"Airfix-compatible 1/72 French dragoons?" Topic
13 Posts
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4th Cuirassier | 02 Feb 2017 11:04 a.m. PST |
I've been looking at PSR and at Waterloo French cavalry specifically, and finding a dearth of French dragoons. That is, the Italeri ones are enormous, while the HaT ones have the wrong sword and saddle furniture. Looking however at the Airfix French infantry officer, I can't see why one couldn't convert him to a dragoon by changing his head and covering his pistol holsters with a Milliput sheepskin. Unfortunately Airfix cuirassier heads are too small for him. Does anyone have a better idea or do you just go with HaT / Italeri? The latter are gorgeous, just look like a different scale. |
C M DODSON | 02 Feb 2017 12:05 p.m. PST |
I was brought up on the Airfix figures, chopping and painting ACW's into Napoleonics and then the Waterloo figures appeared, brilliant. However, in my opinion time has moved on and these once loved Heros full of inaccuracies compared to the more modern offerings, have been consigned to plastic heaven. It's like your old car, you might still love it, but the newer versions are undoubtably better. Happy modelling. Chris |
Marc the plastics fan | 02 Feb 2017 1:42 p.m. PST |
Yes, I would say that you have a few options 1) embrace the more modern/ better sculpted italeri 2) try Newline 20mm metals which are smaller metals (not SHQ Kennington as they are bigger and fit modern plastics quite well 3) explore other ranges for head swaps like esci or acts Me, I went for italeri |
Pauls Bods | 03 Feb 2017 8:14 a.m. PST |
As Marc say, Italeri and add These alongside.. link |
4th Cuirassier | 03 Feb 2017 9:25 a.m. PST |
I've gone for other manufacturers where they're the only game in town or simply too excellent to pass up: Waterloo1815 French lancers, British heavy dragoons, metal Scots Greys; Itsleri 95th Rifles; ACTA Light Infantry; and so on. The problem with French dragoons is that the plastic alternatives are no good either. So if I'm looking at conversions, I'd rather start with what I have than buy and convert other stuff. |
Marc the plastics fan | 03 Feb 2017 4:15 p.m. PST |
Not wishing to start an argument – genuinely curious. Why are the italeri dragoons no good. Is it size or something else. Most reviews (and my own view) is that they are rather fine Marc |
4th Cuirassier | 08 Feb 2017 4:25 p.m. PST |
They're enormous. They are the size of classic 25mm metals. Lovely sculpts but incompatible even with other Italeri 1/72. They work well in 1/32 though. The Newline link is very handy. Those look nice. I will probably have a crack at converting the Airfix infantry officer but Newline are my go-to for British flag bearers and probably dragoons if the conversions don't panic out. The Strelets American militia and British lights in Egypt look perfect for British volunteer units. I love all things Airfix but if there's better I'll use it… |
Westerner | 14 Feb 2017 6:59 a.m. PST |
Forgive me, I do not believe they are enormous. Indeed, I am not sure I understand the issue with Italeri Dragoons (also boxed by Revell). They are not that large. For instance, they are the same size as the Italeri French Hussars. Also, sitting an Italei French Dragoon next to a HaT 1806 Prussian that happens to be to hand as I type, shows them to be height compatible. There are height variations within all the ranges I have seen, as well as between the ranges, but the Italeri Dragoons are not unusually or, IMHO, excessively, tall. The Italeri French Line Chasseurs (boxed "French Light Cavalry") are taller than average, taller than their Hussars and Dragoons, but not too tall to be incompatible with them. Of the Airfix cavalry, the British Hussars ought to hold their own against these French models. It is the old Airfix Cuirassiers that are titchy, and the Esci (also boxed Italeri) Cuirassiers seem to have been made small to match the Airfix. Some judicious mixing may still be required. Because I wanted to use Italeri Chasseurs, I chose the Italeri Dragoons and the Zvezda Cuirasiers rather than the HaT Dragoons and the Esci Cuirassiers. That was to accommodate the tall Chasseurs, however. The Dragoons are mid-height range these days. If you feel that the Italeri are still a little tall, I would suggest considering the root of the problem. Are the men too big? OK, an Italeri Dragoon is taller than , say, a HaT Chasseur, but is not out of proportion in terms of heft and general appearance. I suggest that much of the perceived height (and bulk) issue can be ascribed to the Italeri horses. In that case, how about mounting Italeri Dragoons on Esci Cuirassier horses? I don't know, but I suspect that rather than look odd, that might just work to even out the height discrepancy. |
