Introduction:
I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing several new Russian Army figures in 1/35 scale from Live Resin. Most of these miniatures are designed to fit modern Russian vehicles, preferably BTRs or Typhoon family MRAPs. This review deals with Russian Army Armored Vehicle or Truck Driver, Set 13 (LRM 35060), while the reviews of many other Live Resin products on Armorama can be found here: link 1 and here: link 2.
Review:
The figure kit is packed in a hard cardboard box. The box art features CAD images of the figure leaning out of the vehicle door, as well as displaying the miniature from different angles. The box also states the figure fits all 1/35 scale Typhoon-K and Typhoon-VDV kits.
The box contains a single zip-lock bag with resin parts. The bag is additionally secured using a layer of bubble wrap.
Closer inspection of the pieces reveals absolutely perfect cast. The resin pieces have no seam lines or air-bubbles, with the details sharp and well defined.
The casting blocks are easy to remove and the part cleanup is very much straightforward. I used side cutters, sharp blade and some sandpaper in the process. I managed to break a tiny cigarette from the figure’s right hand and would need to replace it with some thin wire. After the cleanup, the pieces are ready for assembly.
Assembling the figure is stress-free. All the main figure pieces fit really well and are easily aligned due to the protrusions and indentations in corresponding parts. The gaps between the pieces are almost invisible and the putty-work was kept to a minimum. A big plus in my book. The equipment pieces are supplied separately, so the modeler can choose which pieces to use and where to fix them. I opted for a very light setup with this figure. I attached the weapon as well, fitting it to the sling cast on the miniature’s back, but decided to leave the separately supplied part of the sling off. This piece should be fixed to the front of the weapon, but preferably after the figure is painted. Some modelers would want to use lead foil instead.
I like the look of the assembled figure. The pose is superbly delivered, as the figure is depicted leaning on the vehicle door with a smoke in his hand. The figure wears VKBO field uniform, 6B43 body armor and 6B47 helmet. The details on the uniform and the equipment are perfectly rendered and, as far as I can tell, authentic to the original items.
Now, the final question: Is it really possible to fit this figure to all the 1/35 scale Typhoon MRAP kits available on the market today? Well, Live Resin has a solution, providing two slightly different left arms in this figure kit. One arm variant is designed to comfortably rest on the lower set vehicle door, while the other variant is made to lean on slightly higher set vehicle door. The modeler should fit the arm to the figure and check the alignment of the figure to the vehicle, opting for the arm variant which offers a better fit.
Conclusion:
After reviewing this kit, I can definitely confirm Live Resin has another winner in the company catalog. Russian Army Armored Vehicle or Truck Driver, Set 13 (LRM 35060) is a great figure, perfectly cast and easy to assemble. The pose is great, and the details on the uniform and equipment very realistically delivered. Along with some of the other Live Resin 1/35 scale offerings, this figure could provide a focal point to any modern day Russian Army vignette.
Highly recommended.
Thank you to Live Resin for this review sample. Live Resin products are available at:
