54mm Flag size for AWI French Infantry

[William Gibbs]

Greetings……I want to put together a Porte-Drapeau of the French Regiment Royal Deux-Ponts as he would have appeared at Yorktown, 1781. I will be using Historex spares, but I have a question about the size of the Drapeau d’Ordonnance. No problem with the painting and I will be fabricating the drapeau…..I just need the size in 54mm. I used to portray a Grenadier of the RDP and as such, participated in the 225th of Yorktown……Merci Beaucoup (or more accurately, Vielen Danke)…..Bill Gibbs

 

[valiant]

As far as Im aware, I think infantry standards of that era were around 6' square. I would go for around 50mm square....

 

[arj]

The person to contact is Daniel ('MarquisMini' on PF).
This is his pet period. He'll probably give you 'chapter and verse' on the topic.

Cheers,
Andrew

 

[William Gibbs]

I found some old pics taken at the 225th of the Yorktown Surrender. Judging from the height of our Porte-Drapeau in relation to the Drapeau, I believe you are spot on in your supposition. I’ve gotten back into Historex figures since retirement and want to do several RDP subjects…..Grenadier with bonnet a poile, Grenadier en Chapeau, Chasseur fifre (my wife’s impression), and Tambour. The Porte-Drapeau would round it out. I have a connection with the regiment….my wife used to play French horn with the Yorktown orchestra and as part of an exchange program, we lived with a family in Zweibruecken for several weeks, a close friend has an ancestor who was a Grenadier with the the RDP (took “French Leave” before the regiment went home in 1782, and another Grenadier, George Flohr, is buried 2 miles from where I grew up. As an RDP Officer, I commanded the 2eme BN of the French Line at the 225th Yorktown in 2006. Sorry for rambling…..Thanks for your help…….

 

[ivopreda]

here my version... the flag is around 6 cm square for a 1/30 figure

 

[William Gibbs]

These are some shots from the 225th. There is a mix of RDP and Lauzuns Legion. I am the far right figure in both shots. Your Porte-Drapeau is outstanding,

 

[theBaron]

I think Ivo has taken the right approach; it's what I would do, too. And that is to convert to scale rather than size. Now, he chose 1/30, and I would rather go with 1/32 for 54mm, but either way, I would use scale, a ratio, and take the 1/1 size of the flag and convert with the scale to get the dimensions.
Hope that helps, prost!
Brad

 

[ivopreda]

don't forget that when we chat about a classic 54mm we intend it measured at the eyes and not at the top.

distance between eyes and the top is approx 3mm... a quick calculation...

54x 32 =1.728
57x 32 =1.824

1.750/30 = 58,5 at the top

that means a 1/30 figure is smaller than a 1/32 measured at the eyes

 

[theBaron]

don't forget that when we chat about a classic 54mm we intend it measured at the eyes and not at the top.

distance between eyes and the top is approx 3mm... a quick calculation...

54x 32 =1.728
57x 32 =1.824

1.750/30 = 58,5 at the top

that means a 1/30 figure is smaller than a 1/32 measured at the eyes

Ah, but there are some who measure from the soles of the figure's feet to the top of his head, without head gear. 1/30 is popular among the "collector's toys" manufacturers, like King & Country, Frontline, John Jenkins, and it's comparable to 60mm. Classic 54mm, like an Imrie-Risley kit figure, is closer to 1/35. The larger "interpretation" of 54mm-I think of Ulrich Puchala's 54mm figures-is roughly 1/32.

Prost!
Brad

 

[ivopreda]

I totally agree with you about different interpretation.

For my knowledge of the figures history the 1/32 scale was fixed in the '60 by Stadden...

my preference is a 58/60 mm at the top