Plastic Soldier Review: AIRFIX 1/32 JAPANESE INFANTRY

PLASTIC SOLDIER REVIEW OF AIRFIX WW2 1/32 SCALE JAPANESE INFANTRY

[@stephenhunt2806]

An excellent review of one of my favourite sets. I had the original 29 figure set in the early 70s, when I would put them up against the Airfix Aussies, usually after an episode of "Spyforce"! I bought my "current" set of 14 figures in 1986 and on checking the box today, they were made in France in 1981, still in the sand colour though.

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

When i saw these were the colour they were i actually thought they were fakes to be honest Stephen. I've only ever thought they were the sand colour!

[@manweller1]

Wow taken me back a bit I had the ones from the 79/80 good days. Hours&hours of fun good days that sadly we won’t see again

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Yes I think we've both seen the end of those days Paul!

[@pbeccas]

This brings back some memories. I bought two boxes in the late 80’s although my guys were tan plastic.

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Tan was much better!!

[@mark6310]

Wow thats a old set and hard to find, nice score getting that!!!

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Yes i was surprised i got it Mark!!

[@HO-bndk]

I remember I got a box of these for Christmas one year in the 1970s, the same day that "Bridge on the River Kwai" came on the telly.

[@scockery]

I recall there's bootlegs of these that are 1/72 or close to it. They are not the best quality, though, being cheapo bootlegs sold as cheap toys, not scale soldiers. There's also 1/72 bootlegs of the 1:32 British paratroopers that are quite crude, sometimes strangely mixed with 1/32 USMC bootlegs molded in the same color like they are the same unit. (Note, they are not bootlegs of the Airfix 1/72 US Marines, they only have the 1/32 poses including the officer.) The extra hilarious part was the ones I got were paired against an enemy force: noticeably taller French Foreign Legion. (Not sure what they were bootlegged from, not Airfix) I probably got the set at a dollar store.

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

See if you can find them, that would be a great video

[@scockery]

@@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW I've no idea where I put them in all my stuff. There's a lot of the Japanese are on ebay right now. I found a lot. I guess the bootleggers never bothered with the kneeling pose since it lacked a stand. The seller wants waaaay too much for them. www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-toy-soldiers-JAPANESE-ARMY-vehicles-set-1950s-60s-Hong-Kong-1-72/114384296403?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D4a01c0cecf66428faf3e8be157852592%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D293669629615%26itm%3D114384296403%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A1cc1a2cf-ec8c-11ea-b4f3-74dbd18022a7%7Cparentrq%3A4b36b66d1740aad92a46af09fffff31a%7Ciid%3A1

[@mjgg07]

You forgot to mention the WWII Russian Infantry 1/72 bootlegs that were made in Hong Kong based on the Airfix 1/32 soldiers.

[@basicminiaturepainting]

Really nice review,nice set for the age of it

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

It still holds up!

[@DrCreamFilms]

Very high quality sculpted figures

[@Emdee5632]

I have the 1973 set (code no. 51455-4 for the nerds) with 29 figures. It's weird the Type 11 light machine gun is being used by the figures in the box, and on the box art on the front - however on one side of the box there is a depiction of the later and more modern Type 96 machine gun. Another example is the (apparent?) Springfield 1903 bolt action rifle (you can only see the front of the rifle) on the 1970s 1/32 American Infantry box art, the one in which they are leaving their landing boats and are coming ashore. The set inside HAS no soldiers armed with Springfields. Imho the most notorious example is the SMG monstrosity on the box art and in the box of the 1970s German Infantry. What the ** is that smg supposed to be? Certainly not a MP40. This inconsisteny between box art and the actual contents of the boxes permeates many or most of 1970s 1/32 Airfix sets. It's as if the box art artists didn't know what the figure designers were doing and vica versa. I believe it also has to do with the earlier 1960s sets? What is known about the differences?

[@glencochrane901]

The colors of the plastic were a lot better in the 70's. The Japanese were tan. Did they later on produce the hideous colors so that you would have to buy the paints to fix the unsightly plastic colors?

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Hmmm...I never thought of that Glen, that is possible....

[@Emdee5632]

Indeed the Japanese 1970s set was tan or pale yellow - the same colour as the figures of the British Eight Army, and the German Afrika Korps. However I have no idea of the exact colours and hues of WW2 Japanese uniforms. For examply I recently bought the Hornby 1/32 British Infantry set. I have no idea in what colour the figures of the original 1980s set were in, by the time the set was finally released I had stopped buying WW2 figure sets.. I would guess the usual green... The Hornby set is brown, and I think the colour isn't far off what the actual standard WW2 Britsh uniform colour was.

