In Detail
With this section, I'll be looking at specific areas of the figures - moulding, anatomical details etc.

Faces: It's not over-exaggerating to say that these are amongst the best (plastic) heads I have ever seen in this scale. Apart from some minor mould lines and a small amount of flash, the crispness in detail is first-class

Legs/Boots: Nice, subtle creasing on the trousers and good detail on footwear (clear definition between instep and heel for example)

Torsos: All the tunics are moulded with medals and crossbelts moulded on. The sharpness of detail is really first-class - see detailed images for some good examples of this.

Hands: The rating for these is adequate - not bad but a little on the 'soft' side.

Additional Details: There are two nice additions to the normal items one would expect in a figure set of this type. The first is a rather ornate wooden chair (obviously liberated from a nearby building) and the second, to complement the sitting figure, is a nicely sculpted accordion which is being played by the sitting figure. Also included are such (not normally included) items as medical packs (with the red cross engraved into them) and the more usual items such as the Soviet 'sack-type' haversack.


Figure construction
I chose to build one of the more interesting figures - the female nurse (see images). It wasn't difficult but the fit of some of the parts was not exactly brilliant. Some filler is going to have to be used in several areas - particularly on the join of the overcoat at the front, there is a noticeable gap in the sleeves of the overcoat and between the bottom of the tunic and the skirt. What is also noticeable, is the 'softness' of the plastic. This is not a bad thing as it facilitates cleaning up considerably. There is a reasonable amount of cleaning-up necessary, particularly with some seam lines and some largish attachment points for the sprues. The female figure is a very original piece indeed, with a greatcoat hanging over her shoulders. This is done in six pieces - the back of the coat, two front sections, the two arms which hang quite convincingly and the collar which really adds a correct 'sit' to the figure. This is a superb piece of sculpting and, although, some care (and filling) is needed, it should cause few problems as long as the parts are aligned with care.

in Conclusion
A superbly useful set which, although requiring care in its construction, will create a superb figure component in a late-war diorama. Some really interesting ideas have been tried (with success) in this set and ICM deserve to have real success with this set. Not all however, is good news. Items such as weapon straps should be replaced as the plastic items are inadequate. Fit of parts should be a high-priority also. Those debits aside, clearly ICM are on the right-track. This and future releases, will certainly deserve serious consideration from modellers.


SUMMARY
This new release from ICM Holding, on first look, covers little which is new in subject matter. What is radically new is the 'quantum-leap' which this company is now demonstrating in both sculpting and moulding. what does remain to be improved however, is the fit of parts. That said however, this set offers a great deal for the diorama builder.
  VALUE FOR MONEY:90%
  SCULPTING:90%
  FIT OF PARTS:70%
Percentage Rating
85%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: 35541
  Suggested Retail: Unknown
  PUBLISHED: Nov 04, 2006
  NATIONALITY: Russia
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.06%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 84.86%

Photos
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About Jim Rae (jimbrae)
FROM: PROVINCIA DE LUGO, SPAIN / ESPAñA

Self-employed English teacher living in NW Spain. Been modelling off and on since the sixties. Came back into the hobby around ten years ago. First love is Soviet Armor with German subjects running a close second. Currently exploring ways of getting cloned to allow time for modelling, working and wr...

Copyright ©2021 text by Jim Rae [ JIMBRAE ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

These look terrific. Congratulations to ICM for a very imaginative and useful set. Jim, how do they compare sizewize to other 1/35 figures. I've always wanted to do a diorama based on this photo for which the Accordion player will come in very usefull, I have the Plus Models Accordion player but this guy looks better
NOV 04, 2006 - 12:55 AM
Seen this set in my LHS the other week,caught my eye due to the unusual poses on display,interested to see a female figure in there also.
NOV 04, 2006 - 02:00 AM
Ahh a slavic set with a woman yet! It rhymes And an accordion too! Good review always a bonus to have a female character thrown in. I love the box art. A must buy. Cheers, Michael
NOV 04, 2006 - 09:21 PM
I just got this set a couple of days ago and the figures are really nice. I keep thinking what great figure sets we would have if Dragon adds this kind of imagination to their figure sets. Oh well, can't have everything. Unfortunately, I stopped buying Dragon figures as of late. In spite of their somewhat lesser quality, now I only wait for figure releases from Miniart, ICM, and Masterbox because of their originality. Regards Hisham
NOV 05, 2006 - 01:45 AM
WOW, an accordian in plastic!!! Has to be a first! Kudos to ICM (and other smaller companies) for putting out really unique and interesting subjects! I wonder how many people will buy the set just for the figure on the chair and the accordian? VERY NICE!
NOV 05, 2006 - 03:27 AM
   
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Photos
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