1/32 Lancaster - Do We Really Want It - Or Would Something Else Have Been Better?

[JohnT]

The 1/32 Lancaster - am I going to buy one? Well of course I will. I was very pleased when I first heard that this was on the cards and its up there high on my purchase list. I will no doubt pre order and eagerly tear open the parcel when it arrives in due course.

Since it was announced the passage of time has allowed me some second thoughts. No more than musings really and while I will still buy one I realised that I would far rather have seen a quality injected 1/48 scale Halifax and Stirling to match the existing Lancaster in that scale. I am talking detailed accurate injected models and ignoring short run or vacs for this thread I am ignoring the other options of the FM Halifax or Sanger vacs etc here.

The size of the 1/32 Lancaster will give many storage issues to boot whereas 1/48 is not quite such a headache.

Its just a personal preference but I wonder how many others would "swap" the opportunity to own a 1/32 Lanc for the alternative of having all 3 RAF Heavies in 1/48 scale and the Wellington plus Mosquito? Just add the Hampden and Whitley and a conversion kit for the Manchester (Oh Neil whereart thou when needed) and you pretty much have WW2 Bomber Command in 1/48

Anyone, or am I just a lone voice on that one?

Of course it can be done using Vacs etc but the purpose of my post is to contrast whether we might prefer 1/48 additions to the scene rather than a lone Lanc in 1/32 (unless those doing the Lanc plan 1/32 Halifaxes and Stirlings later - now that would be time)

[Jennings Heilig]

I'm curious - where have you heard that a 1/32 Lancaster is definitely in anyone's cards? There's only one company doing 1/32 bombers that I know of (HK Models), and I'm not aware of their having announced, hinted at, or otherwise that they're doing a Lancaster.

[theredguy]

1/32 scale Lancaster, B-17 and Gloster Meteor all in the new Pocketbond cat i got from my local model shop....

[JohnT]

Hi Jennings

I read on here that HK announced it a while back and there have been postings with links to web pages of cad drawings as I recall.

Linky here

http://www.hk-models.de/p2_06.htm

John

[Learstang]

You make a good point, John. However, if I had to choose, I'd choose the 1/32nd scale Lancaster. The breadth of detailing this scale would allow will be amazing. I guess I'm just not a big fan of "quarter-scale". I like my models either (relatively) small, as in 1/72nd scale, or big and detailed, as in 1/32nd scale. Let's put it this way, I have nine built 1/72nd scale Shturmoviks, and one I've built in 1/32nd scale, but my four 1/48th scale kits, all lovely kits, still languish in Some Day Land.

Regards,

Jason

[AndyC]

Horses for courses - 1/32 is just too big for display. If, however, your 'thing' is detail and more detail then 1/32 is perfect

[JohnT]

You make a good point, John. However, if I had to choose, I'd choose the 1/32nd scale Lancaster. The breadth of detailing this scale would allow will be amazing. I guess I'm just not a big fan of "quarter-scale". I like my models either (relatively) small, as in 1/72nd scale, or big and detailed, as in 1/32nd scale. Let's put it this way, I have nine built 1/72nd scale Shturmoviks, and one I've built in 1/32nd scale, but my four 1/48th scale kits, all lovely kits, still languish in Some Day Land.

Regards,

Jason

Thats a point well made Jason. Like you I prefer the bigger scales for the same reason however might it be that your 1/48 Shturmoviks languish because the size of that plane cries out for bigger scale treatment in the model whereas anything of the size of a WW2 Heavy 4 engine aircraft or bigger just gets too bulky except as an occasional one off centre piece of display type model? Totally agree about the detailing opportunities though.

Horses for courses - 1/32 is just too big for display. If, however, your 'thing' is detail and more detail then 1/32 is perfect

Agree Andy - ties in with what I said above

What I was wondering about is though - would either of you guys swap the chance of a 1/32 Lanc for 1/48 Halifaxes and Stirlings (setting aside sales and product commerciality etc for the moment)

Edited February 24, 2013 by JohnT

[pacificmustang]

Yep, I would, for one John. I also hope that if this gets released they scale it down to 48 scale as well as the B17.

The available kits, although nice are a bit long in the tooth and both have their respective fir issues

Bruce

[Aero Imageworks]

I'll buy one after all the hype dies down (and the price) and stick this massive lump of plastic in the garden next to the geraniums.

[Learstang]

We may be getting to the point where technology is outstripping what's economically feasible and/or practical in terms of display. It used to be that an injection-moulded model the size of a 1/32nd scale B-17 or Lancaster wasn't possible (or practical); now it is. So now the question is 1) how do I pay for it, and 2) where do I put it once built? I'll admit that these are serious questions, but frankly, I'm glad to have this quandary. If someone someday comes out with a 1/32nd scale B-36, I will think about buying it, despite the totally outrageous size of the thing. I say put everything in plastic, and let us modeller's sort it out! So the best case scenario is to have the 1/32nd scale Lancaster, and have a new-mould one, and Halifax, and Stirling, in 1/48th scale also. I realise your question was more of a choice between the two, but I choose having both options, if possible. So I want it all!

Regards,

Jason

Edited February 24, 2013 by Learstang

[Julien]

I will never buy a 1/32 model that large, its to big for me to build in my work space, and I have no where it could be displayed.

Now a 1.48 Stirling would be streaching things but that's an aircraft I would buy.

