Conversions from Canada

Dated: May 12 1998.

Here are some conversions from Vic Rudik, long time collector and long time visitor to this site. His contribution, replete with scans, is reproduced verbatim below:

1:72 Scale SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare Team

No….Airfix did not finally release the SAS in 1:72 scale. These are conversions that are mostly Airfix, but with a bit of Esci mixed in.

With the stigma that is now attached to making Modern soldiers, manufacturers have generally avoided them. Esci, Matchbox and Airfix all concentrated on the modern stuff just before they stopped production. Revell has scaled new production down dramatically, just to a single modern set a year, so there appears to be some evidence to support the fears that the modern figures are a harbinger of decline. So I decided that if no one was going to make them for me, I'd make my own SAS in 1:72 scale. Besides I already had the scars to prove that I had learned the art of converting (using a hobby knife) Ouch!

I started with two types of figure, the Airfix NATO Aircrew and the Esci Warsaw Pact Soldiers. Both have gas masks (although the Warsaw Pact figures need the gas masks shaped with a sharp hobby knife. The Airfix groundcrew in their gas masks and coveralls are ¾ of the way to being SAS already!

They just need some guns. And surprisingly, the AK-47s convert quite well into HK5 submachineguns. The great thing about 1:72 scale, is that it is possible to have things close, but not perfect, and still have the detail look good. Such is the case with the machineguns. To convert an AK to an HK, just slice the banana clip magazine right up the middle, so it becomes a long and very thin 9mm magazine, and leave a sliver of the full magazine still attached at the base of the gun. Next, chop off all but a little stub off the end of the barrel, and add the scopes from Dragunov (Warsaw Pact) and M14 sniper rifles (NATO Troops). I even took one off the HK in a Dragon Models 1:32 scale weapons set. A 1:32 scale regular scope makes a great night scope in 1:72 scale. I got the shotgun (and supporting hands) from an Esci US Vietnam Special Forces figure, another machinegun from a NATO figure, and the tear gas gun from a Roco Minitanks weapons set. I also added some ammo pouches from Esci and Preiser WW2 Germans, and a coil of repelling rope around one soldier using a bit of model putty.

In the end, I spent a weekend playing Viktor von Frankenstein with a knife and Crazy Glue and ended up with the eight unpainted figures seen below (the rectangles behind them are sticky patches to hold them while I scan them):

And then I spent a night painting all eight to match the black and gray garb of the team that stormed the Iranian Embassy back in the 1980's:

Definitely a bunch of guys that you would not want to meet in a dark alley!

Vic Rudik
CANADA

End of article

Well, here are the scans that Vic sent in. There are 8 figures. The scans are in pairs, the first scan the finished figures, the second scan pre-operative:

The green guys are undoubtedly MPC's NATO ground crew, the grey guys are ESCI.


Here's the second set:

And pre-operative:


Thanks, Mr. Rudik for sending in his conversions, any comments maybe directed to him at vwra@interlog.com.

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