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Need 1/48 scale GI's "at ease"

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  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Washington
Need 1/48 scale GI's "at ease"
Posted by uproar on Friday, January 27, 2006 11:31 PM

Greetings,

I am currently working on a small diorama of a 1/48 scale Focke-Wulf Fw190D9 Dora, the "Red 1" of the JV44 PapageiStaffel, after it had been abandoned and subsequently captured by American GI's at the airfield at Munich-Riem in May 1945.  Basically, I'm looking for decent 1/48 scale GI figures in fatigues and casual poses, essentially just hanging out--no combat poses, not armed, nothing aggressive.  Just some guys hanging out, chatting or posing for the camera in front of the pretty airplane.  I have the Eduard set of USAAF Personnel, which are pretty casual in their poses, but the figures are of surprisingly poor quality--poor detail, injection holes that needed to be filled with putty, poor fit--really not very impressive (the artwork on the box is hysterical, however--totally out of scale personnel in front of some bizarre, totally fictitious fighter plane that looks like a P40 with a huge nose gear and a mysterious air scoop behind the cockpit...either the nose of the plane is about seven feet off the ground, or the figures are about 12 feet tall...it's almost worth the price of the kit.)  Does anyone know of any good quality 1/48 figures that fit the description?  I would be forever grateful.  Thanks!

 

  • Member since
    October 2005
Posted by CG Bob on Saturday, January 28, 2006 5:39 AM
The airplane in the picture is either a Bell P-39 Airacobra or a Bell P-63 Kingcobra.  There is a similar wartime photograph here.  Another Airacobra picture.  It looks like box artist got the proportions right.
  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Upper left side of the lower Penninsula of Mich
Posted by dkmacin on Saturday, January 28, 2006 6:48 AM
You might want to check out www.squadron.com
I know there is a set of 1/48th ground crew playing baseball available. . .but that might be too casual.
Right off the top of my head I cannot think of any set in that scale that has exactly what you are looking for, you may have to buy individual figures. ($$).
If your up to trying some frankenstienish modifications though Tamiya has a set of 1/48th US soldiers for about $15  for a set of 14 or so figures. The tankers are the only ones that come "relaxed" but the soldiers do not have the weapons attached to them, they all come on seperate spues so you can have the equipment stacked nearby. So you can modify poses to get what you need.

Don

I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it.
  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Washington
Posted by uproar on Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:35 AM

 CG Bob wrote:
The airplane in the picture is either a Bell P-39 Airacobra or a Bell P-63 Kingcobra.  There is a similar wartime photograph here.  Another Airacobra picture.  It looks like box artist got the proportions right.

 

Well, I stand corrected then.  Blush [:I] 

The proportions still don't look right to me....the nose does seem too low to the ground--as per the wartime photograph, the guy standing at the nose should have to be reaching way above his head and standing on his toes perhaps to reach the propellor hub, so I think it is a bit too small....or perhaps the guy is about 9 feet tall.  But you got me on the plane type, though--I did not recognize it.  Always learning something new....  Big Smile [:D] 

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 28, 2006 1:42 PM
Well, the P39 had tricycle landing gear, so the nose would be lower than say, the P40 you originally thought it was. A guy should be able to reach up and hang on to the center .50 coming out of the spinner just fine.

 That's really neither here nor there with regards to your problem though. Are the faces salvagable? A little epoxy putty work might fix the problems with the poor detail.You could also make them look more like grunts than ground crew if you wanted, by altering the uniforms a little. That may be more work than you or your skill level are up to, but it may also be your only option. Of course I always say "damn skill level"! Jump in and screw it up. No better way to improve.

 Either VLS or Harper Castings (who's owner and primary sculptor both work for VLS) has produced many 1/48th scale figures in recent years. You might find some useful figures there.

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Upper left side of the lower Penninsula of Mich
Posted by dkmacin on Saturday, January 28, 2006 3:20 PM
It wasn't a .50 coming out the nose, it was a cannon!
Thus the reason for the fuseluge mounted Allison engine.

Don

I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it.
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 28, 2006 4:37 PM
'kay.
  • Member since
    October 2005
Posted by CG Bob on Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:36 PM

 dkmacin wrote:
It wasn't a .50 coming out the nose, it was a cannon!
Thus the reason for the fuseluge mounted Allison engine.

Don

Specifically a 37mm cannon.  PT Boats in the SW Pacific often salvaged the 37mm cannon from crashed P-39's and mounted them on the bow.    Fired the same round as the 37mm anti-tank gun that the army used.

PT 557 with the 37mm manned and ready.

PT 631 shows a good view of the 37mm gun.

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