1:35 RPG-7

The RPG-7 in 1:35 scale

An add-on set with the Soviet RPG-7 rocket launcher in 1:35 scale. It is not a vehicle kit but a weapon on its own as an accessory: in a figure's hands, stowed on the bed of an armored personnel carrier or propped against an obstacle in a diorama.

The real subject

The RPG-7 is a Soviet shoulder-fired rocket launcher brought into service in the early 1960s. Unlike single-use weapons, its launch tube is reusable: it has a 40 mm bore and is loaded from the front with over-caliber PG-7 series grenades, whose warhead is visibly wider than the tube. Its characteristic features are the flared nozzle end, the wooden or composite tube covers, the forward grip with the trigger and the optical sight carried on the left side. The weapon has seen many versions and license-built copies and is still in use today, so it suits scenes from the 1960s to the present day.

Building and painting tips

Choose the glue according to the material of the parts: a solvent cement for plastic, cyanoacrylate for resin and metal. Wash resin castings in warm water with detergent. On the RPG-7 what pays off most is telling the materials apart: the tube and nozzle in a dark metal, the covers in a wood or dark composite shade, the sight with a hint of glass on the lens. It is the wooden covers that give the weapon its character, so let them stand out with a filter over a lighter base. If an over-caliber warhead is in the set, set it apart in color from the tube. Finish with a fine wash and a little dust.

Who the set is for

• Builders of figures and dioramas in 1:35 scale
• Scenes from the 1960s to present-day conflicts
• Modelers who complete armored vehicles with the infantry squad's weapons
• Those who want to replace a coarsely cast weapon from a kit

The set is supplied unpainted and is not a standalone model. Glue, paints, figures and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.