USAAF Fighter Pilot,
mid to late World War 2, cold weather

Master Details, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

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Master Details is a US-based company that specialises in aftermarket accessories for 1/32 aircraft, as well as modeling and diorama supplies.  Its 1/32 range focuses on cockpit, engine and airframe improvements, and pilot and ground crew figures.  Master Details’ pilots aren’t intended to pose heroically in front of model aircraft:  they are designed to sit in cockpits and add a sense of animation to the finished model. 
 
Master Details’ latest figure is a mid-to-late World War 2 USAAF fighter pilot, equipped with European Theatre cold weather gear.  According to Master Details, this includes “a highly detailed A-11 flight helmet, a type A-14 oxygen mask and hose, B-7 goggles, A/N-6510 parachute, B-1 leather trousers and B-3 leather jacket and A-6 flying shoes.”  Now I haven’t researched these items and checked them against what the figure is wearing, but I can say that, when assembled, he looks very convincing.

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Master Details uses several media to achieve this result.  The pilot’s torso, arms and legs are cast in a light grey, slightly flexible resin that could almost be mistaken for injected plastic.  There are no casting blocks to worry about, only a small nub on each part that is easily sliced off with a hobby knife.  And while the instructions warn that air bubbles are possible, I couldn’t find any despite having a good look.
 
The resin parts are impressively detailed.  Highlights for me are the textured collar of the flying jacket, the multiple straps of the seat and parachute harnesses, and the tread on the bottom of the boots (not that this will be seen after the figure has been installed!).  Master Details also offers a choice of arms, with two options on each side allowing for a range of possible poses.
 
There is even more choice when it comes to the pilot’s head.  Four options are provided, each featuring a different combination of goggles and equipment.  The heads are cast in white metal and again detail is excellent, with the faces as good if not better than any resin equivalents I have seen.  (The photographs I have attached of the heads do not do them justice.)  White metal oxygen gear is also supplied, with the flexibility of this media allowing for more realistic placement of the equipment on the completed pilot.
 
Assembly is very straightforward.  For the purposes of this review, I tacked the figure together using white glue, attaching one body part at a time to the torso and allowing it to dry for a full day before moving on to the next part.  Obviously I’d use super glue or epoxy if I was assembling the figure for painting and installation, but the white glue experiment clearly shows how good the overall fit of the parts is.  I used no filler at all, and if I’d been building the figure seriously, I would probably only have needed a smear of Mr Surfacer around the arm and neck joins, and slightly more between the torso and legs.
 
Assembly is assisted by a very clear exploded view diagram and accompanying text.  A comprehensive painting guide is also provided, which combines full-colour front and rear view photographs of an assembled and painted figure, and detailed colour call outs for each item of clothing and equipment.

I have found this Master Details figure to be something of a revelation.  Until now, I’ve always been reluctant to put pilots in my model aircraft.  Perhaps I’m still reacting against the misshapen, unfortunate blobs that passed as aircrew in the 1/72 Airfix kits I built as a boy.  Whatever the reason, this figure has forced me to reassess my thinking in this area, because with careful assembly, painting and installation, Master Details’ latest fighter pilot can only add realism to a finished model.  Definitely worth considering when you are wondering how to display your 1/32 Thunderbolt or Mustang!

Thanks to Master Details for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2012 by Brad Fallen
Page Created 19 September, 2012
Last updated 19 September, 2012

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