Italeri 1/35 M.A.S. Crew and Accessories Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | February 2011 | Manufacturer | Italeri |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | M.A.S. Crew and Accessories | Scale | 1/35 |
| Kit Number | 5611 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Nicely detailed crew figures | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | $35.00 |
First Look
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Italeri has really gone overboard (pun intended) with their successive releases in the 1/35th scale motor torpedo boat arena. Their first release was the very popular Elco PT Boat (look here) which was followed by the German E-Boat and most recently the Italian Navy M.A.S. 568 boat (look here). When Italeri released the PT Boat, is was a number of months before the associated crew figure set was released, prompting a number of people to improvise with other available figures before the aftermarket sets came on the scene. By the time Italeri's figures were available, much of the demand was already gone. With that lesson learned, Italeri released the figure set for the German E-Boat about the same time as the boat kit itself and sales were naturally much better. With that lesson learned, Italeri has released this figure set simultaneously with the M.A.S. boat.
In this set, we have six figures and several accessories all rendered on one tree of grey styrene parts. The sculpting/design of these figures is quite exceptional as these are as nice as many of the top resin figures I've seen in this scale and not the usual lame figures that come from the mainstream manufacturers.
The six figures in this set include:
- Standing Skipper at the helm
- Standing officer looking through binoculars
- Standing sailor pointing at something in the distance
- Standing sailor standing by (torpedoman or depth charge operator)
- Seated sailor operating the anti-aircraft gun
- Standing sailor assisting the gun operator holding ammunition clip
In addition, the set includes five accessories but the instructions don't indicate what they are. These include a gang plank if you're pierside, a life preserver ring, and three pier fixtures.
If you think that an MSRP of $35 USD is a little high for a set of figures, remember that the going rate for resin figures is around $15 USD, so a crew of six figures would run you $90 USD to get the same crew compliment in resin. One interesting note, in the painting instructions, Italeri provides the color instructions using Testors Model Master paints, both enamel and Acryl, where available. Thanks Italeri!
If you want to crew up your boat, you don't have to wait, this set is available with the release of the M.A.S. boat.
My sincere thanks to MRC for this review sample!