Scale inconsistency - Napoleonics (1 Viewer)

[Alex]

Hi,

I just came back from my local K&C dealer and bought one NA118, French Cuirassier. I like the set a lot and I was very happy to get that one.. However, when I came back home and put is side by side with some other Napoleonics... Oh boy... It was incredible... The Cuirassier was looking like a dwarf in front of my NA093 Flag bearer, and my Black Watch Officer (NA047) is well, in between.... The difference is so huge it's not even possible to put them side by side in any diorama... I'm in fact going to exchange my NA118 at my dealer for any other WWII set where there's more consistency in scale from my point of view..

Have a good night !

Alex

 

[OzDigger]

Good idea Alex, in fact I reckon you should trade all that Napoleonic stuff back in and get all WWII sets

 

[OldDragon]

... but then you have the same scale issues with the WWII sets too.

Better still, to exchange all your WWII sets & get all the NAPs ... then perhaps the size difference is less noticable. At least I haven't noticed so with mine

OD

 

[Major Major]

Generally I think K&C do a good job with the scales, the only noticeable discrepancy I've come across being the DD MP on the motorbike, which though nicely done, does look a little dimimuitive.. Comparing the NA Imperial Guard next to the regular French Infantry you can say that the detail lives up to the conditions of recruitment that the IG had to be of a greater stature.. (I suppose any other smallness in scale can be explained by poor diets during those times..!)

 

[Alex]

I'm not sure diet is the main reason for that inconsistency.. I wish I took pictures of the 3 horses side by side to show you how you can't even think of placing them in the same diorama.. My main problem with the Napoleonics is that I was planning to get all the French Cuirassiers... Unfortunately, I'll buy more Bulge sets instead... well... not unfortunately... it's indeed a good thing for my WWII collection !!!

Alex

 

[OldDragon]

Alex

You may have a point there ... in their time, them French Cuirassiers were often called " the big men on big horses ".

OD

 

[theBaron]

I imagine the French army had minimum height requirements, as the Prussians did. Can anyone confirm that? They may have had minimum height standards for the cuirassiers, given the physical demands that that cavalry type had, as shock cavalry, as opposed to the other cavalry types, like hussars and mounted Chasseurs, whose demands tended to require more nimble riders and mounts.

The Prussians took no one under 5' 6" for a cuirassier, and most tended to be 6' tall or taller. For their hussars, they tended to take smaller men, with 5' 6" being a maximum.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Spitfrnd]

I'm not sure diet is the main reason for that inconsistency.. I wish I took pictures of the 3 horses side by side to show you how you can't even think of placing them in the same diorama.. My main problem with the Napoleonics is that I was planning to get all the French Cuirassiers...

Alex

Are you saying the horses or the horses and riders for the Cuirassiers are largely different sizes? From the pictures I have seen posted, they don't appear that much different.

As I posted in a similar thread on scale, it is not uncommon to see a 15% size differential in horses, we have that in 2 of the ones we own. For the Cuirassers I would expect a smaller diffential, perhaps no more than 10%. For the riders, the range was likely more like 10 to 15%. For modeling purposes this would translate into up to a 6 to 9mm difference in height.

 

[damian]

The Curassier and his horse in full regalia apparently weighed in at just about a ton. They were heavy cavalry that smashed in to infantry squares. Teh Chasseurs were small men on small horses that is hwy they were light cavalry. The K and C Chasseurs had quite big horses to be honest.
Regards
Damian

 

[Spitfrnd]

The Curassier and his horse in full regalia apparently weighed in at just about a ton. They were heavy cavalry that smashed in to infantry squares. ...

That makes sense. My largest horse stands 17.1 hands and weighs about 1600 lbs in competition fitness. He is a German breed (Holsteiner) and his ancestors undoubtedly were some the the horses that were in the heavy cavalry. Add a 250 lb rider and a bit of armor and weapons and you are at a ton.