Westerner | 14 Feb 2017 8:25 a.m. PST |
I would add, so far as my personal choice of cavalry (for an early Peninsular French force) is concerned: -The Italeri Dragoons are IMHO better sculpts than their HaT equivalents - The Italeri Chasseurs have the edge on the HaT Chasseurs, though the choice will really depend upon period. The HaT Chasseurs wear the Kinski tunic worn from 1808. The Italeri wear the preceding uniform. The two styles overlapped, but I reckoned on the 1805 coatee being a better fit for c.1808. - The Zvezda Cuirassiers are surely the pick of the bunch in 1/72nd. The only problem that I have with the Italeri figures is that the proportion of horses with officers' horse furniture is way too high. This involved the purchase of extra sets. For the Italeri Dragoons, as I say, you can alternatively press the Esci Cuirassier horses into service. For the Italeri Chasseurs, I used some Italeri Hussar mounts. I can suggest two further options, assuming you want the Bardin tunic: - The new Zvezda hard plastic in their Art-of-Too-Few-Figures-For-Too-Much-Money series. Pricey, but nice. I do not know how tall they stand. - Use the Esci Cuirassiers. These are nice figures, the right size and, bar the cuirass, have everything going for them as Dragoons. It might seem a faff, but as a lad I once converted a regiment's worth (something like 20-24 figs) of Dragoons from Esci Cuirassiers with no more than a scalpel and some green paint. It might sound crude, but was surprisingly effective. If I find them, I'll post a picture. |
Marc the plastics fan | 14 Feb 2017 1:45 p.m. PST |
How about the italeri carabiner horses for those dragoons? And I recall seeing the new italeri chasseurs mounted on the hussar horses which helped their sizing. With Zvezda French light infantry shakos to get away from the neck-less look |
Scharnachthal | 15 Feb 2017 2:20 a.m. PST |
I've always been wondering why the Italeri dragoons are that much praised by everybody when, in fact, 3 out of 5 horse poses, or 11 out of 17 horses, have that absolutely ridiculous and not easily corrected arrangement of showing pistol holster covers laid over sheepskins… The carabinier porte-manteau is round, dragoon porte-manteaux should be square… |
Marc at work | 15 Feb 2017 4:34 a.m. PST |
Well, they are praised because, before they came along, us plastics fans had the Airfix cuirassier or, if we were lucky, Esci. Neither are brilliant. A long way from in fact. So I guess we were not spoilt for choice "back in the day" – easy to be an an*l nit-picker nowadays, but in the past, we just counted our lucky stars that something/anything was available. And they paint up quite well, and the horse furniture mistake is not that visible once the rider is on and they are ranked up for the table. But figure wise, they are quite nice, and I enjoy seeing them on the table. I can instantly spot they are French dragoons, but it is rare that I recall the sheepskin is peeping out if the bottom of the pistol holders. If only every figure in the world was perfect hey? Bit like the porte-manteau – I reckon that could easily be fixed, but I could possibly be tempted to ignore it if I needed the horses. But I am just making toy soldiers for my games, not museum quality recreations for public displays, so I guess my standards are lower. But I can paint them nicely… |
Marc the plastics fan | 15 Feb 2017 8:53 a.m. PST |
What about these link But the bases tend to suggest 1/72 horses so they may be italeri in origin? |
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