This week’s Hing Fat figure samples on the painting table are … WW2 Chinese Nationalists
WW2 Chinese Nationalist troops are an unusual choice of figure for a maker to choose, although not so strange when you consider that these Hing Fat figures are marked on the base “Made in China”.
Presumably they are designed to oppose the Hing Fat WW2 Japanese range, backed up by the WW2 Australians?
Chinese WWII uniforms and equipment were very varied, they used any available German, US, French and British material. I found a few clues and images online on Wikipedia and other sources.
Not sure of the image source or illustrator here on this website
All that remains to do is a gloss spray varnish as suits their simple paint scheme.
Previous Hing Fat 54mm figure samples from Peter Evans (who sells on eBay at Figsculpt) include WW2 French, WW2 Italians and WW2 Russians which you can see painted here at:
My childhood 1:32 Airfix figures 1-4, vs. my Man of TIN Prince August 54mm homecast avatar (right, figure 5)
A couple of blog readers have asked in the comments section how tall my Hing Fat sample figures are in relation to what I call standard 1:32 or 54mm figures like Airfix.
Hing Fat figures 1-4 , Airfix figure 5 (right)
The very tall Hing Fat drummer ‘boy’ and tall knight left, Hing Fat third and fourth, Airfix right. Airfix 1&2 left, Hing Fat 3&4 centre, Britain’s hollowcast right.
These you can see are measured from bottom of base to top of hat, whereas others measure from feet to top of normal head, excluding tall headgear.
So those who call this traditional toy soldier size two inch warriors are close enough (especially without base and hat).
Four figure samples of Hing Fat 54mm WW2 Italian Infantry
Hing Fat 54mm Samples group 3: The next instalment of painted Hing Fat 54mm plastic sample figures are these WW2 Italian infantry.
You may have read in my previous posts on WW2 French Infantry and WW2 Russian Infantry about how these arrived as a Lockdown gift from Peter Evans. These are spare sample figures – Peter imports these China Made figures and regularly sells sets of Hing Fat figures on his eBay shop figsculpt.
The whole unpainted Italian set in bright green plastic (!) can be seen on Peter’s eBay shop here:
Image: Figsculpt EBay site with permission.
I compared these Italian figures to the Airfix WW2 Italian Infantry which I painted in OOHO and 1:32 scale back around 1980. The latter larger figures are quite the collectors’ item now, due to a short production run.
The Hing Fat Italian’s eleven poses included this curious Bersaglieri, those of the splendid feathers on the hat or helmet and the impressive running trumpet playing.
Something about the gloves and jacket suggested snow clothing, so I checked out a suitable WW2 figure (albeit an Alpini?) Funcken’s Arms and Uniforms 18th Century to the Present Day – see further below.
The boots or legging on these Italian figures range from puttees to leather knee leggings. I like the contrast of the curious green grey leather of Italian equipment with the white snow jacket.
Hing Fat figures are toy soldiers, not military models. They are sometimes criticised for their over large weapons but these would survive vigorous play unlikesome more fragile figures.
Funcken, 18th Century to the Present Day (left) snow suited Alpine Infantry WW2 figure and (right) Mollo / McGregor Blandford Colour Army Uniforms of WW2
One of the other figures has the curious soft fez headgear worn by blackshirts. Again in various uniform books, these are shown in Italian grey or desert khaki, so I opted for a desert khaki figure for contrast.
These fez figures would make some interesting Spanish Civil War conversions.
Finally the figure that look most like the Airfix poses, the lying down crawling whilst throwing a grenade action pose. I have amounted him on an MDF bases so you can see home more clearly and he can stand.
What took a while to track down before posting here were my Airfix Italian Infantry figures, not much used since they were painted c. 1980 / early 80s. I remember these coming out, a brand new set of Airfix figures, an exciting event worth saving the pocket money for.
Here to finish off are some comparison shots of Hing Fat and the nearest equivalent Airfix figures:
Hing Fat left, Airfix right.Hing Fat centre, Airfix left and rightHing Fat centre , Airfix left and right
The original seven Airfix poses with their battered 1980s paintwork including the stylish officer. Only one figure of my original 28 has a damaged rifle to repair.
So an interesting set, worth a few sets acquiring for games or conversions.
Next week’s sample will be … a surprise. (I haven’t decided yet.)
Meanwhile check out the Hing Fat range on Peter Evans Figsculpt eBay site.
The full set of the Hing Fat WW2 Russians (image: Figsculpt EBay site)
These are attractive figures that remind me of Airfix and Matchbox, which I would happily have bought and played with as a child and that work well today.
I have painted these with glossy shiny toy soldier style with pink cheek dots but I have yet to gloss varnish these. These were painted using Revell Aquacolor Acrylics. My gloss spray varnish supplies nursed through Lockdown have finally run out.
Some lively Russian figures and a curiously posed rifleman, shooting from high up or aiming low.
I like the range of costume and headgear, as well as the one with shovel tucked into a belt, protecting the back? Armour plating?
Size comparison with 1:32 Airfix Russians that I painted and gloss varnished when I was a child.
One of my 45 year old Airfix Russians had a crumbling base and missing SMG barrel end, so this has been repaired with wire and a new MDF base. He lives to fight again alongside the new Hing Fat recruits.
Curiously the old Airfix 1:32 Russians are not currently in the Airfix winter 2021 rerelease / preorder. Previous releases are around secondhand online.
Pound Store Plastic Warriors 