[Open-box review] WW2 101st Airborne Bust from Nuts Planet by Kevin

Hi to everyone not at Stresa , We are currently in the fury of World Expo fever and one of the companies that will be there is of course Nuts Planet the Korean company that has released so many top quality pieces . One of the latest and in keeping and to honour those brave US soldiers that fought in WW2 we have a subject that conjours up many pictures in our minds ...it is of course the 101st US Airborne Paratrooper or a member of the "Screaming Eagles" as they came to be known .

As a result of their service in WW2 particularly at Bastogne there is today a great museum dedicated to the unit , veterans and indeed their families are moved to tears when visiting , this bringing back so many memories of actions and of friends lost but never out of their thoughts.

Training for the airborne roll was tough ..it had to be with many characters being found in the ranks ....the unit gaining the nickname "Screaming Eagles" from their insignia that was worn on the left upper arm....

Casualities in the ETO were horrific: Total battle casualties: 9,328 Total deaths in battle: 2,155 Many books have been written about the unit and in particular the Paratroops themselves covering all aspects including training, clothing , insignia and much more .

Let us see what in the box folks : Title: WW2 US 101 Airborne Scale: 1/10th Reference: NP-B007 Material: Resin No of parts: 24 (including copper wire) Sculptor: Jun-Sik Ahn Box Art Myseong-Ha Hwang As expected we are greeted with the blue box covered on the top and one of the sides with colour pictures of the box art...great reference even if you have nothing else (there is of course the website to look at as well) All parts are sandwiched between thick foam with the smaller parts being held in small sealable bags. Parts consist of : the torso , 2 arms, a choice of heads, the hands, the helmet, the backpack, the weapon strap in 2 pieces, 3 pieces that make up the helmet chin strap, a field dressing, a water bottle, 3 small pouches , a grenade , the garand rifle, a pistol in holster , and a small piece of cord and of course the base , with some copper wire ( the use has been discussed in another thread ..so I will leave it up to you to use it as you wish (ie the hooks on the webbing , cord for the pistol, maybe the grenade pin )

Lets begin with the torso first : Prep needed was the removal of a casting plug from the undersides and if you wish fit the base, the detailing on the jacket really does look correct , the clothing almost moves when you look at it , across his chest we see a bandolier of ammunition , the front pocket is bulging with stuff , detailing of the webbing straps are really good , with fine undercuts seen in all area's, the belt is a fine piece of work the clasp is almost workable , on the belt we have locating holes for the pouches . The collar area is folded down , good casting here as well , the neck area is perfect all ready to receive the chosen head (more later)

On now to the arms these are of the same high quality as the torso , we have to remove a casting plug from the shoulder on both revealing access to the locating plug , folds are excellent on both arms , fit into the shoulder area's are great with no filler being needed , the arms are positioned as if holding the weapon .

Of note is the distinctive unit insignia seen on the left shoulder , really crisply worked , all aiding painting ..really looking the part.

The hands will need to be fitted to the wrists , I suggest dry fitting them before any permanent fix is made to get the positioning right, the finger digits are cut well with nice features on the nails and knuckles , the hand positioning is spot on IMO to receive the weapon

Now to the heads , whichever one you choose you will have to remove a casting plug before a near perfect fit into the neck area.

We have a choice of 2 , one ready to receive the helmet (more later) and the other bareheaded with the very impressive mohican haircut often seen in airborne troops (see pictures in 1st post) , one looks a bit like a well known actor and the other a bit like the fella out of Taxi driver..that is enough on that both are great sculpts no matter who they might look like .

Facial features in both are great , good structure to both faces , it will be a hard choice as both are so good , eyes are nicely done with the nasal and ears also be well done , the mohican hairstyle is very effective with good texture .

Moving on now to the remaining pieces: Firstly the webbing The pack he carries needed a casting plug removed from the lower edge , fit into the rear of the torso was spot on , this really looks like it was being carried full of kit , the straps straining , side pockets bulging with all he needed perhaps a chocolate bar or maybe even a pair of nylons for any liberated french madam ...who knows but mostly full of ammunition and clothing ......the surface detailing is really good with the straps being well defined , good buckle details are seen .

Now to the 3 pouches , one being for the pistol magazines, one for a first aid pack, the other a small pouch, these all locate on the belt in the sections cutouts , after removing the casting plugs on each , fit into the belt is very good , all pouches having good details including the fastners (I heartily recommend the Europa Militaria 33 for all aspects of the webbing) .

Now to the water bottle ..this is a gem of sculpting with the features seen in real life being well worked , the pouch strains at the water bottle inside , the webbing clip at the rear is a lovely detail , again removal of a casting plug is needed .

The first aid pack ...exactly like we see in period pictures ...sometimes fitted on the helmet , sometimes taped to webbing but at all times easily seen and accessible , a casting plug is needing to be dealt with from the back and then fitted into your chosen position.

On now to the weapons , 3 are provided the Garand rifle , the pistol in a holster and a grenade, all are meticulously sculpted , the rifle has 6 small plugs to remove , be particularly careful when you get to the trigger guard, the working mechanism is finely done with good work all the way along .

The pistol is another good piece and a chance to do your worn leather techniques , good details are on the holster flap including the "US" , there is again a casting plug to take off from the top surface.

The grenade could almost explode its so real ...after removal of a tiny casting plug from the undersides, this pineapple could frag at any time ..love the thought and work that has gone into this .

.The strap for the rifle is in 2 parts , both are on formers which will need removing , fit is really good with excellent details on both halves. The helmet straps and chin piece are fiddly but perfectly formed , fitting will need careful work but the end will be a great result.

Now on to the helmet , we have a casting plug to take off , the helmet fits onto the head really well , this is a helmet full of camo , woven in amongst the netting worn over it ..it a brilliant bit of work , lots of great painting opportunities here , its a shame not to use this with the chin straps hanging down so evocative of the paratrooper.

Finally we have the base this is as others from Nuts Planet a pillar type , if you choose to use it ..pin it if not to the spares box it goes , a small amount of prep is needed but fits well into the undersides of the torso.

Final thoughts: This is a great subject which has been so well researched , a great option with the head choice , prep is a bit more than previous due to the number of parts involved but all are easily dealt with , sculpting is as with the others from this company top notch , presentation is 1st class . There are a lot of bits in the box and you get a lot for the money as well as hours of enjoyment ..the end result being total satisfaction. If WW2 is your thing or if you just like a challenge then this is for you ..an ideal choice and value for the money Yet another great release from Nuts Planet For more details on this and others from Nuts Planet go to the website at: www.nutsplanet.com . Thanks to Nuts Planet for the Review model Cheers to you all for looking in Enjoy the modelling Nap