I remember the excitement of opening my first box of Airfix French Cuirassiers just after their release in 1969. Up to that point the only plastic cavalry available were the US 7th Cavalry which were hard to pass off as ‘Napoleonic’ (the rolled-up shirt sleeves didn’t help). I can picture setting the Cuirassiers up on the dining room table ready to charge a square of Highlanders (the only other Napoleonic set at that time) whilst puzzling over the London Wargames Section Napoleonic Rules. Happy days.
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| "When you meet a Cuirassier beam to beam, you'll be lucky to escape with your life; much less his helmet. Boy, you'll learn the art of fighting from the French!" |
I did mention in my last post that I later bought some of the OPC Cuirassiers direct from Hinton Hunt and found them all but useless due to the poor quality of the castings. Not long after that I gave up wargaming for quite a few years and so never did get to paint any.
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| FN102 Cuirassier Trooper (mounted) charging. |
I’m very pleased therefore to finally have a unit of decent OPC figures to sit alongside my other 2-piece regiment. Painting them was a bit trickier than I expected but I’m pleased with the finished result.
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| If I had managed to file away the flash metal and painted them in 1974 they may have looked a bit like this. |
In my opinion you can never have too many Cuirassiers but whether I’ll ever expand the current force to a full division remains to be seen.
18 comments:
Nice work there IAN on your Cavalry- they look super!
Thanks Kev, glad you like them.
I understand that you do not insist on the eyes of the horses, I believe that you could make an exception for that of the trumpeter. If you were worried about painting it, you could do it with a permanent ink marker.
They look formidable.
I remember those Airfix days with affection too, before the hardcore seriousness of the metal figures and the ‘real’ hobby !
French Follower - if the horses could see where they’re going they would never charge those squares!
Thanks Mark.
DS - yeah although that was mostly the ACW figures, the Airfix Napoleonic’s came along at the same time as that first HH order for Prussian Traffic Wardens!
Good job on the HH cuirassiers! I remember the excitement about the Airfix cuirassiers, and the surprise that the pegs on the horses feet fitted the holes in the bases, unlike the US cavalry set. I also remember articles in Airfix Magazine explaining how to convert US cavalry to various napoleonic types, sometimes involving dissolving plastic sprue in carbon tet to make a paste, no health and safety in those days!
Very nice indeed Ian…
I have many Cuirassiers waiting for some paint…and yes… there is no such thing as too many 😁
Unless of course you are on the receiving end.
All the best. Aly
Mojo - that does sound like a health & safety nightmare. You’re right that the Cuirassier horses did actually fit in the bases and the riders stayed in their saddles as well. Trouble was there was a wait of a couple of years until the other Napoleonic sets were released which was a bit frustrating!
Aly, yes it’s best to always play on the French side.
Two regiments, now we’re talking. Just gorgeous. A question, are the two-tone gauntlets a thing? I’ve not noticed it before.
Rob, yes apparently they are a thing according to the HH painting instruction sheet.
Great post Ian! You managed to stir up a bit of nostalgia here too about the old Airfix set and it's funny that I have had very much the same feelings around the new Epic plastic sets, something about carefully removing the figures from the sprues takes me right back. Loving the Hinton Hunt OPC cuirassiers and reminded me that I painted two regiments of these for Roy back in early 2015 intended for Vintage waterloo, I had not been aware of the OPC's but remember they were rather nice. I dug out some photos last night of them along with other infantry - Young Guard battalions and Prussians, all HH I'm certain? The commission was for 10 regiments my notes tell me. I might do a special guest HH post over the weekend :) Yours are of course gorgeous in their bright paint job and gloss varnish and the quote from the film was very fitting too.
Great stuff!
Lee.
These are wonderful, Ian, and all the more impressive given how tricky these figures are to paint. I think a third regiment is definitely required!
All the best
WM
Lovely work Ian. I remember squatting on the floor with my Airfix highlanders and perfectly awful French artillery. I remember them fondly, but so glad I don't have to get down on the floor to enjoy my toys anymore. I don't think my knees could stand it!
Your color selection puts me in mind of doing another properly attired regiment of Cuirassiers as well. All that brown cloth on the 13th just doesn't have the same pizzazz!
'Never have too many cuirassiers'; never truer words spoken (written)!
They look fabulous too.
Regards, James
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