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Revell

Set 02500

German Paratroopers

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All figures are supplied unpainted    (Numbers of each pose in brackets)
Stats
Date Released 1989
Contents 44 figures
Poses 12 poses
Material Plastic (Medium Consistency)
Colours Light Grey
Average Height 24 mm (= 1.73 m)

Review

Revell is one of those manufacturers whose first attempt at a set of figures was not a good one. Presumably this was through inexperience, though they were a well-established kit manufacturer long before this set came out, but whatever the reason this is not a good set.

Basic uniform is reasonable, with everyone wearing the classic paratroop helmet and jump smock. Only one man - the one disentangling himself from his chute - is wearing external knee protectors, which is good as these were usually discarded after landing as they were of no further use and merely restricted movement. Equipment is a bit sparse but correct, with the pointing man having the specially designed paratrooper ammunition belt that hung around the neck.

The 12 poses are fair, with the men handling the parachute and the equipment container (both of which come with separate bases) being very worth while. Sadly what really counts against this set is the quality of the end product. The detail is very indistinct, and there is a lot of flash for a set from one of the majors. Worse yet is the basic anatomy, which is very peculiar. Viewed from the side the figures all but disappear as they are almost semi-flats. Viewed from above the heads are hideously distorted - the distance from front to back is at least twice the distance from ear to ear, giving it a strange oval shape in cross-section.

The radio operator is very annoying for two reasons. Firstly, he does not have a base. OK, so he does just about stand by himself, but he's pretty unstable. Why do manufacturers insist on not providing a base if they can possibly get away with it? Bases are essential for most figures, so what's the point of having the occasional one figure without a base? All it does is make the figure unstable, difficult to handle, apparently shorter than the rest and very difficult to hold whilst painting.

The other noteworthy characteristic about the radio man is the radio itself, which seems incredibly thin for the technology of the day. Perhaps this is in fact accurate, but somehow we doubt it.

So, not a good set at all. Revell's second set (Australians) is absolutely fine, so it seems Revell learnt their lesson very quickly. However these are amongst the poorest of the World War II figures currently available.


Ratings

Historical Accuracy 9
Pose Quality 8
Pose Number 8
Sculpting 5
Mould 8

Further Reading
Books
"Fallschirmjäger: German Paratrooper 1935-45" - Osprey (Warrior Series No.38) - Bruce Quarrie - 9781841763262
"Fallschirmjager" - Pen & Sword (Images of War Series) - Jon Sutherland - 9781848843189
"German Airborne Troops 1939-45" - Osprey (Men-at-Arms Series No.139) - Bruce Quarrie - 9780850454802
"Infantry Weapons of World War II" - David & Charles - Jan Suermont - 9780715319253
"Weapons and Equipment of the German Fallschirmtruppe" - Schiffer - Alex Buchner - 9780887409646
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