Please excuse me as I feel the need to vent a bit. There are quite a number of companies that make all manner of AFV crew figures be they styrene or resin. However, it seems to me that the majority of these depict crew that are not in the AFV. Do others feel the same way. I for one like my crewmen to actually be in the AFV not standing around on or next to the vehicle. Not say ing tht there arn't any just that most seem to be standing figures not actually mounted in the AFV.

I can vouch for the Tamiya Sheridan figures as being well-posed and accurate in appearance.

The TC is manning the .50 cal, while the loader is posed sitting on the open hatch, with one leg dropped into the hatch opening, while cradling an M16.

Both of these are scanning their sectors, TC right and loader left.

The driver is clearly an African-American, wearing sunglasses.

Now, these are not after-market, which is what the original poster might have been referring to, but they clearly reflect where the focus is moving to. Good job, Tamiya!

Thank you for mentioning Tamiya. They are the notable exception. Not only do most of their AFV kits include crewman the crew are actually manning their vehicle.

I'll take it one step further. From about the early 50's through the early 80's the United States Army was involved in the "Cold War", with soldiers stationed around the world, especially in Germany. For most of that period the Army had the equivalent of around 5 Divisions, organized in 2 Corps with tons of other support units as a part of USAREUR. These soldiers wore the plain "fatigue" uniform, NOT the same as the WW II uniform, steel pot helmet, not the "jungle fatigues" from Viet Nam, nor the BDU and later style uniforms which came into use with the Gulf War.

Yeah, I get this was a "cold" war not a "real" war, but HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of soldiers wore these uniforms (summer and winter) in all sorts of field situations and exercises with their vehicles, both in plain OD and later in MASSTER and MERDC pattern paint, and other than a VERY few options (the Tamiya M577 kit comes to mind) I have been unable to find ANY figures wearing this style uniform! That's over 30 years of history with NO coverage. I've got about 15 vehicles I'd love to turn into a Cold War Germany diorama and do I really have to try to modify the same four figures into all the poses needed for about 30 figures?

Some of their M3 Scout Car crew resemble Asian Red Army soldiers. You don't see that level of attention to details from a mainstream manufacturer often...

Yeah, entirely too many turret lizards hanging "around" as opposed to crew "in" their vehicles. Freaking annoying.

And most WW2 US tankers are in full winter gear with the jackets and overalls for the Battle of the Bulge. Nobody in shirtsleeves for Normandy! How about HB twill overalls for Tunisa? A whole lot of empty hatches in M3 lights and Mediums.

Now I'm pretty creative with conversions uniforms for Cold War fatigues but there's no reason I should have to be when I can find a World War II Gernan in practically every variety of uniform ever worn.

The pockets, cuffs, collar and cut of trousers did not significantly change between 1944 and 1984. The M65 field jacket in 1/35 is virtually indistinguishable from the World War II one. Cotton fatigues in the 1950s-60s had thigh pockets. Lots of conversion. But if there were figures out of the box --

Sorry guys, but you're in cake walk territory.
Try 1/16th scale & Commonwealth figures (Beret Wearers)if you want lack of figures.

Mal

Stalingrad miniatures makes a great set of Panther and King Tiger crew figures inside their respective tanks. Loader, commander, radio, driver, gunner - in the tank.

Valkyrie also makes nice Cold War figures but they are not depicted in the tank, rather in the hatches/cupolas.

Hope this helps.
Felix