My new 28mm World War II project is marching on, and I’ve recently added some US 101st Airborne models from Black Tree Design. The UK-based BTD offers a diverse line of metal miniatures from various historical eras, fantasy, science fiction and a nifty Doctor Who offering. The WWII US Airborne line offers a nice selection of poses and weapons, so I bought into my first BTD models averaging about $2 USD per figure during one of their frequent online sales.

Nice packaging from Black Tree Miniatures

The BTD miniatures were quickly delivered in the US bagged and packaged in a little tin with a hand-written ‘thank you’ note. Compared to my earlier Airborne from Artizan Designs, the BTD models are a tad smaller and thinner but scale well on the table. Detail is a bit more sparse with less equipment slung on the backs of the paratroopers and rifles which read a bit more like that on toy soldiers. Aside from rifles, the models also came armed with Browning BARs, Thompson submachine guns and one guy hurling a hand grenade. While most of the models are set in generic poses, a few of the models show a lot of individual character with one officer calmly smoking a cigarette and another charging forward without a helmet.

One minor bummer was the delicate nature of some of the BTD models cast with both feet held tightly together, and one snapped off the base when I attempted to straighten his pose more upright. With the rest of the models successfully glued to bases, I painted up my first group of BTD miniatures using the same quick and simple process from my previous 28mm paratroopers.

Painting 28mm US Airborne

1. Clean flash from metal models with a sharp knife and glue to metal washer or plastic bases.
2. Apply filler putty to bases. When dry, scrape off excess with a sharp knife.
3. Base coat models and bases with flat black spray primer.
4. Paint uniforms and bandages on helmets with Tallarn Sand.
5. Paint helmets and knee and elbow patches with Waaagh! Flesh.
6. Paint faces and hands with Tallarn Flesh.
7. Paint webbing and packs with Baneblade Brown.
8. Paint bases, boots, gun stocks and helmet straps with Dark Brown.
9. Apply Agrax Earthshade wash to uniforms, helmet netting, webbing and packs.
10. Mix 50/50 Baneblade Brown and Off White and lightly dry brush packs, webbing and socks.
11. Lightly dry brush bases, gun stocks, helmet netting, holsters and elbow and knee patches with Baneblade Brown.
12. Paint metal gun, bazooka and mortar parts with black and finish with a light dry brush of metallic silver.
13. Paint eyes with small dots of Off White and Dark Brown. Clean up around eyes with Tallarn Flesh.
14. Mix 50/50 Tallarn Flesh and Off White and brush highlights on cheekbones, chins, forehead, nose and hands.
15. Apply Company B decals to shoulders and helmets, followed by a coat of Solvaset decal fixative from Walthers.
16. Cover bases in white glue and cover in 50/50 mix of fine light green and dark green grass flock.
17. Glue small pieces of clump foliage to base.
18. Spray coat completed models with matte finish.

Finally, a few photos of my finished BTD US Airborne ready to hit the Normandy tabletop.