Good evening fellow modelers, I read here in the forum, that we wish for figures for this kit. I have searched every site I can think of for 1/32 flight crew, gunners, ect. that would be suitable for this kit, but to no avail. So I search our favorite sites in 1/35 military figures, I ordered 3 different figure kits, drivers and so forth, to get the poses I want. I think I spent $12. What ever happened to figures that used to come with most all aircrafts? Oh well, enjoying the build any way. A little imagination can go a long, long ways.
Hi, Pat,
I think the idea of providing figures in the kit faded in the mid to late 80s. Those of us who grew up on Monogram, Revell and Airfix were used to figures, but I think our numbers dwindled, and newer modelers focused on the machine and were either uninterested in or daunted by painting a figure (like many car modelers, too). Plus, for a kit manufacturer, it’s an additional bit of sculpting and molding to produce figures with a kit.
As it became more the norm to omit kit figures, aftermarket makers stepped up and provided figures, in many cases, of better quality than what was previously provided. And that’s where we are today.
So, you buy Revell’s Ventura, and pick up some Verlinden 1/48 USN aircrew to go with it. Or you reach into your spares box, or you make a mold and cast some.
Personally, I stockpile figure sets, like the ones by ICM and Eduard, or Verlinden, to have a figure or two with an aircraft.