Afrika Korps Panzer Crew
1/16th Figure Set No. 16009
This set consists of two three quarter figures designed to be posed in the cupola
and side turret hatch of a Panzer III or IV.
The figures designed by John Rosengrant are cast in a cream resin and broken down with the full ¾ length torso and head in one piece with separate arms and field cap for the crewman. The commander wears a forage cap and typical open collar tropical tunic while the crewman wears a long sleeve drill shirt with sleeves rolled up and a tropical field cap.
The casting quality is excellent with superb well defined uniform details and fabric folds with things like the sand goggles on the crewman being especially well defined and is typical of the quality throughout. There is only very small casting blocks to be removed although there is also some mould seam lines to be removed on the lower legs and arms but nothing too difficult.
The facial features and anatomical details on the crewman’s arms are especially well done for a very realistic appearance that can be enhanced with careful painting.
The fit of the parts is excellent with the arms having large square lugs and pins to ensure they line up correctly when assembled, some minor trimming of the pin was needed on a couple of the arms but again very minor. The only problem was the Commander's head phone support being broken due to it being rather fragile and this could easily be replaced with a strip of spare etched brass.
No painting guide is included other than the box top photo of the painted figures but there is plenty of reference available on the subject so this shouldn’t be a problem?
Overall an excellent set of figures in this larger scale that have superb details included and will look impressive when painted, the only problem would be finding a home for them due to being ¾ figures they can’t stand on there own two feet because they don’t have any.
The only kit I am aware of at this time that could accommodate these figures is the big 1/15th Bandai Pz IV Ausf.F2 with the Verlinden 1/16th PZIII being the Ausf M variant that did not see service in Africa or the S&T Products set #16006 with the hull section and full PzIII turret from which these figures are actually from.
But the way Trumpeter is heading with their large scale kits who knows what will appear in the future, we may have a fine set of figures ready and waiting for a new kit?
Recommended
Page created 28 February 2004