Scale Plastic & Rail

1/35 Dromedary and Farmyard Pigs and 1/72 Pine Tree

1/35 Dromedary and Farmyard Pigs and 1/72 Pine Tree

Unicorn Models

Catalogue numbers 72.790, 35.001, 35.993 and 35.994      

Available from Unicorn Models direct >here<

Diorama builders are always on the lookout for new items to add to their bases and these latest releases from Unicorn Models should catch their eye if they are after some different animals in 1/35 scale or a basic tree in 1/72 scale. The first thing I noticed was the relatively low prices of the items provided; they certainly are priced to attract purchasers.

72.790: 1/72 Pine Tree (2.50 Euros)

Although named as a pine tree, the shape of the tree portrayed is much more that of a spruce. In 1/72 scale, the tree is some 118 mm tall, allowing for part of the trunk being inserted into the base of the diorama. The structure of the tree is very similar to those manufactured for railway modelling enthusiasts and, to my eyes, what lets it down somewhat is the trunk; it is basically provided as a tapering pole, smooth and green. The modeller will have to add surface texture and colour to make it more realistic.

35.001: 1/ 35 Dromedary Lying (5.00 Euros)

This is much better quality. Once the casting is cleaned up, you are left with an excellent representation of a single humped Arabian camel, or dromedary, in 1/35 scale. The harness seems to portray that seen on desert animals really well. The surface texture is spot-on for a hard-living animal and I can see this being incorporated into many an Italian, Afrika Korps or 8th Army diorama. My only query is the separate tail, which seems a little thick for the scale, but this can be thinned down easily enough.

35.993: 1/35 Large Pig (2.00 Euros) and 35.994: 1/35 Small Pig (1.00 Euro)

I know a little bit about pigs, since I once lived close to a commercial piggery, but I am not convinced by these two creatures. The larger pig is the better moulding, portraying as it does a "Tamworth" style adult pig; one of the ears in my sample was on the weak side and will need careful filling. The smaller pig, however, just isn't right for this scale; at the size portrayed, all domestic pigs would not have filled out bodywise to the amount modelled. It should be thinner and the legs longer for the body size. It does strike me that it would make a good adult pig for 1/48 modellers; the ratios would be perfect in this scale.

So what do we think?

I'm afraid the tree and the pigs are only of a basic standard but the dromedary is a cracking piece, recommended to all desert diorama builders. All are competitively priced.

Overall: 7.0/10

Our thanks to Unicorn Models for the review samples. To purchase directly, click THIS link.

Robin Jenkins