Plus Model have released a very well sculpted and detailed 1:48 resin figure of 1960s US fighter pilot as part of their Aero Line - nominally intended to accompany a model of the Vought F-8 Crusader.

Plus Model’s set arrives in a clear plastic “bubble” pack, with plenty of soft foam to protect the resin parts. Accompanying the figure is a small sheet of decals for insignia etc., plus a colour reference picture.

The sample figure is flawlessly cast in a casual pose, ready to lean against an aircraft’s fuselage. The helmet is separate and not intended to fit on the figures head, but instead to be placed next to the figure. Reference photos also often show helmets perched on the windscreen ready for the pilot as he boarded the aircraft.

In terms of equipment, the figure’s kit looks to match that carried by Vietnam-era F-8 pilots pretty well. It’s common to see pilots in shirtsleeves without pouches, and I even found a shot of a Crusader pilot who’d obtained a camouflage-patterned flight suit. Experienced figure modellers may want to add anti-G trousers to represent a pilot ready for, or just returning from, a mission.

The decal sheet is neatly printed with excellent registration. There are 14 different designs, with two or more of each provided, including a selection of badges, plus chevrons and strips of stars to adorn a helmet. None of the items specifically tie in with the set’s illustration of the pilot - they are purely generic. Ideally, modellers will find references to match the particular aircraft they’ve modelled.

Conclusion

Plus Model’s F-8 Crusader pilot is very neatly done, and will be ideal to add life and a sense of scale stood next to a kit of this iconic aircraft, as well as being a very useful basis to pose with models of other US aircraft of the era.

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