Rubbish Airfix figures

[ronshippau]

sadly a lot of this stuff only appeals to ageing guys reliving their childhoods (if you want proof watch James Mays Toy stories) hence 300 pounds for a Juventus Subbuteo team. A lot of plastic figures seem designed to be made into dioramas rather than for wargaming hence the guy with the tube and waving paper, or guys bayoneting the ground, I think the guy firing up is supposed to be firing at a sniper on a roof or spire, I have a huge box of Airfix but will never sell it, you never though, but I cant imagine painting any whilst the lead mountain is as high as it is.

Cheers
Myron

[alnewhaven]

sadly a lot of this stuff only appeals to ageing guys reliving their childhoods (if you want proof watch James Mays Toy stories) hence 300 pounds for a Juventus Subbuteo team. A lot of plastic figures seem designed to be made into dioramas rather than for wargaming hence the guy with the tube and waving paper, or guys bayoneting the ground, I think the guy firing up is supposed to be firing at a sniper on a roof or spire, I have a huge box of Airfix but will never sell it, you never though, but I cant imagine painting any whilst the lead mountain is as high as it is.

Cheers
Myron

That reminded me, they werea teal pain to paint ....or to get the paint to stay on!! 

[NTM]

Apparently the re-released 1/32 sets are in harder plastic which takes paint quite well. I am seriously tempted to relive part of my childhood and see if I can do a better job of the Brit Paras than I did over 30 years ago with gloss oil paints from my painting by numbers sets.

[goat major]

there was a very nice Arnhem game at Salute using lots of those 1/32 Brit Paras

[NTM]

there was a very nice Arnhem game at Salute using lots of those 1/32 Brit Paras

One of the few games I spent a long time watching.

[DanJ]

I never liked the airfix figures and fell out with them completely after spending hours helping a mate paint naps and then saw half the paint flake off in the first game... maybe we should have used banana oil?

Mind you I did have loads of the plastic kits, aircraft hanging from the ceiling etc. but my pride and joy was the Saturn V rocket, a great model.

[sixsideddice]

2 commandos carrying canoe over their heads.

Why?

"Right lads, Smudger you rush up to the gun emplacement the krauts can't get to clip together properly, Ginger, you use the scaling ladder to get at the MG nest, Chalky, you and dusty wander around with a kayak"

   

[FierceKitty]

That reminded me, they werea teal pain to paint ....or to get the paint to stay on!! 

I have at times painted with a matchstick, but never with a duck. I salute your initiative, Sir!

[alnewhaven]

I have at times painted with a matchstick, but never with a duck. I salute your initiative, Sir!

Maybe that's where I went wrong. Should have used a matchstick

[Sunray]

The blogs and images of plastic Airfix brought back a few memories.   I believe there were two distinct Airfix styles/scales.  In the early 1960s the 2/= (two shilling) box was styled H0 &00 and clearly meant to compliment the railway kits.  Early soldiers - Guards Band, Colour Party, Civilians,  Eight Army, Russians,
early Germans and ..the Infantry Combat Group (1960s British in 58 web and SLRs) were close to 1/87- indeed it was a book by Charles Grant using
Airfix Russians/Germans and Roco T34s etc that got me into serious gaming.

Later releases began to get bigger as the scale perhaps matched the 1/76 being used in the AFV model kits.  Some as you say - US Marines etc- had two scales in one box!

Whatever the faults, and some rubbish poses they were cheap and cheerful and got us started.

Thanks for the memories

Sunray Out