Pretty darn cool!

If I may ask what brand are the PAVN figures? I assume they're 1/32nd? I was looking on Ebay a couple months ago for some PLA tank crew figures and found there seems to be a lot of stuff like that that isn't normally exported to the States.

Gamera

Pretty darn cool!

If I may ask what brand are the PAVN figures? I assume they're 1/32nd? I was looking on Ebay a couple months ago for some PLA tank crew figures and found there seems to be a lot of stuff like that that isn't normally exported to the States.

 

Glad you like it.

The figures are in 1/30 scale and are from First Legion, who sculpt the master greens in Russia and have the production figures painted in China. They're US based, so you can source them no problem -- but they're very expensive. Those 7 x NVA examples cost me a total US$455 + Shipping. The good news is they have some 1/35 unpainted resin figures available. Here's a link to the webpage for the NVA guys;

http://www.firstlegionltd.com/northvietnamesearmy.aspx

I've another finished "Nam" diorama featuring more First Legion Nam figures, which I'll post once I've figured out the best way to paste in links to my Photobucket account.

I also have two other Nam dioramas with FL figures in progress., but it's been in limbo for the past few weeks because I've been waiting for a Reality in Scale order to come in before I can get on with them. Happily, I just got back from the local post office international packages depot with the RiS items -- so it won't take long now to get these additional dioramas completed.

Not sure what PLA figures you've been looking at on ebay, (and ebay isn't much of an option for me anyway), but if you happen to see them on any Chinese internet sites, then just let me know and I'll see if the son-in-law will help me source them for you.

Cheers 

Hey thanks! I wasn't aware of First Legion, bit out of my price range. Looking forward to more photos of your work.

Thanks for your kind offer. I found a set of Soviet tankers with very similar uniforms and just swapped their heads with some replacement 'east asian' heads from Hornet so I just used them instead.

Here's the set I was looking at.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Resin-soldier-1-35-resin-figure-chinese-soldier-in-vietnam-war-2-figures-/172312078686?hash=item281e99a95e

There's a couple of other sets I found that looked interesting but I haven't decided on picking them up yet. If I do I'll let you know- thanks again!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YFWW-1418-1-35-PLA-Tank-Rider-on-the-Vietnam-War-Resin-Figure-Set-/351793931110?hash=item51e88d6366

Anyway for what it's worth here's what I ended up using the PLA figures with:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/172448.aspx

Gamera

Hey thanks! I wasn't aware of First Legion, bit out of my price range. Looking forward to more photos of your work.

Thanks for your kind offer. I found a set of Soviet tankers with very similar uniforms and just swapped their heads with some replacement 'east asian' heads from Hornet so I just used them instead.

Here's the set I was looking at.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Resin-soldier-1-35-resin-figure-chinese-soldier-in-vietnam-war-2-figures-/172312078686?hash=item281e99a95e

There's a couple of other sets I found that looked interesting but I haven't decided on picking them up yet. If I do I'll let you know- thanks again!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/YFWW-1418-1-35-PLA-Tank-Rider-on-the-Vietnam-War-Resin-Figure-Set-/351793931110?hash=item51e88d6366

 

Anyway for what it's worth here's what I ended up using the PLA figures with:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/172448.aspx

 

 

I love those tank riders in the 2nd link; is that a T55 they're hitching a ride from?

I'd guess the Chinese version of the T-55- the Type 59. I've read the tanks were from the outside identical except for the rear hull plate where the Chinese company used a slightly different transmission. Trumpeter has a pretty good Type-59 except the tracks are horrible and probably should be replaced. Takom is coming out with a new kit that should be much better.

The Type 59 is a Chinese built T-54, biggest visual difference from the T-55 being that there is a  dome shaped ventilator on the turret roof. This is not present on the T-55, but is present on the Type 69. The Type 69 also has a new headlight configuration with the headlights moved from the glacis plate to the fender tops.

Very nice work on this diorama! I had no idea that the border clashes between Vietnam and China continued thru the 80s. That was not something you heard about here in the press at that time.

Question, are these figures pre built and pre painted? Solid cast? Assembly and painting required?

stikpusher

The Type 59 is a Chinese built T-54, biggest visual difference from the T-55 being that there is a  dome shaped ventilator on the turret roof. This is not present on the T-55, but is present on the Type 69. The Type 69 also has a new headlight configuration with the headlights moved from the glacis plate to the fender tops.

Very nice work on this diorama! I had no idea that the border clashes between Vietnam and China continued thru the 80s. That was not something you heard about here in the press at that time.

Question, are these figures pre built and pre painted? Solid cast? Assembly and painting required?

 

Thanks for the additional info and data on the T-series tanks. Pretty interesting.

As for the First Legion figures in the diorama, please see my earlier post in this thread. Or my posts in response to Griffen25 on the Tet diorama thread.

Cheers