Julien

[gingerbob]

I also think 1/32 4-engine bombers is getting a bit silly, but I'd sure be interested in examining the kit!

bob

[Ian M]

I have been holding off on the 1/48 lanc due to where to put the thing...A 1/32 scale one......I think I will pass on that.

Would love the 1/48 bomber command though.

[593jones]

I like the idea of a 1/32 Lancaster, but the reality is it is too big to be practical, for me, anyway. Now, a 1/48 Bomber Command collection would be much more doable (is that actually a word?). I would love kits of the Stirling, Halifax and Manchester, plus Hampden and Whitley. Ok, collectively they would take up more room than a 1/32 Lanc, but they would give me much more pleasure to build.

[Shar2]

Well, having just pre-ordered the HK 1:32 B-17 it would be rude not to get the Lanc as well. No I don't have anywhere to display it, yet, but hopefully in the future a larger modelling/display area is on the cards. Here's to forward thinking.

[martinj]

Would love the Lanc. BUT and this is a big one where in gods name would i put it?

ok what the hell bought the Revell U-boat in 1/72 without thinking about where so yes i`ll have it

(just don`t let the wife know )

martin

[turnerdad]

I'm sure the Lanc and B-17 will be stunning and no doubt I'll get one of both as Xmas pressies at some point but there is no denying that what we really need is a whole range of new 1/48 allied heavy and medium bombers, it's just about the last big area of modelling subject material that has not as yet been addressed. We have the old Monogram and Tamiya kits but I'd love to see new ones. It would take me a full year to build a 1/32 Lanc/B-17 I reckon, and I would really struggle to find them a home when completed. 1/48 would be far more sensible. I got the HK B-25 strafer kit recently and that's big enough, round about the same footprint as the Tamiya Lanc. Still, I'm very happy we are getting the new kits, but please manufacturers, I've said it before here several times, please produce some nice 1/48 scale bombers, and preferably not Trumpeter or HobbyBoss please, that'll put off the better companies!!! (Plus I'd like accurate windscreens and airframe shapes and details ).

[galgos]

The three BC heavies would sell in shed loads, it's beyond me why kit manufacturers can't see it!
Max

[The wooksta V2.0]

Would they sell shedloads? I doubt it. People *say* they'd buy them, some manufacturer takes a punt and then cold reality hits most modellers - kit too big, or too expensive. Missus puts her foot down, no storage space. Kit sells badly and then manufacturer loses interest in the scale. Has to be a reason why the number of large bomber types in 48th or above can be counted under twenty. If that.

Maybe that's not the case in the US where modellers tend to have more space and the larger scales are popular. But I think it's telling that Revell Monogram haven't released many of the US bombers in 48th, let alone anything larger.

Would I buy one? No. The Matchbox Sea Venom put me off larger scales for life.

[galgos]

Would they sell shedloads? I doubt it. People *say* they'd buy them, some manufacturer takes a punt and then cold reality hits most modellers - kit too big, or too expensive.

If that's the case, or "cold reality", I'm surprised so many manufacturers are heading towards producing 1/32nd models!

Max

[PhoenixII]

Maybe that's not the case in the US where modellers tend to have more space and the larger scales are popular. But I think it's telling that Revell Monogram haven't released many of the US bombers in 48th, let alone anything larger.

Eh? Lee, move AWAY from that bottle!

Revelogram have issued in 1/48th, IIRC:-

B-17D and G, B-24D and J, B-25, B-26. Along with the Dakota / C-47, P-47, P-61 and Mosquito.

Am i missing (apart from the Beaufighter and the Bolo) any major bomber / large fighter types flow by the USAAC / USAAF during W.W.II?

Paul

[turnerdad]

Only more up to date modern toolings of most of these. I dream of a B-24, B-25, A-26, B-17, B-29, Halifax, Lanc etc etc produced to a level similar to the Tamiya Mossie, Hasegawa Ar234 or Eduard Hellcat. I dream about wierd things too...I'm afraid I've had my fill of re-scribing large models and working with highly visible soft detail, nice kits though they are.

Edited February 24, 2013 by turnerdad

[Chuck1945]

Not my scale, I would much rather see a new tool accurate Halifax, Hampden, Whitley, and Blenheim (not short run versions) in 1/72 than see the effort going into something humongus such as 1 /32 Lanc. I will admit however to having the Revell 1/32 Ju 88A-1 and He 111P as well as a couple of WNW kits. There has been absolutely no temptation regarding the HK B-25s and B-17 however, nor with the large scale Tamiya Spitfire and Mustang.

[Giorgio N]

Do I want it ? No, not my scale, or better not my scale for this kind of subjects.

Am I happy to see it ? Yes, because it's one of those truly iconic subjects and it's good to see it covered in this scale too. Probably there aren't many modellers with room for such a big model on their shelves, but there must be some. And while yes it is big, a couple of Tomcats in the same scale take the same room or more, and I know more than one modeller with a couple of big Tamiya or Trumpeter F-14

[Truro Model Builder]

I have to be honest, neither the B-17 nor the Lanc are models I would order in for stock, and I am reasonably sure that most other retailers would not either. I have one customer who has ordered a B-17 (you know who you are ) but quite frankly I am not expecting a rush. How many HK Models are expecting to sell is a mystery and, of course, their concern, but while they may have a good market for the Fort in the US, I think the Lancaster will not be a huge success for them.

Would more 1/48 bombers be a better option? Well, it's swings and roundabouts really. They are still big investments for any retailer to make just to sit on the shelf gathering dust, as I think they would. Quite simply, they do not sell that well.