Tuesday, October 23

Preview: "Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940" in 72nd, 48th & 32nd scales from Eisernes Kreuz

Need a crew to bomb up your new 32nd scale early WWII Luftwaffe bird? having trouble finding one in a high quality? Andrea Miniatures & Eisernes Kreuz have just the set for you. Their new "Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940" in 72nd, 48th & 32nd scales in our preview...

News from Eisernes Kreuz Figure Experience
"Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940"
Eisernes Kreuz (1/32)
The Figure Experience
Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940
Available in three scales: 48th/ 72nd & 32nd
Product Link on the Andrea Miniatures Website
Without a story and without people to populate the story, model aircraft are a pretty dry subject to most onlookers. The need for new aircrew, pilots and vehicles to populate dioramas just keeps on growing with every new aircraft kit released. 

When I was researching this new kit today I did a comparison on the web. Ebay - we have the now OOP Verlinden Bomb loader in 32nd scale for US$49.95 (for the cart and bomb alone). While a crew to use the cart in that scale are around US$15-20 dollars each, so this can be an expensive hobby and habit, especially in larger scale.

The now out of production Verlinden cart is expensive on the market, the MDC cart we found is still on sale for USD$17, but there is no specific crew to man it...
So when a company releases a new bomb loader and ground-crew kit aircraft modellers tend to take notice. What they have for us is a crew of four Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal with a bomb cart and a 250kg SC-250 Bomb.

A line drawing of the four figures and bomb loader with a bomb upon it.
We have some pictures of these Luftwaffe crew or "blackmen" as they were called by pilots due to the nature of their work and their dark uniforms.
Andrea Miniatures under their sub-brand "Eisernes Kreuz" has released such a kit in white metal. In 1/72, 1/48 & 1/32nd scales, this kit comes in two variants, either an unpainted kit, with just the parts in white metal. Each of these kits has a slightly different layout depending on which scale you were after...

Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940
1:72nd
Leaflet included
Ready to assemble cast metal kit.
Ultra-realistic figures.
Kit: $48
Painted HQ: $269
Product Link
The parts map of the parts you get in 72nd

Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940 
1:48th scale
Leaflet included 
Ready to assemble cast resin and metal kit. 
Ultra-realistic figure. 
Kit: $67 
Painted HQ: $345
The parts map for the 48th scale kit

Luftwaffe Bombenpersonal, 1940 
1:32nd 
Leaflet included
Ready to assemble cast metal kit.
Ultra-realistic figures.
Kit: $131
Painted HQ: $1,104
The parts you get in 32nd scale

The Painted edition:
The second edition of the kit you can buy is considerably more expensive - in this second version you receive a "high quality painted kit, finished by skilled Andrea painters including full lighting and shadowing processes." these are more like a commission build quality - and a price to match. This may not be for everyone, but please don't bother me with the price - they are for only a certain amount of modellers out there who can afford this...

The bomb on its cart built and painted up...
...and the figures in isolation
Here are the pictures of the whole kit, built up and painted as you would expect int he more expensive version (or by yourself with a little elbow grease!)
To us - this kit works - even though both editions are not cheap (esp. not the built version) the figures and the bomb/cart are of great quality - and as you can see by the pictures they build and paint up nicely, unless you need someone else to build and paint your own we would have a go at the "vanilla" release - still about the same price as you might pay for the figures and bomb cart/ trailer if you search for them.

You can see these three for yourself at the Andrea Miniatures Webstore.