Tiny pilots on review (Shapeways)

[ET2SN]

A while ago, I was griping that we can't find pilot figures for 1/144th scale aircraft models. That has changed.

I found some nice 3D printed figures at Shapeways, printed in styrene plastic :

https://www.shapeways.com/product/HB...ositions-scale



So, 12 bucks (US) later (plus another 12 to cover tax and S+H) I got a nicely packed box with a small sprue of clear plastic and 15 little dudes in helmets and oxygen masks. Detail level is really good for this scale, but you'll need a magnifying glass if you don't believe me. I also payed a little extra to get the "fine mold" option which I assume requires more passes and time in the printer.

So, to start off the review, is it worth the money? That depends on how strong you "jones" is. Recall that I was raiding F Toys fighter jets shipped from Japan or China just to get two pilot figures and this starts to make sense.

Are the figures "perfect"? Mostly yes but you'll need to bust out a small file and take off some material to account for seat cushions and seat backs plus getting the figures properly aligned in the model, just don't go too crazy. A little filing goes a long way at this scale.

My one gripe with Shapeways isn't the price, its how long it can take to find this stuff. One trick I've learned is to type "shapeways" into your browser followed by the scale and what object you're looking for. Let Google get the headache because their web site is a bit kludgy based on all the stuff they print and the various sizes that are available.

For painting, you'll want something you can really thin down and a really, really small brush. I wouldn't advise using primer at all in the scale, you start to lose detail quickly. The pilots are meant more for Navy jets but the five different poses look just fine in the cockpit of a bomber. Poses can be broken down to looking straight ahead, looking left, and looking right with some salutes thrown in for a carrier launch.

So, recommended for the advanced modeler due to the micro painting and detail painting required but all the same, highly recommended.