ESCI – 209 – World War II U.S. Paratroopers 82A “Screaming Eagles”

Description:

When ESCI tooled this kit in 1983, the only competitor was the old Airfix set, and obviously ESCI beat the old little Airfix guys in every single aspect. Later other makers did a good effort for the subject and many of them, compatible in size and aspect with the ESCI figures, in particular the Revell work in the 90s.

ESCI titles were usually vague, but this time they decided to entitle the set as the 82nd Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles” which in fact is a mistake, as the “Screaming Eagles” was the nickname of the 101st Airborne Division and not the 82nd.

In the box, there is a particular figure without helmet, showing a “mohican” style hair cut, and this was also an specific feature of a signalers group of the 101st, again not the 82nd.

This a part, the box contains 48 figures in 14 different poses, nicely sculpted and perfectly cast, with some less useful poses bu tin general with a very good result that has stand well through the years and through the work or other makers. The reason to remove two figures and one pose from the ESCI standard is the inclusion of a figure with the parachute after drop, in a good not flat effort to depict this complex topic but little useful after that. The set include also one figure ready to board into aircraft before jump, which can be of interest for aircraft modelers looking for a display based on D-Day, were both units, 82nd and 101st took part and for which this set is accurate.

You can see an excellent example of how to use these figures, and how they mix with other makers, in the excellent work done in WWII in 1/72 Scale blog.

Same figures were later issued under Italeri brand as Italeri – 6063 – World War II US Paratroopers.