Introduction

There are a number of 1/16th tanks available on the market today covering many nations, but crew members for these 1/16th scale tanks are few and far between. Classy Hobby has dipped their toes in the water with the release of two 1/16th scale German tank crew available separately. These have been released with the Classy Hobby Luchs tanks available in 1/16th scale, but as indicated they are suitable for other manufacturers products in this large scale.

Contents

This product from Classy Hobby has been delivered in an exceptionally robust cardboard tray with lid, that packaging is then further packed in an end opening card carton. On the front is a drawn representation of the figure and on the rear are the instructions for assembly. Inside of all this packaging you will find two grey sprues, these are packed inside a re-sealable plastic bag.

Review

Starting with a look over the various parts on the sprues reveals no horror stories. The parts are very cleanly moulded, being free of flash and moulding defects. On the rear of the parts are very long extrusions that while being a nuisance are easily removed and require no remedial action afterwards. The sprue gates are a little on the large side, but I suspect that has something to do with the thickness of the moulded parts and avoiding moulding issues. For the most part removal from the sprues should be an easy task, my main concern is how the sprue gate attaches to the officers cap.

The figure breaks down as follows:
Torso and legs
Arms X 3
Boots
Hands X 3
Head
Hat X 2
Also included with the figure is a throat microphone, head set, communications connections and a pipe. The figure is in a standing position and looks to be anatomically correct.

The uniform is a well represented tunic and trousers. The crease detail is very natural and will add some nice detail if carefully painted. The belt buckle detail has been well replicated and has a nice raised look to it. The officer’s hat and peaked cap are very well done, the eagles on both hats are a part of the moulding, but there are also decals to replace them if desired. The eagle on the right breast has also been moulded as part of the figure, but again a decal has been supplied. The shoulder and collar patches cover three wings of the military:
Pink - Waffen SS Panzer Corps
Red - Assault Gun (perfect for the Sturmgeschütze)
Yellow - Armored reconnaissance

The hands of the figure have been well done and are depicted as wearing woollen gloves I believe. The boots have a surprising amount of detail on them, but they do not have any tread pattern. The face of the figure is excellent and should be a very good canvas for the skilled figure painter, the only area requiring attention is behind the ears where a little scraping to create a recess is in order. The can be can be used in a couple of positions and should really look the part. The figure is complete straight from the box with one exception; you will need to add some fine wire to replicate the leads of the communications equipment.

Conclusion

I really like the figure and the options that Classy Hobby has provided us with. I will always accept that a model can never be perfect, but Classy Hobby really has put a lot of effort into this offering and it is cheaper than resin figures. The only negative I can come up with is the extra care that will be needed when cleaning up some parts due to the sprue gates on some parts.