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Plus Models 1/35 G. I. Rats |
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Reviewed By Mark McGovern, 34707 |
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kit number 171 price $9.99 |
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One doesn’t usually use the word “cute” to describe rats.
But considering that these rats are 1/35 scale resin critters, I guess
it’s okay. Plus Model from the Czech Republic offers a dandy set of
25 rats plus what appears to be a container of rat poison. Along
with the instructions there is a multilingual sheet of decals, so you can
properly label the container. The rats come on five resin frets. Three hold five rats in a typical walking pose, two come with four rats in various poses (standing and squished), and there are two separate drainpipes with a rat peeking out of one end. The sculptors at Plus Models did a great job - not only is the detail is very realistic, the attachments of the rats to the frets are very narrow. This makes the job of separating the rats from the fret easier. Those tiny tails can be broken off easily, as you might expect, so be careful. If you do break off a rat’s tail, don’t worry. The instructions come with a little background on the two most common species of rats: Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus. Turns out that R. norveicus have shorter tails, so if you can live with that species in your diorama, you’ll be all right. Being a R. rattus man myself, I replaced the tail I broke with a bit of stretched sprue. I mentioned that the sculpting on these rats is very detailed. It’s also quite imaginative. For example, the two drain pipes with rats aren’t duplicates of each other, they’re right- and left-handed. The Squished Rat Laying Flat actually has his tongue sticking out for sort of a “Mad Magazine” look. |
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| These little guys add that extra detail that you only catch on the second or third viewing of a diorama. They also add a little life and interest to the scene. You’d expect to see them in almost any urban setting; once you’ve seen them in action you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them. |
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These rats are available in the USA through Mission Models
for $9.99 plus shipping and handling. Visit their web site at
http://www.missionmodels.com/
Many thanks and even congratulations to Plus Models for issuing these little beauties, and to John Noack for sending them to me to review. My thanks also go to my friend Charlie Smith for allowing me to place some rats in his diorama, “Date Night W.W.II”. |
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