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WIP Critique French Dragoon Lancer

Discussion in 'vBench (Works in Progress)' started by Dan Morton, Dec 15, 2014.

  1. Dan Morton A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    This is the first of six early Great War lancers I have started. As the title says, it's a French Dragoon lancer wearing flamboyant red and blue uniforms and using 1914 equipment and weapons.

    1/16th scale and made using a variety of kit parts, a Verlinden horse and mixes of Magic Sculpt in grey and brown and Kneadatite (green). I apologize for the confusing color scheme. I'm using a variety of putty colors to possibly make it easier for me to see detail (and it seems to help!).

    Of all the anachronisms of the First War maybe the lunacy of sending cavalry into battle armed principally with wood or metal lances must rate pretty high on my bad idea meter. Can you imagine charging a machine gun armed with a metal pipe? Hence the six lancers.

    I wanted each of the six to be in action and twisting in the saddle of a rearing horse thrusting a lance at the enemy. Some facts and figures about lances.

    Lances
    Nation materials model Full size lengths 1/16th scale lengths
    French wood M1890 2900mm 181.3mm
    metal M1913 2970mm 185.6mm
    British bamboo M1894 2743mm 171.4mm
    German metal M1893 3175mm 198.4mm
    Russian metal pre-war 2750mm 171.9mm
    metal 1914 3250mm 203.1mm
    Austrian* metal 1911(?) 2641mm 165.1mm
    Turkish+ metal ? 1850mm 115.6mm

    * No Hungarian (Honved) lancers
    + Turkish lance length is an estimate based on a photograph. No other data found.

    All values approximate and based on web and text research.

    A word about working with models of rearing horses. All the Verlinden horses are fully cast and heavy. My first step was to hollow them out to reduce weight. All of them were from Napoleonic kits, so I removed all that from the back and sides of the horses. Next I inserted solid metal tube (not wire) into the rear horse legs in all the straight pieces. Finally I inserted the ends of the tube into and mounted all of the horses on a solid piece of resin and putty.

    When completed I hope to have a talented painter finish the dragoon and horse.

    Hope you like it!

    All the best,
    Dan

    Attached Files:

    blaster, amcairns, BillW and 12 others like this.
  2. Zastrow.cuirassier PlanetFigure Supporter

    Country:
    France
    Great job, in doc and work, as always.
    Another WWI fan like me, we would make a SIG!
    napoleonpeart likes this.
  3. Dan Morton A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    Cheers Zastrow - The Great War has been an interest of mine since High School. Glad you liked it!

    All the best,
    Dan
  4. Wings5797 A Fixture

    Country:
    France
    Great work Dan.
    I really like the way that this first rearing horse and rider are shaping up.....very well done.
    Superb research into the details of the lances. I think that many fine lancer figures are let down by lances that are too short.
    Good progress. I am glued to this diorama.
    Keith
  5. ellie A Fixture

    Country:
    United-Kingdom
    Looking very good so far Dan looking forward to seeing what you do with him .

    Cheers

    ian
  6. Edorta A Fixture

    Country:
    Spain
  7. Dan Morton A Fixture

    Country:
    United-States
    Keith, Ian and Eduardo - Many thanks!!

    HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

    All the best,
    Dan
    Wings5797 likes this.

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