rivers3162 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I know most modellers don't like using pilots and crew in their builds but for some reason I can't seem to break the habit (must be a childhood nostalgia thing). Are there any manufacturers out there who make replacement seated crew figures? I'm particularly looking for a crew for a Swordfish and a Henschel HS-123. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Revell do a box of RAF pilots [as well as a box of Luftwaffe] in 1/72 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 As mentioned the hard plastic set of RAF Pilots and Ground Crew from Revell might be suitable. It includes 12 seated pilots of four different types with separate arms. Here is a review with images of the figures:- http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/review.aspx?id=1710 There is also a Luftwaffe set which is a re-pop of the old Preiser figures but contains a new sprue of six seated pilots to add to the original three. http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/FirstLook/Revell/Rev_Luftwaffe_Ground_Crew_72/Rev_Pilots_Ground_Crew.html The only snag might be finding them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Hi, I have 4-5 ww2 style Airfix pilots in the spares box you can have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Figure number 10 in the RAF set looks like Dale Winton. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caszerino Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Figure number 10 in the RAF set looks like Dale Winton. I wish I hadn't been drinking something when I clicked that link after reading this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunarhighway Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 for sitting figures i think most airfix kits have one... i recently painted one from the 1975 spitfire and appart from a small hole in his chest that was quickly filled the level of detail was excellent. the new tool tiger moth also comes with two figues and they're actually a little smaller than the spitfire pilot (they actually look a little to small to me), wich might be good if you need to fit them in a cramped cockpit Without wanting to highjack the thread..I'm very much interested in the subject as well, i think the revell and airfix sets are a very nice start, but i'm surprised there's so little else i can find. I'm wondering if appart from the airfix and revell set there are other figures available in 1/72 scale. perhaps resin or white metal? i'm especially interested in posing pilot figures to recreate actucal ww2 pictures with the pilot posing on the aircraft. or even these lovely shots with an entire squadron posing on an aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 There are loads of resin crew figures available in both seated and standing poses. They are nice but rather expensive at about £7.50 for two. Not much available in white metal though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) P J Productions do 2 pilots per pack, £3.60 from Hannants. http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/PJ721105for the RAF, http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/PJ721110 for the Luftwaffe. They also cover other periods. I've used their WWI pilots in 1/72nd and like them, FWIW. HTH, Paul. Edited January 19, 2015 by Paul Thompson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Being listed as both 1/72 by Revell it is surprising that the figures in the RAF set are somewhat larger than in the Luftwaffe set. Its handy if you have a tight cockpit to fit a German pilot in but I have found putting one of the RAF pilots into most 1/72 fighters means shaving the legs and torso to get them to fit. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I think the RAF pilots are true 1/72 but the Luftwaffe are closer to European HO [1/87] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caszerino Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I think the RAF pilots are true 1/72 but the Luftwaffe are closer to European HO [1/87] If we're talking about the ones included in Airfix kits, then I would disagree. HO people are tiny. Then again my only reference at the moment is the Bf-110E (and I don't know if it's been re-tooled or not), so it may differ between kits. In the end I decided not to use them anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FZ6 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I think some of the Airfix pilots are sized to the aircraft. Over the last few years I have seen the same standard Airfix Pilots appear in varying sizes. PJ Productions do some nice 1:72 resin pilots in seated poses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 PJ Productions do some nice 1:72 resin pilots in seated poses. Deja vu. All over again. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rivers3162 Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks for all the responses chaps. I've got a few spares from old Airfix kits but they seem a bit lacking in detail or badly cast. Paul - thanks very much for the heads up about PJ Productions! They look very good so I may pick up a few packs the next time I order from Hannants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FZ6 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Deja vu. All over again. Paul. Oops I missed that! Oh well they are good figures and worth mentioning twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 If we're talking about the ones included in Airfix kits, then I would disagree. HO people are tiny. Then again my only reference at the moment is the Bf-110E (and I don't know if it's been re-tooled or not), so it may differ between kits. In the end I decided not to use them anyway. I was referring to the Revell sets, in response to the posting immediately just above mine. The Revell Luftwaffe pilots are the Preiser ones which are closer to European HO scale. Note that now twice I've said closer to, not that they are HO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Oops I missed that! Oh well they are good figures and worth mentioning twice. True enough, although as with the other figures mentioned here the size might be an issue. In the case of the WWI figures (I don't have any for other periods on hand) they're somewhat under 1/72nd, presumably so they'll fit in models that don't have scale thickness cockpit walls (which is all of them except vac-forms). Once in place though. I don't think they'd look out of scale. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bil Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 IIRC the Airfix Hs126 came with a reasonably accurate crew. The Zvezda Ju88G-6, A-4 and A -5/17 kits also came with a full crew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old thumper Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Unlike Spitfires and Hurricanes etc people come in all different heights and builds, I wonder how tall 1.72 scale figures would be in reality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Thompson Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Unlike Spitfires and Hurricanes etc people come in all different heights and builds, I wonder how tall 1.72 scale figures would be in reality? A six footer (who admittedly wouldn't be your typical pilot) would be 1 inch., and even seated would be too large to fit comfortably in the cockpit of most models. Some of the early Airfix WWI observer figures were knocking on for that, but there was plenty of room in the models for which they were intended. Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_m Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I was referring to the Revell sets, in response to the posting immediately just above mine. The Revell Luftwaffe pilots are the Preiser ones which are closer to European HO scale. Note that now twice I've said closer to, not that they are HO I have Preiser Luftwaffe figures that I use to convert to RAF (some of the ones I have were released in the Revell Luftwaffe set). They are smaller than the Revell RAF figures, but not by that much. The old Airfix ground crew figures were 1/76 to match the airfield vehicles, and they are significantly smaller than the Preiser ones. I would say the difference between Airfix and Preiser is more than the difference between Preiser and Revell RAF. I used one Revell RAF figure in this diorama (the one next to the Jeep carrying two jerrycans)- a useless angle to judge size, but he's only a bit bigger. All others are Preiser Luftwaffe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microdot Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 The only problem is there seems to be a total lack of Revell 1:72 Pilots and Ground Crew RAF WWII in this country. You can get them on ebay but be prepared to pay through the nose. I have been in touch with Revell Germany and have been informed that there is no distribution problem, so I don't know what is going on. If anybody knows of any please message me with details, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Gunthwaite Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Hi Folks Just a heads up for the Gunthwaite range.. . www.gunthwaite.co.uk The Website is down at the moment for maintenance but will be back up in a couple of days. Al 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 (edited) 23 hours ago, Microdot said: The only problem is there seems to be a total lack of Revell 1:72 Pilots and Ground Crew RAF WWII in this country. You can get them on ebay but be prepared to pay through the nose. I have been in touch with Revell Germany and have been informed that there is no distribution problem, so I don't know what is going on. If anybody knows of any please message me with details, thanks. There are far far too many pilot figures out there and not nearly enough groundcrew. The person you are least likely to see around an aeroplane on the ground is a pilot. They tend to turn up, go flying, land, unstrap and dissapear. The problem is that people have been given a false impression since the wright brothers, Take it as gospel If someone goes near any aircraft with a camera a pilot will appear, so almost every image you see wiill have "the poseur" somewhere near! In real life aircraft will always have groundcrew present. I never have a pilot anywhere near when I do a aircraft diorama unless the story particularly requires it. I tend to use the prieser generic workmen in overalls as my crew as they can be painted to represent most airfroces crews, and have more realistic poses. Selwyn Edited November 21, 2016 by Selwyn 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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