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Preiser

Set 72508

Luftwaffe Pilots and Ground Crew

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All figures are supplied unpainted    (Numbers of each pose in brackets)
Stats
Date Released 1994
Contents 26 figures
Poses 26+ poses
Material Plastic (Very Hard)
Colours Grey
Average Height 25 mm (= 1.8 m)

Review

Of the many 1/72 sets Preiser have produced depicting the armed forces of the Third Reich, a good many have been devoted to the Luftwaffe. The emphasis in this set seems to be moments of relaxation as we find pilots and ground crew standing or sitting and not apparently doing a great deal. Several of the figures are playing cards, and one particularly nice pose is lounging in a deck chair. In fact this set is one of those that requires a lot of assembly as virtually every figure has separate arms, heads and sometimes legs too. The full sprue shows what is available, with each sprue appearing in the box twice. We used the parts from one of each of the sprues to construct the figures shown, but there are a lot of extra heads, arms and accessories so the number of possible poses is actually vast. The box shows some suggestions, and some nicely painted alternatives are also shown on the back of the box.

These figures are typical of the quality we expect from Preiser. The detail is sometimes a little shallow but generally these are very nicely done. Given the considerable interchange of limbs and other parts the figures went together easily enough, and as usual there is no flash to speak of. The models of the table, chair and deck chair are particularly fine and would fit in any diorama of the last hundred years. The man shown next to the deck chair is intended to be sitting in it, which makes a nice model.

The accuracy of the uniforms and accessories is fine, so if you don't mind spending some time designing and assembling your figures then this set will provide plenty of suitable material for a scene of tranquillity between missions.


Ratings

Historical Accuracy 10
Pose Quality
Pose Number 10
Sculpting 9
Mould 9

Further Reading
Books
"German Uniforms of the Third Reich 1933-45" - Blandford (Colour Series) - Brian Davis - 9780713708813
"Jagdflieger: Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot 1939-45" - Osprey (Warrior Series No.122) - Robert Stedman - 9781846031670
"Kampfflieger: Bomber Crewman of the Luftwaffe 1939-45" - Osprey (Warrior Series No.99) - Robert F Stedman - 9781841769073
"Luftwaffe Air & Ground Crew 1939-45" - Osprey (Men-at-Arms Series No.377) - Robert Stedman - 9781841764047
"Naval, Marine and Air Force Uniforms of World War 2" - Blandford (Blandford Colour Series) - Andrew Mollo - 9780713707250
"The Armed Forces of World War II" - Orbis - Andrew Mollo - 9780856132964
"The Luftwaffe in World War II" - Pen & Sword (Images of War Series) - Francis Crosby - 9781844150861
"Uniforms of the Luftwaffe 1939-45" - Almark - Matthew Cooper - 9780855241759

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