This comes on two dark yellow sprues, one containing the motorcycle and sidecar, the other containing the four figures. The mouldings are the typical Masterbox quality having the usual light mould seams and some minor flashing to clean up, and requiring a small amount of filling and sanding once assembled to remove the join lines.
The bike is a very good representaion though this particular kit doesn’t inclde the photo-etch wheel parts that come in some of Masterbox’s motorcycle kits which is a pity and hopefully they’ll get around to adding them at some point. The purists will still find themselves with fine wire, CA glue and tweezers adding all the wires and cables that are never on these kits but if you want to go that far at least you have a very good base to build on. The bike has the option of either an MG34 or MG42 machine gun mounted on the side car with a drum magazine to fit if desired.
There are four figures included, although the boxart only shows three. Two of these are positioned sitting on the bike, a third is stretching and yawning with his hands behind his head and the fourth is the one that is the subject of the “letting off steam” part of the title as he is posed urinating. Quite nice little touch there I reckon as it injects a little levity into a scene.
The faces have good expressions, and one has moulded on goggles, the hands are nicely moulded, and the tunic skirts are moulded as separate pieces to give the best definition. At an average 50-51mm tall they average out at around 175-178cm tall or 5′9″-5′10″. All four wear the M40 field uniform with high boots and M35 helmets, though as with many of Masterbox’s figure sets the heads are moulded as complete heads with no hair, and the helmets are moulded hollow but without liners.
Equipmentwise you get , four canteens, three bread bags, three mess tins, three short shovels in carriers with attached bayonets, and four gas mask containers, two of which have a gas cape moulded to them as well. There is also a mapcase and two MP40 triple mag pouches provided for the NCO, two separate Kar 98k triple ammo pouches, with four more moulded to the tunic skirt parts. There is also a large rolled tarp for the rear of the sidecar. The personal weapons included for the figures are an MP40 sub-machine gun and three Kar 98K rifles.
The details and mouldings on the weapons and equipment is good overall, with just some flash to remove from the ammo belts and entrenching tools. The bayonets on the shovels could also use a little sharpening up to make them stand out more as a separate attachment rather than looking like a part of the shovel. The buckles etc on the harnesses though are very well done.
Decals include red crosses for a medical team or three otpions - 24th Panzer Division ( with alternative markings for Stalingrad as the Germans used to change their markings in the field to confuse the opposition ) ; Ramcke Parachute Brigade Libya and Tunisia 1942-43 ; 14th Fallshirmjager Division at Anzio 1944.
A separate sheet of instructions is included for the bike while assembly and painting instructions for the figures are provided on the reverse of the box giving the paint numbers for Vallejo, Tamiya, Lifecolour, Humbrol and Agama paints.
There are definitely some small areas in this kit that could be improved upon, mainly in terms of the overall sharpness of the moulds. Masterbox’s newer kits have done this so it would be nice to see this kit sharpened up as it is a good kit and the scenario gives it an extra little something in terms of uniqueness, it just needs that extra little step up in mould quality to really put it amongst the best.
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