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

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...

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)

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!

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.

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

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: