Masterbox Ltd

1/35 German Motorcycle Repair Crew

Stock Number: MB 3560

Reviewed By  Don Barry, IPMS #46771

MSRP: $40.95 Website: www.dragonmodelsusa.com During World War II, motorcycle troops formed an integral part of the German army, performing the duties of courier, reconnaissance, and shock troops early in the war. To keep these units operating, repair crews and their workshops followed along, keeping the machines running, often under very trying conditions. Master Box has brought us a fine rendition of a typical repair crew, along with the object of their labors. The kit consists of two sprues, one with parts for four figures, the other a well detailed BMW R75 motorcycle/sidecar combination. Also included is a table, a small tool pouch, a tire pump, and builder’s choice of an MG 34 or42 machine gun. The single sheet, multi-fold instruction sheet shows a parts map, marking options for five different units (3 Wehrmacht and 2 Luftwaffe), and assembly sequences for the cycle. There are no instructions for the figures, but the parts for each one are grouped together on their sprue. The individual parts are cleanly cast, with minimal flash or shrinkage marks. The spokes of one pair of wheel rims shows significant flash, and the gas cap has a small dimple on the top. The decals are quite thin, well registered, and packed separately in a small poly zip-lock bag. The figures are well posed, and nicely detailed. The faces all show different expressions, the two bare-headed one have well sculpted hair, and they are all wearing fatigue clothing, undershirts, or shorts, a nice change from fully uniformed figures. They were assembled per the back box art, to show them as they came. They would be good candidates for modification/reposing. Assembly was easy, no problems encountered. Clean-up consisted solely of removing light seams. The cycle also went together well, with assembly broken down into sub-units. Some of the thinner parts can be challenging to remove. Despite careful trimming, I managed to snap the tire pump, one of the cycle frame down tubes, and the exhaust pipe. Many parts are best cleaned up as far as possible before removal from the sprue. Since the figures are mechanics, I left the bike partly unassembled, to suggest work in progress. I also did not add any detail not included in the box, with the exception of a hose for the tire pump, and a box for the seated figure, in order to accurately show what comes in the kit. Hoses, cables, and detailed linkages could really dress up this kit. One could also detail the spare tire mount if leaving that wheel off. I did not include that tire in the photos because the clean-up of the spokes did not go well, even with a new surgical scalpel. The figures were painted with acrylic undercoats, followed by oil paints for shading. The motorcycle and sidecar were finished with Tamiya acrylics, with weathering kept to a minimum. As stated earlier, the decals are thin and well-registered, and responded well to a single application of Solvaset. They are a little fragile and easy to crack, and the white in not opaque enough. The tiny BMW emblems are a nice touch. I also found that the front and rear license plate decals are slightly larger than the license plates, requiring a little trimming. This is a well though out kit, giving builders some figures not normally found, which could be used in a variety of settings. The BMW R75 is well rendered and could be easily detailed to a high standard. I have been pleased with the figure offerings from Master Box, and this kit does not disappoint. Well recommended. My thanks to Dragon Models USA and Master Box for supplying this kit for review. Build on, brothers.