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Re: Dragoons with lances?

I too would much prefer these figures as per the masters, with shakos and litewkas.

The inaccuracy of the box art (compared with box contents) on quite a number of Strelets sets remains a puzzle, and it would be intriguing to know how the disconnect between the figure sculptor/originator of the figures and the box cover artists occurs? Having these uhlans in czapkas is not quite so glaring an error as occurred on the old Airfix Waterloo Cavalry set box (where the middle cuirassier is holding a lance!!), but even so.....

As of today, it looks as if Model Hobbies and Drum and Flag are at least still operating in the UK, and the Royal Mail is still operating. Long may this continue!

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Minuteman
I too would much prefer these figures as per the masters, with shakos and litewkas.

The inaccuracy of the box art (compared with box contents) on quite a number of Strelets sets remains a puzzle, and it would be intriguing to know how the disconnect between the figure sculptor/originator of the figures and the box cover artists occurs? Having these uhlans in czapkas is not quite so glaring an error as occurred on the old Airfix Waterloo Cavalry set box (where the middle cuirassier is holding a lance!!), but even so.....

As of today, it looks as if Model Hobbies and Drum and Flag are at least still operating in the UK, and the Royal Mail is still operating. Long may this continue!
Thanks for that, Minuteman, that's helpful, as I noticed that Hannants shut up shop pretty quickly.

HMG's advice has been hazy on one or two issues (though nothing like as misleading as POTUS's bonkers beautiful Easter speech!) and businesses remaining open is one of them. Many factory and warehouse operations in the UK are closing down anyway, often, I hear, where workers' safety cannot be guaranteed. There is published guidance, however, and businesses that meet it can stay open. How many have read it, or derived comfort and certainty from it, is anyone's guess. There seems to be quite a bit of confusion at present.

In the model railway retail market in the UK, the biggest operation, Hattons, has decided to close down and wanted all other online retailers to do likewise. Rails of Sheffield, the second largest, and a number of others, have decided to try to stay open. So, the picture is mixed where hobby suppliers are concerned.

Re: Dragoons with lances?

the Airfix box art has an interesting and sad story. It appears that the original brief was for a mixed set, so would have included lancers. But this changed so the box art was hastily changed, yet the lance remained in error.

Oh how lancers would have been welcome back in the 70s.

of course, now we have Zvezda, and now these new Strelets uhlans - the golden age continues

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Marc the plastics fan
the Airfix box art has an interesting and sad story. It appears that the original brief was for a mixed set, so would have included lancers. But this changed so the box art was hastily changed, yet the lance remained in error.

Oh how lancers would have been welcome back in the 70s.

of course, now we have Zvezda, and now these new Strelets uhlans - the golden age continues
The first Prussian Uhlans were produced by HaT; but I shall be decapitating the ESCI and Italeri Polish Lancers to provide these lovely Strelet chaps with czapkas

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Murat - only one (maybe two) Prussian Lancer regiment that I know of wore the Czapka, The vast majority wore a shako so you really can save yourself a job and just leave them as they are...

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Are you referring the Airfix French "Cavalry" box, which consist of cuirassiers but has one wielding an eagle on a staff that resembles a lance?

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Samogon
Are you referring the Airfix French "Cavalry" box, which consist of cuirassiers but has one wielding an eagle on a staff that resembles a lance?
I just checked and it is definitely a lance (with a rather weedy pennant attached)...although the actual figure in the set carries a bird-type thingy on a stick......:face_with_rolling_eyes:

I always wondered about the difference between the saddles in that set, perhaps the two types were intended as part of a planned mixed set?

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Stuart
Samogon
Are you referring the Airfix French \\\\\\\"Cavalry\\\\\\\" box, which consist of cuirassiers but has one wielding an eagle on a staff that resembles a lance?
I just checked and it is definitely a lance (with a rather weedy pennant attached)...although the actual figure in the set carries a bird-type thingy on a stick......:face_with_rolling_eyes:

I always wondered about the difference between the saddles in that set, perhaps the two types were intended as part of a planned mixed set?
I had always assumed that the box art featuring the red lancer as well was a mock-up done by an enthusiast, but it is suggested here that a mixed box was the original plan.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/airfixtributeforum/red-lancer-polish-chevau-leger-waterloo-french-cav-t17365.html

Amazingly too, I have looked at that box many times and my eyes (even youthful eyes back then) always saw the middle figure with his sword backwards in a slashing stroke. I never previously noticed the lance head and pennant that is in line with the leftmost horses head!

http://www.vintage-airfix.com/images/S36.jpg
(Actually, it shows up better here: http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Boxes/AIR01736Box.jpg)

Re: Dragoons with lances?

It would have been marvellous had Airfix produced a mixed set of Cuirassiers and Lancers - say, 6 of each - back in the '70s as their 'Waterloo French Cavalry'. They might then have also released a mixed set of British Hussars and Heavy Dragoons to the same style and scale!!

In fact, converting Airfix cuirassiers to Polish lancers - through the expedient of trimming the helmet horsehair plume to something like a czapka shape, cutting away the sword and inserting a pin as a lance - was my very first attempt at plastics conversions as a 10 year old. Happy days indeed!

Re: Dragoons with lances?

I don't know how it works with Strelets' model, but I've had the privilege of speaking with others who make toy soldiers in both 1/72 and 1/32 scale who have had problem getting artists to follow instructions on box art to the point they give up sending an illustration back for correction - after all their customer base wants the set - yesterday!

I used to use box art as painting guides when I first started painting my figures back in the 80s. I remember having to go back and repaint an entire army when I bought my first uniform guide books (this was back before we could look stuff up on the internet) and discovered the box was wrong!

The box art is nice, but I ran out of space to store my boxes years ago so I don't keep them. I do love the figures and figure (no pun intended) when I get a set or two or three I'll be able to use them and paint and modify them as needed.

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Not necessesarily a prolem. The landwehr cavalry also used lances. These fit that picture perfectly.

Re: Dragoons with lances?

Russia clearly admired the use of the lance as a potent weapon not only did the Cossacks use it, it was also issued to most Hussar regiments.

Russia in December 1812 converted seven Dragoon regiments into Uhlans. These new units were called by some as the “Dragoons with Sticks” as they didn’t even receive their Polish Styled new uniforms until the end of 1814.:grinning: