Apart from Land Rovers, any 1:35 scale kits of British forces vehicles, personnel and weapons 1960 - 1988?

[bootneck]

I have been trying to find 1:35 scale plastic kits (not Shapeways stuff) of British vehicles and personnel for the period between 1960 and 1988.   Apart from Land Rovers, I have found very little in availability.   I am trying to make dioramas covering this period but I cannot find troop transports, i.e. Bedford RL or MK etc., neither can I find weapons, such the SLR and SMG, although I have managed to get a Bren and GPMG in 1:35 scale.  The same situation seems to apply for service personnel within this period, wearing combat jackets, denim trousers, boots SV/DMS with anklettes or puttees,  58 pattern webbing and berets etc.

With regard to personnel, there seems to be a massive jump in figures in British history; from WW2 straight to the Gulf War and Afghanistan.  Are there any figures available for the Aden Conflict, Indonesian Confrontation, Northern Ireland and the Falklands Conflict that can be used in such dioramas?  I'm not looking for individual figures that are intended for standing on plinths.

Anyone know of any such kits that are available to purchase in shops or on-line?

cheers,
Mike

[John Tapsell]

Italeri did a modern weapons set that contained SLRs and Sterling MGs. Dragon also did some weapons sets that included suitable modern weapons. However, for softskin vehicles of that era your are pretty much out of luck in 1/35 scale unless you go the (expensive) resin route. Armoured vehicles are easier to source but that's not what you're after(?)

 

Suitable figures in plastic for this period are also pretty much non-existent - Tamiya's stretcher bearers (with the landrover ambulance or as a separate set) being about all I can think of. (I'm ignoring the Airfix polythene 1/32 scale Modern British Infantry set - although it's not actually a bad set).

 

There has never been a global market for the subject matter, so the manufacturers don't see the need to produce them. That's why you find so much in resin, because they can produce the stuff in small quantities and that's what makes it viable for them.

 

The more recent Gulf/Afghanistan material has had a global exposure in the media and online, so the market is larger, plus there are more manufacturers now than there used to be.

[Kingsman]

You didn't mention softskin or armoured.  Softskin is essentially a bust.

 

On the armour front there are the old Tamiya and newer Takom Chieftains.  AFV Club and Amusing Hobby Centurion 5/6s and AVREs fit the bill.  The AFV Mk 6 can become a Mk10.  There are the AFV Club Scorpion and Scimitar.  Also Takom's FV432, although the original version is now hard to find and expensive.  You have Challenger 1 and Warrior from 1984.  Conqueror was around until 1966: Amusing Hobby supposed to be better than Dragon.

 

Italeri did a 4-figure 1st Gulf War "Desert Rats" infantry set which is now hard to find.  Also boxed by Dragon, equally hard to find.  Live Resin do several species of SA80 (maybe a bit late for you) and the L7 GPMG: the old Tahk ones are like rocking horse droppings, along with their L4 LMG and L7 GPMG.  As noted, the Italeri modern weapons set has useful things in: L1 rifle, L2 SMG. L9 pistol.  The Dragon Modern MG set has L4 LMG and L7 GPMG.

 

Some of the Miniart WW2 British Tank Crew figure sets might work.  The Pixie Suit carried on for a while and I think made it into the 1960s in camouflaged form.  One of their other sets is just in overalls.  The RAC brimless helmet survived into the 1960s. The overall-clad figures in the Gekko tank crew set might work with change of headgear.  Valkyrie do a resin 70s-80s Tank Crew set with the massive Chieftain-era bone domes or berets and a BAOR Tank Crew set.

[Hoppy]

Australian on line Model shop Firestorm Models , do a range of Australian Vietnam models and accessories that may be suitable , especially the SLR [ That Rifle ! ]. It has Aussie wooden stock and furniture but shouldn't be to hard to make it look pommie. Also they have figures , especially the APC crew that could also be used, denim overalls and beret are pretty universal. The boots may need a little work, no putties only denims bloused into the top go GP boots.

 

SLR's https://firestormmodels.com/SLR-Set/

 Crew man https://firestormmodels.com/m113-t-50-crew-1-relax/

https://firestormmodels.com/Australian-Tank-Crew-set-Vietnam/

 

Bob

[viper-30]

A company called Bravo have a set of SLR rifles also . Kirin produced a set of Royal Marines only two figures but nicely made again very hard to find .

firing line initially produced a single figure with an SLR again it was quickly withdrawn. And very hard to find at one point at shows they were on the scrap bin for less than a pound needless to say I’ve several .

[ivan-o]

Historex Agent’s are Callsign models stockists for your SLR,s.

[P-3s rule]

I have recently acquired a 4 figure 1/35  resin set (black dog) which contains 3 royal marines and an Argentine infantryman from the falklands conflict. These might be suitable for your purposes.

[Modelholic]

Isn't there a 1/35th Saladin and/or Saracen as well?

Tom

 

[Fat fingers]

Try David J Parkins Web site, he has some 1/35  british 60' &70's vehicles and figures.

[P-3s rule]

On 5/5/2022 at 5:58 PM, Modelholic said:

Isn't there a 1/35th Saladin and/or Saracen as well?

Tom

 

Yes, I have built the 1/35 dragon black label saladin mk II . It's not super detailed or cheap but I was happy with the build. I don't recall any interior pieces being supplied but when completed it looks the part.

Edited May 7, 2022 by P-3s rule
Addition

[Julien]

Blackdog do some figures but their stuff is not cheap

 

 

 

 

Kirin also did some figures but they are hard to find

 

[4scourge7]

Takom are meant to be re-releasing their 432 (both their versions) in 35th, but no firm dates on that, other than `soon`.

It doesn`t take much to take Tamiya`s Challenger 1 back from it`s Granby `91 guise, to BAOR guise, especially with the help of some excellent build articles here on BM.

Did anyone mention `Accurate Armour`? They do a load of Cold War Brit stuff.

[dcrfan]

On 5/16/2022 at 9:42 AM, Julien said:

Blackdog do some figures but their stuff is not cheap

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kirin also did some figures but they are hard to find

 

 

The hand and body stance makes the GPMG look a lot lighter than it really is. 

[Julien]

On 02/07/2022 at 03:21, dcrfan said:

The hand and body stance makes the GPMG look a lot lighter than it really is. 

Light it is not!

[Pete Robin]

Could be a "niche" market for some of our 3d print experts?

Regards

Pete

[Bullbasket]

Don't dismiss WW2 vehicles, because some of them remained in service, long after the end of the war. Two examples. Our CO was using an old Beford QL with a radio body, converted into his own caravan for use on exercise. Also, the REME's LAD still used an old Scammell recovery truck for back loading trucks to base depot. The time frame for this was '64 - '67. Both are available as kits.

HTH's.

 

John.

[Bozothenutter]

@bootneck can't find your Landy post, but look at C1 models...

https://www.scalemates.com/brands/c1-models--4239

They seem to have a bunch of them planned in 1/24

[noelh]

On 7/9/2022 at 7:31 PM, Julien said:

Light it is not!

And it got heavier as the day went on.😰

[mbthejester]

On 02/07/2022 at 03:21, dcrfan said:

The hand and body stance makes the GPMG look a lot lighter than it really is. 

Late to the party on this one 😄 bipod legs are wrong way round and you would carry it with forward hand under legs, where it is here is under the spent case ejector port, covered by a spring loaded flap, ammo pouches positioned wrong too, shoulder straps connected to them at top. 👍

 

cheers

Edited December 26, 2023 by mbthejester

[bootneck]

11 hours ago, mbthejester said:

.......... ammo pouches positioned wrong too, shoulder straps connected to them at top. 👍

Thanks mb.  Twenty years of wearing that type of fighting order and I still hadn't noticed that on the figure!

 

Does anyone have one of the SLRs with the Suit Sight (top one in the image below) spare please?  It is the weapon I had in the Falklands.

This is a nice set, it is the only one I have seen with the arctic style bergen, but thirty-odd Euros just for one weapon and bergen is a bit expensive for me.

 

Mike

[mbthejester]

Your most welcome mate, Gimpy was my baby so slightest thing and I spot it lol, one of the other pics has cocking handle near front end where legs latch up 🤣, be flipping mint if more 70/80’s figures were done, accurate armour do a couple of figures I am looking at, not sure on the quality 🤔

Cheers

Mark

[Julien]

I did mention to Airfix at Telford that if they did anymore UK stuff like the Ferret that some figures would sell

[dcrfan]

Have these British Northern Ireland figures been advised? https://www.syllysminimodels.nl/en_GB/a-86795689/1-35-the-troubles-british-troops-in-northern-ireland/f-gb01-the-corporal-casual-lean/

 

They also have Land Rover conversions

Edited March 19 by dcrfan