Alpine has become one of my favorite figure manufacturers, turning out some very high quality figures with exceptional fit. This one lives up to those standards in almost all areas.
The figure comes with the torso and legs molded as one unit. The builder is given the option of choosing between two heads: one wearing the “Rawlings” style tanker helmet and another wearing a baseball cap -- complete with the Yankees logo. In the case of the tanker helmet, the goggles and the associated strap are molded on to the helmet. Facial features on both heads are nicely rendered and should be fun to paint.
The figure represents an American tanker wearing what appears to be Model 1943 HBT coveralls. All of the pockets, seams and wrinkles are crisply molded and look realistic. A pair of gloves is sculpted into the tankers back pocket. Other items that are molded onto the figure include the .45 holster and the .45 ammo pouch.
A crisply molded Thompson is also provided with the kit and is sculpted with the right hand attached to it for a realistic grasp on the weapon.
The wires associated with the helmet communications gear are not molded with the figure, but that should prove to be a fairly simple scratch build for many modelers.
Fit
Overall fit of the figure is nice with the Thompson/hand combination fitting easily into the right arm. I was impressed at the way the front grip of the gun snuggled into the left hand, almost giving the appearance that it had been molded there.
The arms seemed to fit ok. Of the five or six Alpine figures I have reviewed, this one will take the most work to close up the small gaps along with a little sanding to blend the joint. This was particularly noticeable on the left arm where it meets the shoulder. Frankly, the amount of work I’m talking about is what you would expect on just about any other resin figure, but with near flawless fit on some of the other Alpine figures, this caught my attention.
Most modelers with basic skills should find little problem smoothing out the arm/shoulder joints.
Conclusion
This is another nice figure from Alpine and should be a welcome addition to Allied modelers looking for a guy to place next to their Stuart, Sherman or other World War II tank.
Photos of the painted figure included with this review are taken from the box art painted by Calvin Tan.
Thanks to Alpine Miniatures for providing the review sample
SUMMARY
Alpine Miniatures takes another foray into the world of World War II tankers with a very nice figure representing a relaxed -- and presumably dismounted -- American tanker. The builder is offered two choices of heads and the overall detail is very nice.
