The Kit

Eduard's US Navy Personnel 1942 figure set comes in their standard top opening cardboard box. In it there are two dark tan plastic sprues, a small photoetched fret and an instruction sheet.

With what is provided on the two plastic trees, you can assemble six crew members doing various maintenance work. Three are working on the engine and have small PE tools in their hands and the other three are loading the ammunition belts into the armament bays of the aircraft. The poses of the plastic figures are not quite the same as on the box cover. For example there is no man wearing glasses holding a case, or others kneeling over a toolbox. Instead you have those handling the ammo belts (which are provided as PE parts) and an injected ammunition box.

The overall moulding quality is typical of Eduard. If you already have an Eduard figure kit, you won't be surprised. The figures are molded is several pieces (two legs, torso, two arms and the head) and this doesn't make the assembly easy. Sometimes it gives an "unnatural" look to the figures but in the case of these Navy figures, I don't think it is that bad. I found sink marks on some torsos but nothing too dramatic.

The additional photoetched fret is a nice touch and I wish Eduard would include one in all their figures sets. Like I said before, ammunition belts are provided as well as screwdrivers, wrenches, a hammer etc...

Conclusion

This is a nice and interesting figures set, especially with the additional PE parts, even if you get less for the same price when you compare this one to some older references produced by Eduard (Japanese and Luftwaffe set for example). However if you want to do an U.S. WWII Navy diorama, it's the only game in town if you exclude the expensive resin alternatives.