Review

Those of a certain age will remember “back in the USSR”, well Gecko Models is back to the Vietnamese War and released a nice set for replicating the reality away from the war so to speak. This offering in 1/35th scale is titled ‘60’s – 70’s Southern Vietnamese and Japanese SS50E Motorbike Set’. This offering provides two motorcycles which should please 18Bravo. Six figures are provided in the form of:

2 children

3 civilian adults

An off duty soldier

A cat/kitten

The motorcycles are both the same model and could I suspect be painted in any colour you wish and for that matter condition you want. The spokes are provided in photo etch and a former is provided on both sprues for shaping them correctly. I really appreciate it when a company provides formers for complex shapes in photo etch. The photo etch is also used to replicate the mirror brackets. Looking over construction for the motor cycles I think for 1/35th scale I am impressed.

The figures are a nice mix that could be used in a single setting or several different ones. The children playing with a kitten I feel are a particularly nice inclusion covering the innocence of childhood in a warzone very well. The male and female on the motorcycle remind me of a lot of films I have seen over my lifetime. The standing civilian could be used as a mother of the children or talking to the soldier or for that matter just in the area. The military figure is a little unusual as I cannot recall seeing troops using civilian vehicles in war zones. Last plus for me is that the military person has been provided with decals for insignia.