Airfix Foreign Legionnaire 1908 (54mm)

[Mike999]

Here's a real blast from the past!  Back in the 1970s, Airfix made a whole line of these 54mm (1/32 scale) figures.  They were sold in hanging blister packs for $1 each. These figures were little jewels.  Every piece of equipment was separate and nicely detailed.  The figures had optional arms and sometimes other parts, to build different poses.  

Airfix even included a sheet of thin plastic, for making the belts and straps.  That wasn't such a great idea. The plastic was way too thick and stiff.  But Airfix did provide a handy template for cutting the length of each belt and strap.  Most builders used the template and made the straps from paper. Or as I did here, with textured tape. Next time I'll use paper, and add one thing that's missing:  buckles.

Each figure came with a small plastic base, and the name of the figure INSIDE the base, for some weird reason.  I hacked the base apart to make the nameplate you see on the figure's base.  The base itself is from a DML 1/16 scale figure.

The series included figures from the English Civil War, American Revolution, Waterloo...and this guy, a French Foreign Legionnaire from 1908. He looks tired and mad.  I'd be tired and mad too, if I was lugging all that stuff thru the Moroccan desert...

 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Mike999
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[cobraman]

Very well done ! Great painting skills.

[PappyD340]

1 hour ago, cobraman said:

Very well done ! Great painting skills.

I couldn't agree more!

[Jim B]

Very nice.  Vive la France!

[robertw]

Remember them well and still have two displayed in my display case. Still have several unbuilt ones for future use. As you said they were very nicely detailed but they are not easy to find today. Maybe, if we're lucky Airfix will re-issue them in sets someday.