Once
the province of only the truly compulsive modeler, crew figures for small scale
ships have become a whole lot simpler with the advent of photoetch metal parts.
Excellent, easy to use etched metal figures are now available from several companies
in a variety of scales; the Modern R.N. figures by White Ensign in 1/350 are
among the best. Designed by Peter Hall, the set consists of 100 etched brass
figures in various poses including everything from flight deck crew in helmets
to deck swabbies with buckets and mops. They are labled "R.N.", but these little
guys are easily adaptable for any nationality. The tiny figures are relief etched
with sharply defined uniform details. Nominally 1/350, the set is actually a
little oversized with the sailors scaling out to about 6 feet 9 inches tall.
This isn't much of a problem really since the difference is not that noticeable
in such small scale. On the plus side, they offer an opportunity to crew some
of those off-scale kits; they serve admirably as 5 ' 11" inch tall Coast Guardsmen
on my 1/303 USCGC Taney, for instance! Scale notwithstanding, these figures are well proportioned and convincing. With a nice thick paint job to make the flat brass more three-dimensional, they can be an effective touch to bring life to your ship models.
Thanks to White Ensign Models for the review sample.