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Built Review
135
Winter pastime
Winter pastime
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by: Tom Cromwell [ BARKINGDIGGER ]

Introduction

Here’s a fun little scene of a GI with enough time on his hands to build a snowman! And guess who the subject is?

Contents

The blister pack holds nine parts, well cast in grey slightly flexible resin.

the review

The mounting blocks look a bit chunky, but are easy enough to manage, and there is a little flash to remove. Air bubbles were virtually non-existent in the casting.

Now our snow-sculptor is dressed for winter on the front lines in 1944-45, and is wearing his regulation helmet, bayonet, canteen, and ammo belt over his greatcoat. However, his weapon must be elsewhere– all he’s armed with is a shovel. He is a bit tall, measuring up at just over six feet two, but well within acceptable limits. I have to wonder if he was actually designed in 54mm (1:32) scale.

His left hand has a cigarette or cigar in it, but it is a bit short and lumpy– I’d replace it with brass wire for better scale thinness. Assembly of the GI figure was easy, although, unlike the arms, there is no positive location for the legs. Also, the greatcoat has no undercut (despite that sort of crisp detail being a hallmark of resin?), so don’t place him where you can see up his coat. The only tricky part was removing the helmet casting plug– it takes careful sanding to ensure there are no flat spots on the highly visible top of the helmet.

Of course, it wouldn’t take much to replace that shovel with a weapon for use on the front line. Note that there are no assembly instructions…

The “snow-Fuehrer” is a single piece, and while a great caricature, it is a little too crisply-detailed to be believable as a snow sculpture. Perhaps it’s really carved from solid ice?

Conclusion

The figure is a respectable non-combat GI that will no doubt be useful in a wide range of winter dioramas. I could see him walking around between foxholes, or helping set up camp, or even digging out stuck vehicles. The snow sculpture will be a bit more challenging to use.

Thanks to Plus Model for providing the review sample. Please mention you saw it reviewed on Armorama when ordering.
SUMMARY
Highs: Figure is well-proportioned, in an interesting “resting” pose.
Lows: GI is a bit tall. No undercut to coat.
Verdict: A worth-while figure with potential.
Percentage Rating
85%
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: 391
  Suggested Retail: $17.70
  PUBLISHED: Sep 27, 2011
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 84.20%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 85.93%

Our Thanks to Plus Model!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Tom Cromwell (barkingdigger)
FROM: ENGLAND - EAST ANGLIA, UNITED KINGDOM

A Yank living overseas on a long-term basis, I've been building tanks since the early '70s. I relish the challenges of older kits (remember when Tamiya was "new"?...) because I love to scratch-build.

Copyright ©2021 text by Tom Cromwell [ BARKINGDIGGER ]. All rights reserved.



   
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