Introduction

These are two of the older Resicast figures that I though I’d take a look at. Set 35.5517 was designed to go with the Ram Kangaroo APC. I hope to adapt them for one of my universal carriers! These have good potential if placement is given some careful thought.

The Set

The figures come packed in the standard double zip bag with a paper insert, typical of all Resicast figures. Each figure is then contained within a smaller zip bag. On the front of the insert is a good colour picture to aid in painting along with the product information and the makers contact address and logo.
They were designed to provide infantry mounting the RAM Kangaroo APC but should have enough flexibility to allow their use on other vehicles like trucks and carriers and even ground work.

The Climbing figure:

The figure comes moulded in light grey resin, the quality of the casting is excellent and I could see no damage or air bubbles present. Clean up should be minimal with just the pour stubs on the boots, head and arm to remove. The figure is in 3 parts. The body cast as a whole with the head and left arm separate. Don’t panic when you open the zip bag, his right arm is contained in the vehicle figures bag as the arms are linked.

Dressed in 37/40 Battledress with a closed collar and the pleated top pockets the figure has nice sharp detail with nice folds in the uniform. On top of the BD the figure has a skeleton set of 37 pattern webbing consisting of belt, left and right ammo pouches and shoulder straps. The belt has good brass detail on the front and rear as do the ammo pouches and shoulder straps on the front. The trousers have the correct arrangement of pockets and the uniform is finished off with a good set of ammo boots and anklets.

The left arm is designed to be outstretched and holding onto a grab handle of the APC. The arm has good cuff detail and the hand is well depicted.

The head, also a separate item, is well cast, the detail being crisp and clear. On top is a Mk III helmet with camouflage netting and the face, that of a mature man, has a good expression.

This figure should build and paint up very well. The pose shows his left leg bent with the left foot on the vehicle and the right hanging free, left and right arms outstretched being helped up on to the vehicle. As this is a frozen in time moment the effectiveness of the figure would I suggest be depicted by the angle at which he hangs back from the vehicle. I think the figure would work better if the left arm was slightly bent as in pulling himself up and forward onto the vehicle, but that’s just my opinion.

The Vehicle Figure:

Both casting and uniform detail are as above and to an excellent standard. This figure comes in 4 parts, the body as a whole with separate head and arms.
The figure is depicted leaning forward at the waist, left hand steadying himself on the side of the APC and his right arm extended grasping the right arm of the ground figure.

The left arm is nicely done with good hand/finger detail whilst the right arm is well portrayed gripping the climbing figures wrist and vice versa.

This time the head comes with a Mk II helmet, and again the facial detail is excellent.

Conclusion

Both figures are excellently cast, and should paint up very well indeed. Every thing you would expect in a Resicast figure is there; good facial detail, accurate uniform and equipment detail.

You don’t get any additional equipment with the figures so rifles or packs/equipment will need to be added if you wish.

I like the pose of the vehicle figure, reaching over hauling up a comrade, steadying himself as he does so. The climbing figure I am not so sure off. If I am reading the pose correctly this is the very beginning of the movement of boarding the vehicle and as such both outstretched arms make him look a little static, but as this is a split second in the movement it may well be correct. I would have liked to see his left arm bend a little and possibly his right leg raised foot making for the track. I think that may have created a better sense of movement. However, as both figures were designed for the Kangaroo that is just my perception.

The linked arms are very well done, but this does limit the angle and use of the figures and separate or additional arms would have offered more possible uses.

Currently both Resicast RAM kits are discontinued pending re-tooling so you will have to find an alternative use for this set if you choose to buy it. I can see these figures in a number of settings, boarding the back of a truck, being helped out of a trench, so both diorama builders, vehicles builders and figure painters may find them of interest.