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Wednesday, 15 May 2013

IN and OUT: Airfix WW2 1/72 Infantry Kits that I Won't Buy

The CrossFire game has sparked a sudden, reinvigorated interest in the 1/76, 1/72 and 20mm figures I have. Up into the loft and to the back of the shed rummaging around in dusty boxes. In particular I am interested the plastic ones in those classic 40-50 figure packs. In themselves sufficient to make the bones of a scratch CrossFire foce. We are in a glorious age and are literally spoilt for too much choice (Airfix, Italeri (old ESCI), Revell (new) and Revell (old - Matchbox[?]), Valiant, Plastic Soldier Company, Caesar Miniatures and IMEX, HaT, Walterloo 1815 and others).

I first look at Airfix's offerings and use them as a benchmark "to at least get over their standard quality level" but I hold a list of WW2 Airfix figure packs that are simply "no goes" for me:

It is a short list:
  • British Commandos
  • British Paratroopers
  • Russian Infantry
Why?

Because I think they are long overdue a remould as they do not match the (high quality) 1/32 figures of the same names. The better 1/72 kits are a direct match with their larger cousins.

In fact I wonder about the British Infantry and British Infantry Support Group in 1/32 scale and how come when Airfix brought out a new mould for the 1/72 scale infantry they didn't just use them in a smaller scale?

Answers on a postcard please ;)
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6 comments:

  1. Al15 May 2013 at 08:25

    Cool post mate, agreed

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  2. Geordie an Exiled FoG15 May 2013 at 19:09

    I've got to follow yourself (Al) and Paul into the Frankenstein figure chopping sphere and make new models, with head and equipment swaps

    But first I should paint up some of the many "basics figures" I have lying around

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fraxinus15 May 2013 at 23:41

    absolutely agree about reducing the 1/32 British infantry/support group the new set of 1/72 figures seem too slight & I havn't been inspired to purchase a set, the paras would look splendid reduced from 1/32. The original 1/32 paras were like the 1/72 figs tho'.

    ReplyDelete
  4. DaveM16 May 2013 at 08:56

    My 2 cents. Although I have quite a few Airfix figures flopping around in my WW2 collection, I reckon the only ones that are up to scratch against more recent sets in terms of sculpts and mould quality are 8th Army 2ed, Afrika Korps 2ed and maybe some poses from US Marines 2ed. And that includes their latest LW British set in my list of exclusions.

    But the biggest problem of all is that nearly all of the Airfix range is so much smaller than what is now being churned out by the other manufacturers. Unfortunately this also renders the rather nice Matchbox figures pretty much useless except on their own. Sorry for the biggish postcard!

    Cheers, Dave

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  5. Geordie an Exiled FoG16 May 2013 at 21:30

    It does seem crazy that the troops have to be carefully mustered into appropriate sized battalions

    Despite the spindle factor I do like the new Airfix British Infantry (let's see if I still like them after I try and paint them)

    1/76, HO/OO, 1/72, 20mm are all different universes :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Paul17 May 2013 at 04:23

    Nice post Geordie and total agreement from the bottom of the world.

    Given that there are 3D laser printers out it does seem time for these to be used in reducing the 1/32 scale figures into 1/72 or 1/76.

    The lost molds of the Commando series 2 issue could be easily remade using the 1/76 figures as the guides. No need for a sculptor to be empolyed and thus cheaper to produce.

    Someone buy me a 3D Printer please!

    ReplyDelete