I'll start this rather tardy post with the conversions I made to create elements of French line cavalry. I am in the process of 'mixing and matching' creating the different
French cavalry formations which, while readily available in metal,
are...well...metal and thus heavy. I like the plastic sculpts and
transporting is lighter.
My Line Lanciers (above photo) are hussar horses, dragoon bodies, dragoon helmets
with carabinier crests attached and dismounted dragoon arms with the
carbine removed and lance added. This dragoon model has the heavy gloves close in the body which would be difficult to remove as well as its heavy boots, but illustrations I have seen (also noted in the Osprey book of the topic) has found them with such apparel and blackened.
My Chasseurs a Cheval (French light horse) are hussar horses, dragoon trumpeter torsos (minus the lace which I scraped off), hussar legs and infantry forage caps!
The above unit is rather unique. With the quick transition from the Restoration back to the rule of Napoleon, many units took the expedient route and quickly removed any royalist markings. The 1st Chasseurs, being the first and given the Roi title were given special helmets by the King. While they removed the "RO" they apparently left the I (the 1st) and did not change this headgear which they used in the 100 days (Waterloo) Campaign.
My unit is again scraped off lace work of the trumpeter upper torso (the Perrys thoughtfully offered two upper torsos) attached to hussar legs and given Carabiniers helmets with a different paint job.
My units are only three strong (elements) so not much work and fun to do.
