One thing that has always been hard to find in 1/35 scale in plastic kit form is good female figures, so this set from Masterbox, released in 2009 together with its sister kit “U.S. Navy Wave” is a welcome addition for many of us.
This kit comes in the usual open ended box on a single dark yellow sprue. The quality of the mouldings and the finess of the detail has improved noticeably over earlier Masterbox kits which weren’t themselves that bad but often need a little cleanup. The moulding on this set however is excellent with very nice facial detail especially with the female faces looking like female faces.
Despite the boxart showing only three figures this set actually contains four, five if you count the rather large dog that is also included. As well as the two female figures and the pilot that are shown there is also a figure of a German officer included.
The two female figures come with bare legs with separate skirt pieces which looks very good when put together as it gives excellent definition and undercut detail that solid figures lack. One of the women also gets a separate ponytail and comes with a briefcase which is intended to be tucked under one arm. One nice touch that shows they were thinking is that the female figures get smaller, more delicate hands with slender fingers.
One of the female figures is modelled to stand with the Great Dane that comes moulded as two halves and looks very good. If you want to include a leash as shown on the reverse of the box you’ll need to make your own however.
The pilot figure wears the peaked cap, lined boots and leather flying jacket. The officer gets separate parts for the tunic skirts and wears long boots and a peaked cap. Both get holstered Luger P08 pistols and both are made holding a cigarette lighter and posed as if offering a light to one of the female figures, as the one with the case is depicted with a cigarette in her mouth. Though you will need to add your own cigarette from a small piece of stretched sprue.
This set with the two male figures both being made holding a lighter does conjure up images of both of them offering the one female figure a light at the same time to see which one she accepts a light from. I think that this brilliantly captures an immediately recognisable male mating ritual. All you need to add is an aircraft, and perhaps Masterbox had their own Ju52 in mind for the future when they made this kit. Whatever the case this is a great little set that adds to so many situations. The female figures as they come are brilliant and they lend themselves easily to conversion to civilian figures if desired. The inclusion of a 1/35 scale Luftwaffe pilot is also a bonus as is the dog who differs from the usual German Shepherd, as both of these are also rarities in 1/35 scale plastic kit form.
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