February 12, 2026

Preview: MiniArt's German & Romanian Pilots with Ground Crew Staff in 48th Scale...

For their latest set of 48th-scale flyers, MiniArt released a set of six Romanians & Germans with ground crew & tools. See them in our preview...

Preview: MiniArt's German & Romanian Pilots with Ground Crew Staff in 48th Scale...

German & romanian Pilots with Ground Crew Staff
From MiniArt Models
Kit No. 49024
1/48th scale
The kit contains six figures & accessories in the box.
The Subject: Romanian Pilots in WWII
Training for the Royal Romanian Air Force (ARR) was a rigorous, multi-stage process that transitioned from French and Polish influences to German standards as the war progressed. Student pilots typically began their journey at specialized schools in Tecuci and Buzău, which were later consolidated at the modern Ziliștea-Boboc airfield in 1940. Instruction was comprehensive, covering aviation theory, navigation, and gunnery, often utilising trainers like the Fleet 10G and various PZL models before pilots were assigned to frontline operational units for advanced combat tactics.

The Romanian fliers' uniforms were similar but not the same as their Luftwaffe comrades'.
In the cockpit, Romanian aviators relied on a pragmatic mix of domestic and imported flight gear. Standard equipment often included the brown leather flying jacket, which became a signature look for IAR 80 pilots, though during blistering summer missions, many flew in light blue service shirts to manage the intense heat of the unpressurised cabins. For headgear, the ARR heavily adopted German technology, with pilots frequently wearing LKP-101 leather helmets equipped with laryngophones (throat microphones) and integrated earphones to ensure clear communication amidst the roar of radial engines.

Romanian ground crews bomb up an awaiting Junkers Ju-88 on the Eastern Front in January 1944.
The gear was as much about survival as it was about function. Pilots were issued specialized safety goggles with tinted lenses to reduce solar glare and protect their eyes from engine oil or debris. As the air war intensified over the Eastern Front, technical upgrades to the aircraft—such as armoured glass windscreens and seat-back plating—were supplemented by pilot-carried kits, including parachutes and occasionally German-style oxygen masks for high-altitude intercepts. This blend of local resilience and Axis technical support allowed Romanian pilots to maintain a high level of operational readiness in one of the war's most demanding theatres.

The kit from MiniArt;
To go along with the German and Italian pilots together with their soldiers of the Free Arabian Legion—or Deutsche-Arabische Legion soldiers that guard the airfields & Arika corps aviators—today Miniaet announced these new German and Romanian pilots & groundcrew.

The figures are a new design, sculpted by MiniArt's newest sculptor (he's been with them for a while now). There is plenty of detail in these smaller-scale kits. The six figures are on three sprues.
Included as accessories for these crews are toolboxes, anvils, vices & other workshop tools. These are spread over one sprue to your mechanics and ground crew – the gear you need to flush out the scene.
For those thinner tools that won't replicate with plastic, photo-etch is included in this set also for that.
This kit is due for release in a month's time
See more about all of MiniArt's kits on their website...