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Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: Paul on 09 May 2015, 09:07:12 AM

Title: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Paul on 09 May 2015, 09:07:12 AM
The "ancient" Airfix set (with conversions using bits  from the set to Keep it 100% airfix) as a Centre Company of the 1st battalion of the 1st foot guards.


(http://i62.tinypic.com/2w7lf0n.jpg)
Pics of the conversions etc on the
BLOG (http://paulsbods.blogspot.de/2015/05/airfix-waterloo-british-infantry.html)
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Captain Blood on 09 May 2015, 09:11:33 AM
How lovely. Takes me back to my boyhood and very first wargames  :)
They may be ancient, but they are still some great little figures. I think the Napoleonic sets were amongst the best of the Airfix 1/72 polythene figures.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Malamute on 09 May 2015, 09:18:20 AM
How lovely. Takes me back to my boyhood and very first wargames  :)
They may be ancient, but they are still some great little figures. I think the Napoleonic sets were amongst the best of the Airfix 1/72 polythene figures.

Yep, the late 1970s, happy days! ;D
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Captain Blood on 09 May 2015, 09:50:59 AM
Yep, the late 1970s, happy days! ;D

Sadly for me, it was the early 1970's  lol
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: carlos marighela on 09 May 2015, 09:57:17 AM
Wow! That really is very nice. That's stand alone nice, nice on it's own merits but it does have the added nostalgia hit.

Captain Blood is right, most of  the Napoleonics sets were very good, the sculpting on the Old Guard box was excellent . I was lucky enough to have the La Haye Sainte battle set and that must be a good 40 year ago. Happy memories. Did you paint the authentic Airfix way using Humbrol enamels?
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Christopher on 09 May 2015, 12:08:03 PM
Love these, as I love all your bods. Has anyone done a full army using just Airfix - I mean done it properly with modern standards of painting and basing?
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Paul on 09 May 2015, 12:19:46 PM
Thanks... :)


Sadly for me, it was the early 1970's  lol
Same here  lol

. Did you paint the authentic Airfix way using Humbrol enamels?
I had to use industrial strength paintstripper (similar stuff to  Alien blood) to get the original humbrol paint off. I actually considered using them..I´ve still got a couple of dozen tins ..all 30 plus years old and still useable...but left it as I seem to remember getting mildly "stoned" from the fumes (happy days  :D)
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Malamute on 09 May 2015, 01:51:50 PM
Sadly for me, it was the early 1970's  lol

 lol

You old git! lol
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Paul on 09 May 2015, 02:44:20 PM
Has anyone done a full army using just Airfix - 
Had a dig about in my files..(not painted to modern Standards ) but here´s a handfull of the ca. 14,000 napoleonic troops I had at the time (some 35 years ago)
The cavalry was a pain..   the pegs on the hooves needing  "welding" to Keep them on thier bases!!!

(http://i45.tinypic.com/125rm00.jpg)
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: BlindFool on 09 May 2015, 03:20:59 PM
Great post...memories come flooding back, my favourite Airfix range and period.  

Saving the little pocket money I had and making a trip to my local toyshop in Lyndhurst to build up my armies.

Discovering through the catalogue..the La Haye Sainte set and then receiving it as a birthday gift.

I think the Prussian set was the last one of the series, following as previously mentioned the fantastic Old Guard.

Lol the horse stands...not just the Cuirassiers and Hussars but the artillery horse teams!

..if I could only remember where they all are!
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: carlos marighela on 09 May 2015, 08:08:48 PM
many of the best sets were the ones that mirrored the 1/32 sets. The Old Guard, the US paratroopers etc. Alas not true of the French Infantry whose 1/32 big brothers were in a different league, sculpting wise. My greatest regret was that they never reproduced the 1/32 Modern British infantry  in 1/72, although someone has recently done just that.

 I used to carry a set of 1/32 Modern Brits in my pack for O groups and teaching section tactics. The helmets were all coloured coded for rifles, scout and gun groups. Very useful visual aid. Bloke I know who was a tanky in Vietnam did the same thing with Airfix Centurions which he kept in the turret for the same purpose.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Cubs on 09 May 2015, 08:24:53 PM
Oddly enough, I'm painting up an Airfix Highland battalion with a view to writing an article about just this sort of nostalgia thing!

Wonderful.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Captain Blood on 09 May 2015, 10:04:23 PM
Oddly enough, I'm painting up an Airfix Highland battalion with a view to writing an article about just this sort of nostalgia thing!

Well, that'll be something to look forward to :)
I agree, the Old Guard set was probably the best of them. The Royal Horse Artillery were pretty good though.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Golgotha on 09 May 2015, 10:38:18 PM
Fantastic - always great to see these old gems especially when they have been lavished with so much love and attention. Some great conversions too - keen to see more.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: von Lucky on 09 May 2015, 11:01:23 PM
Paul  - good to see you painting something 'modern'. Great painting.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Atheling on 10 May 2015, 06:45:27 AM
Nice work Paul  :-* 8) :-*

Darrell.
Title: Re: Airfix at waterloo
Post by: Paul on 10 May 2015, 10:09:40 AM
Thanks  :)
Oddly enough, I'm painting up an Airfix Highland battalion with a view to writing an article about just this sort of nostalgia thing!

I´ve just finished one  ;)...another centre Company, this time of the 42 Regiment,  Royal Highland..painting the  stripey socks and Kilts was nerve wracking.  o_o
. Some great conversions too - keen to see more.
I´ve done a few more conversions for the Highlanders,  Only 8 though, not as many as for the British with 13 conversions but I´ve since come up with another 4 for the british. I´ll have to paint another lot to represent another Regiment maybe?
. The Royal Horse Artillery were pretty good though.
Just finished re-basing them  :D