[@jasonmcguire7846]

I bought this pack circa 1974 possibly earlier

[@IMCproductions]

I just have the guy running with the arisaka rifle, the soldier with the katana and the soldier crawling with his machine gun

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Need more!!

[@darrenhall7636]

I have the Japanese 1:32 scale on airfix but I don't know what to paint it well there a lot of Japanese coloured uniforms in ww2 but I don't know which uniform suits me best to paint. I was actually thinking about painting it the type 99 uniform but my dad actually did a test on one of the figures but it didn't turn out as good as I expected it to be! You'd probbably bee thinking that I could go on the internet and look at the painting guide and print it out but I don't always copy the painting guide you see. BTW I don't have the japanese 1:32 scale box to protect the figures....so yeah...I put it in a plastic bag!

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Sounds like you put a lot of thought into your figures Aden, i put the Airfix paint guide in to help!

[@darrenhall7636]

And I am also working on a Crete mini diorama for 1:32 scale with the British infantry support group vs the German paratroops (Fallschrimäger)

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

@@darrenhall7636 hopefully you can post a video when it's finished Aden

[@darrenhall7636]

I actually do have a KZbin channel but I only have 4 subs

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

@@darrenhall7636 that's how it normally starts so don't worry!!

[@thomasmatzen477]

Figuren finde ich klasse jedes Land oft franzosentime

[@makoarobles7373]

So type 38 arisaka is long, but type 99 arisaka is short.

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

yes

[@makoarobles7373]

Tenno heika BANZAAAAIIII!

[@headlessguy8733]

You should review the Mars 1/32 Japanese sets

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Been looking at mars sets a few months back but I have not yet taken the plunge.....but it will happen

[@headlessguy8733]

TOY SOLDIER REVIEW Do it. Mars is getting better and better. Be a bit forgiving when viewing the early ones such as the Japanese Infantry set. Luftwaffe Field Division is in my opinion the best, so far.

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

@@headlessguy8733 i'll check it out now!

[@kevlarsteiner8978]

Excellent

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Not a bad set!!

[@Sgt-lott10]

Nice

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Good set!

[@jaads7910]

The ones I had were bright yellow

[@heinzpasulke7981]

i had all of the airfix figures 1/32 and 1/72 in my childhood in the 70th....sadly i sold them in the early 80th! Today i want them back, but the plastic they use is horrible...what a shame....i could slap myself😕😬😬

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Agreed john, that was an oldish set i reviewed as well!

[@ridhopambudi8503]

Bro, if you buy and sell online, the price is up to how many dollars so I want to buy the Japanese army one?

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Just depends but much different in the us dollar unless a different country?

[@markcollins9903]

Nice set mix it with multiple set

[@Emdee5632]

It's probably about 40 years ago I bought my last set of Airfix 1/32 scale figures and it just WEIRD to see these Japanese Infantry figures in this strange dark colour! My 1970s set was this very light yellow-ochre colour - the same colour as the Airfix 1/32 scale British 8th Infantry and the German Afrika Korps. I often combined the three sets and let them fight the Green army, the Grey army etc.

[@samwessels8216]

it is a katana not a samurai sword. its like someone says ninja sword makes people angry

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

Who said Ninja Sword

[@chrispacer4231]

I HAVE THE 1/76 JAPANESE INFANTRY BY AIRFIX...

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

I didn't like that kit very much

[@mjgg07]

@@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW the bootlegs are better than the Airfix 1/72 kit. It’s a shame that Airfix didn’t produce a proper 1/72 version.

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

@@mjgg07 very true just like the brit paras

[@mjgg07]

@@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW and the Russian infantry.

[@ridhopambudi8503]

Sir, the real price in the online buying and selling market is up to how much U$?🥺🙏🙏

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

No idea

[@markcollins9903]

For diferant poses

[@philgray8811]

It was a great shame that their 1/72 Japanese were so different from these sculpts

[@TOYSOLDIERREVIEW]

The Japanese 1/72 Airfix set was terrible

[@mjgg07]

Fortunately the 1/72 Hong Kong copies were made using these poses.

[@Emdee5632]

I was also disappointed with 1/72 scale British and Russian infantry compared to their 1/32 counterparts. Some 1/72 Airfix figures sets were good but the sets I have, almost all 1970s era and a few from the 1980s, show a lot of difference in overall quality..

[@sabinerensenbrink6896]

Wundervoll

[@manuelmaggioli9077]

Strange color...