Various Figure Reviews

Spalah Models, 1:35 scale

Reviewed by Zack Sex

F i r s t L o o k

SPALAH MODELS

Item No. SP33835 – Fury Crew Commander
Item No. SP34235 – Fury Loader
Item No. SP34935 – Modern Tank Crew
Item No. SP25835 – Ukrainian Soldier at Rest
Item No. SP34435 – Modern Soldiers’ Heads
Item No. SP15035 – Buckets

Ukrainian company Spalah Models may still be relatively new to many modellers, but in a surprisingly short time they have produced an impressive range of 3D-printed accessories for both modern and Second World War battlefields, along with a growing selection of naval gun turrets and cranes.

Spalah appears to release many of its figures and weapon sets in 1:72, 1:48 and 1:35 scale. Our focus in this review is four standard figure sets, along with two smaller accessory sets featuring heads and buckets.

What immediately stands out upon opening the sturdy cardboard packaging and removing the 3D print frames is the sheer quality of the printing. The detail is exceptionally crisp, with sharp edges, natural folds and beautifully rendered facial features throughout.

I purchased two Sherman crew figures from the Fury series. The first depicts Brad Pitt as Don “Wardaddy” Collier, while the second represents Jon Bernthal as Grady “Coon-Ass” Travis. Both figures are posed seated, as though resting on the front of their Sherman tank. I included photographs of them sitting on a couple of older Sherman models I had on hand.

The likenesses to the actors are excellent, but more importantly for me, they perfectly capture the weary appearance of Allied tank crewmen in typical wartime clothing. The folds and creases in the uniforms are beautifully rendered. These figures — and indeed the others in the range — have clearly been expertly scanned and translated into print using whatever process Spalah employs.

The next release is a three-figure set of modern Ukrainian tank crew, suitable for a wide range of Soviet-designed “T” series tanks, including the T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-84. The commander figure sits slightly to one side in a businesslike working pose, while the crewman in the loader’s hatch wears a face mask that gives him a slightly menacing appearance while remaining straightforward to paint.

The figure that really grabs your attention, however, is the driver. He is posed trying to pull himself out of the cramped hatch and has the wonderfully exhausted and disgruntled look of a man who has truly had enough. He is absolutely going to steal the show on any finished model.

The fourth figure depicts a Ukrainian soldier at rest, checking his mobile phone — and let’s be honest, we probably need more figures like this in 1:35 scale across multiple modern armies. He is instantly recognisable as an everyday soldier in uniform and full kit, carrying a very believable war-weary expression.

Lastly, there are two smaller accessory sets. The first contains buckets, most with handles lowered and one with the handle raised. Some feature holes and battle damage, making them ideal for dioramas or hanging from Second World War vehicles.

The final set is a small collection of 1:35 scale heads, mainly depicting modern Ukrainian soldiers wearing a variety of helmets and caps. The facial expressions range from relaxed to shouting commands at someone off-scene. These will make excellent upgrades for many plastic figure kits that suffer from weak facial detail. There is even an additional Jon Bernthal head included for good measure.

After seeing the quality of these smaller sets, I now find myself wanting to try some of their larger releases, such as the Rapira anti-tank gun and the US M777 howitzer.

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Spalah Models’ figures and accessories are highly recommended.

Zack Sex

Purchased by the Reviewer