Having had a whinge lately about Tamiya providing a piece of (quality?) string lately, in several Full-Option kits (Panther, Pz IV etc.,) to simulated metal tow cables/hawsers, I thought I'd have a whinge at some crew offerings from rival manufacturers. Given that a £900 kit from Tamiya can provide string as a substitute for a metal cable, perhaps it's no surprise that a £400-500 top end Torro, Taigen and £ 300 Heng long can provide these misfits:-
This chunky Heng Long character owes more to Chairman Mao statues, than to WW2 german crewmen:
![Hauptmann Mao](./download/file.php?id=69704&sid=2f77fa124110f9f4f734f873f4f9a993)
- Hauptmann Mao
- Hauptmann Von Mao.jpeg (78.84 KiB) Viewed 4305 times
It's not simply the lack of detail in these figures that irks, but it's also the case that they're not in the scale they claim to be. After all, you don't want an 8ft tall crewman on top of your prize Tamiya Or Taigen, do you?
Just take a look at Heng Long's Huge Hans. There's just no way someone with his proportions could even get through the cupola into the turret or casemate.
![Heng Long Commander A.jpeg (166.49 KiB) Viewed 4305 times Heng Long's Huge Hans can't get his butt though the hatch](./download/file.php?id=69705&t=1&sid=2f77fa124110f9f4f734f873f4f9a993)
- Heng Long's Huge Hans can't get his butt though the hatch
Thwarted, Hans has an animated discussion here with a Lamb's a*rse.
![Heng Long Commander B.jpeg (136.62 KiB) Viewed 4305 times Huge Hans in an intense discussion with a Sheep's buttocks](./download/file.php?id=69706&t=1&sid=2f77fa124110f9f4f734f873f4f9a993)
- Huge Hans in an intense discussion with a Sheep's buttocks
Here he is making the Tamiya Pz IV hatch look weeny...
![Heng Long Huge Hans.jpeg (177.6 KiB) Viewed 4305 times Huge Hans-tries to get into a Tamiya Cupola unsuccessfully](./download/file.php?id=69707&t=1&sid=2f77fa124110f9f4f734f873f4f9a993)
- Huge Hans-tries to get into a Tamiya Cupola unsuccessfully
Ok, Hans is meant to be holding a pet dog..the Abteilung's mascot, I expect. But it could be the Invisible woman..
Painless and his 'Crazy Joe' have slipped into legend. However, with a £200-300 tank from Taigen, you could get to meet his German cousin, 'Verrückte Josef'.
![Heng Long Verrückte Josef.jpeg (194.11 KiB) Viewed 4305 times Heng Long- Taigen 'Verrückte Josef' with Hauptmann Mao and lookalike](./download/file.php?id=69708&t=1&sid=2f77fa124110f9f4f734f873f4f9a993)
- Heng Long- Taigen 'Verrückte Josef' with Hauptmann Mao and lookalike
The point is, however, for a considerable outlay of cash, you should be able to expect better figures than these.
![Thinking :think:](./images/smilies/icon_think.gif)
If you have seen Tom's Cromwell commander, you'll know what I mean.
The question is, then,who makes the best 1/16 scale tank crew figures? By best, I mean in kit form, or pre-painted and complete?
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.