OOps that didn´t come out as planned. Well I think I´ve solved it now .So here are the 4 figures I´ve done using Dml Desert Rats & Tamiya JGSDF legs,some arms,heads & a head from Hornet but I´ve just realized that I´ll have to scratch-build a chinstrap ( or more if want to use more Hornet heads.Obviously the painting isn´t finished yet .There is also the Taliban head that was a Dml head that I converted by putting a beard & hat in epoxy putty. I will have to do some re-touching there with the paint. I haven´t been able to do much lately but some of the stuff like the taliban head have been in my spares box for years.Should I use a mule from the Tamiya set piled high with stuff with the figures? I´ll add some cables & slings to them then look in the spares box again. One can see a difference in scale.

Hi Mike
Very nice, its a shame we modern british modellers have to convert as there is a distinct lack on the shelves!!! However, you've made a very nice job of it. My question is, in the last photo, how come the figure at the front is so much smaller, are the ones at the back a different make to Tamiya/Dragon. Also are these going to be put in a dio I assume. Once again, very nice job, I hadn't thought about using the JGSDF figures to convert to Brits!! Keep us updated, Nick

great job so far, as nick said shame we have to convert to get any decent Brit figures, but these look real good , i like the smaller guy up front he could be a young soldier on his first tour . one thing though i think terry taliban is a bit light skinned but it could just be the pic, keep us informed of your progress. !!!!!!!

The little fella at the front is not going to be placed with the others because there is some difference in scale between the Verlinden ones behind. The weapons aren´t the same size either & if anybody has them to compare just take a look at the size difference of aTamiya 1:35 SAW & a Dragon SAW. I think I will have to shorten the barrel on the Tamiya one that I used because on all the photos I´ve seen they are shorter barrels. I did consider (ha ! for just an instant) converting one of the rifles with an Under-slung Grenade Launcher but lost my nerve; It´s not impossible though because I´ve seen some good photos of the UGL on the web. Terry Taliban is going to get retouched because as I said he´s been in the spares box for a long time & is a bit worst for wear. I am also going to make him a longer shirt in epoxy putty. For anybody considering anything similar but with the newest body armour I looked at the Dragon Vietnam chopper crew torsos in my spares box & think they would be appropriate with the minimum of effort to convert.

Yeah, just a bit, the verlinden ones appear to be twice the size , do you have any idea which one is technically correct for 1/35 scale?? Nice idea about the body armour. Also, did your JGSDF set come with a MINIME, if so I would recommend giving it to one of your figures as it is quite widely used by our troops on patrol, as far as I can tell. Nick

MINIMI is what the Americans call the SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon) & I have equiped one of them with the Tamiya version that came with the JGSDF set ,however on one of the photos you can see a Dragon version on the shoulder of a Verlinden figure instead of the GPMG that came with them. On the first photo I used some paper that comes in cigarette boxes ,I separated the paper from the foil in water then applied it to the helmet to give the effect of the para helmet just to see really ,so I think I might just do them all like that now.As for what is "technically correct" for 1/35, I think the smaller ones are the most accurate & the Verlinden ones look more like the things I´ve seen in 1/32 or 54mm.

OOPS, my bad sorry.

Nick