MiniArt German Ground Staff North Africa (49020) 1:48

[Mike]

German Ground Staff North Africa (49020)

1:48 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

 

This new figure set from MiniArt in 1:48 will mesh perfectly with your next North Africa diorama or vignette that incorporates Luftwaffe aviation in that scale.  The set arrives in a figure-sized end-opening box with a painting of the figures and their equipment on the front, replicated separately on the rear to act as painting and building instructions, with a paint chart that gives codes for Vallejo, Mr Color, AK RealColor, Mission Models, AMMO, Tamiya, plus colour swatches and generic names for completeness.  Inside the box are six sprues of grey styrene, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a single sheet of instructions for some of the multi-part accessories that are included.

 

 

The parts for each figure are found in separate areas of the sprues for ease of identification, and parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up.  The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from MiniArt’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the parts of the model.  They look more impressive for being that much smaller than their usual 1:35 figures.

 

There are four figures, all bar one dressed in hot-weather light-weight clothing to keep cool in the extreme heat of North Africa.  One is shirtless with braces holding up his trousers, resting one foot on a chair while he paints something, another is wearing shorts and a Pith helmet bringing a wooden toolbox for some task, retaining his calf-length boots and looking like someone from 70s sitcom ‘It Ain't Half Hot Mum’.  The third figure is working at a bench on an engineering task with sleeves rolled up, while the last is sitting consulting a clip-board, comparatively over-dressed in long-sleeved jacket over a shirt, long trousers and calf-length boots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accessories are spread across four sprues, providing plenty of assemblies to add to your work, consisting of a wheeled compressor with receiver tank, a wooden tool box with a choice of tools, a trestle table, a portable bench vice, wooden step ladder, a pillar drill, hacksaw, two metal toolboxes, one open with PE covers and spread open drawers, the other closed, an anvil, a fixed bench vice, chair, stool, buckets, spades, spray gun and many other small tools.

 

 

Markings

Whilst there are no decals included with the kit, the afore mentioned painting guide on the rear of the box should be sufficient to enable accurate painting with some care and a good quality paint brush.  If you use other makes of paint than those given in the chart, those codes should give you a suitable starting point for conversion to your preferred brand.

 

 

Conclusion

Figures lend a human scale to any model for obvious reasons, and with careful painting these ground crew with the tools of their trade should add a lot more than just that.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of