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PLA Tank Crew Figures?

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  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
PLA Tank Crew Figures?
Posted by Gamera on Sunday, December 18, 2011 1:53 PM

Ok, here's a question out of left field! I've picked up several modern PLA (People's Republic of China) tanks and IFVs. Other than a few sets of marching infantry made by Bronco and some figures with a PLA 'jeep' by Trumpeteer I can't find much of any PLA figures and all of those are infantry.

I'm comfortable with modifing the Bronco marching sets with other figures to get some infantry.

PLA Infantry:

Special Forces:

Paratroopers:

 

But I can't find any decent photos of tank crew uniforms!

This shows camo uniforms but caps instead of helmets:

This shows Russian/Soviet looking helmets but it's hard to make out anything from the size of the photo:

 

Anyone have any ideas? I have a set of Hornet 'East Asian' heads that I can kitbash with modern Russian/Soviet tanker helmets and I'm sure I can modify the uniforms as well. If I only had better photos to go by.

Did my web search with several variations on 'PLA tank crew uniforms' and 'Chinese tank crew uniforms' - anyone have a better idea?

Cliff

PS: Ok this is a figure question but I'm going to use them with armor so I suppose it's also an armour question eh?

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    March 2007
Posted by KAYSEE88 on Monday, December 19, 2011 5:47 AM

Gamera

Did my web search with several variations on 'PLA tank crew uniforms' and 'Chinese tank crew uniforms' - anyone have a better idea?

Cliff

 

i just saved you some headache. How you going to thank me, Cliff?? Stick out tongue

Buy this Trumpeter kit (#314).....it has 3 crew figures inside. OOH LA LA LA LA !!!!!

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: NYC, USA
Posted by waikong on Monday, December 19, 2011 12:19 PM

How about this?  One trick you can do is go to translate.google.com, put in "PLA tank crew' and translate to Chinese (simplified). Then click on the images link in search results. You'll hit all the Chinese sites with pictures.  Not too many PLA pictures in English sites.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2011-10/27/122203918_11n.jpg

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Monday, December 19, 2011 10:30 PM

Kaysee: Thanks! I'd read on an another site that some of the older stuff did come with figures but they didn't list which ones! I'm going to try to kitbash some but if all else fails I'll definably give some of those figures a look.

Waikong: Thanks, that photo you posted is the best I've seen yet! I think I can take some other head sets and a little putty and make some helmets like that. Love the digital camo.  And I'll give the translation a try too, I'd never even thought of that!

 

ToastThanks again to both of you! I didn't expect anyone would know, this was a bit of a last ditch effort!

If I can ever do anything for either of you don't hesitate to ask! Bow Down

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 7:20 AM

.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 8:10 AM

Rob & Kaysee: I think I have everything I need to kit-bash the figures but I'll certainly keep those Trumpeter kits in mind. Wouldn't mind buying one of those just to build it, funny I've never built any Cold War Soviet tanks other than a T-72 and T-80 (way back in the last years of the Cold War somewhere around '89-'91) and the Chinese version would be cool and different.   

Thanks again guys!!!

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 10:32 PM

Gamera,

Necro thread!!!  Big Smile

Five years later after the last post, Trumpeter releases a dedicated tank crew set.  No more trying to modify the goose-stepping ladies from the Bronco "Goose-Stepping Ladies" set into tankers!

https://flic.kr/p/GEkWqY] [/url]PLA Crew-01 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/H2xnPw] [/url]PLA Crew-02 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/GEkSjw] [/url]PLA Crew-03 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

The good news is you can build SIX figures from the box.  The bad news is that the tooling is kind of like a 1970s Tamiya kit.  The six bodies are all identical, so the saluting guy option looks odd, since his shoulder is not rotated up.  The tanker helmets have poor earphone definition, so looks like M. Brindo's tips on detailing older figures is timely.  Two machine guns are included, as well as two sheets of camouflage print decals and one set of uniform insignia.  That last bit is often overlooked by kit makers, so they are definitely welcome.

https://flic.kr/p/GEkQhA] [/url]PLA Crew-05 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/Ga6qCr] [/url]PLA Crew-06b by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/GYsque] [/url]PLA Crew-09 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/Ga1uBE] [/url]PLA Crew-13 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/H2xgCJ] [/url]PLA Crew-12 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

Until better plastic or resin PLA tankers appear, these will have to do.

 

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:35 PM

Hey thanks G! Believe it or not I actually saw these a few weeks ago but haven't ordered them yet. Big BIG thank you for the review and photos of the sprues. Weird that they molded the same body over and over but I can make do since I want them sticking out of the hatches instead of standing around. And gee whiz, I'd completely forgotten I even posted this way way back then!

 

Nutty as it sounds I'm currently trying to resculpt a Vietnam civilian figure into a Japanese geisha for a dio... Propeller

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Thursday, May 12, 2016 1:45 PM

Gamera,

I stumbled on your post when I tried to Google a kit review for this set.  Funny, it seems like we have similar tastes in models.  You'd better have yourself checked out by a doctor!  Stick out tongue

BTW, i noticed on your original post that the fellows in your photos have soft headgear which looks like, but is definitely different from the Soviet stuff.  Too bad Hornet doesn't make them as well as the style that Trumpeter did.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Friday, May 13, 2016 7:59 AM

Actually the doctor told me I was absolutly normal- he shortened it to abnormal though, lazy guy. I'd come visit you if it wasn't so far to drive to Hawaii Propeller

I was wondering too about the Soviet style helmets in the photos as compared to the solid ones. Guess they're the newer style. Anyway you use them it's not like many people are experts on PLA uniforms to point errors out. Like my friend Terry that builds mostly Second World War French aircraft, he took one to a show and was laughing about over-hearing the judges 'Darned if I know if it's right or not- it's French...' 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

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