Model Armour

Heads w/Ultra Short-Sided Haircuts

Manufacturer: Hornet

Scale: 1/35

Material: Resin

Serial Number:  HH33

Price: Around £7

Introduction

No introduction necessary....they're Hornet and the industry standard for quality replacement heads.  This set of five replacement heads are the second set of ne Hornet heads released this week!

The Set

The set arrives in the normal small plastic bag stapled to a cardboard header. Each of the five heads in the set is also supplied still attached to its pouring block at the base of their neck. Cast in a pale grey resin, that isn't too brittle, with no air bubbles whatsoever that I've caught, even on taking extreme close up pictures of each individual head. The number of each of the heads, 1 to 5 is moulded into the pouring block along with the set number for easy identification should you need it. Four of the supplied heads have a slight mould seam running down the back of their necks that will need to be gently scraped away, but it shouldn't provide any difficulties and doesn't detract at all from the obvious quality of the set.

The five heads are all very different in character and expression, as with the other set of Russian heads released in tandem with these. One thing they all have in common, as the name of the set would suggest, is short back and sides as we used to call it. The hair style that was common for most western men in the 1940's and also the previous and subsequent decades, and so is probably much more realistic when modelling figures from these periods. The first head is moulded in the act of shouting, mouth wide open, teeth showing, and wide eyed. The second head has an expression that may convey doubt, with mouth pulled down to one side. His eyes are wide open too, but this time has the pupils engraved into them, making painting that much easier. The third head in the set I suspect will nearly end up being used on a figure of the 101^st airborne 'Screaming Eagles'. Take a look at his Mohican and you'll see what I mean. Of course, he could be used on a Punk rocker from the 1970's, but I don't know how many of us model civilians from that period! The fourth head of course still has the short-side hairstyle the set is named for, but is otherwise fairly neutral in terms of expression, whilst the fifth is again posed with mouth open, teeth showing and wears an expression of surprise. For some reason he looks like he has ginger hair too. I wonder how many will choose to paint him with some other hair colour?

Conclusion

Another absolutely brilliant set of replacement heads. The beauty of a new set of replacement heads with no headgear, is that there are just so many figures they can used on, after all nearly every soldier you build could convincingly be wearing a head with no helmet etc., since it just depicts a moment frozen in time. No other resin manufacturer even comes close to producing heads of this quailty. Highly recommended.

My Thanks to Roger Saunders of Hornet for the review sample!