Scale thinking?

[Codger]

Fascinating about how much knowledge is here on our hobby.

Well done lads !

[malpaso]

1 hour ago, John Aero said:

 

 

Nice...my copy doesn’t have a dust jacket, but it’s an interesting insight to the start of our hobby.

Stevens was only 18 or 19 when he wrote that book and started designing Skybirds models, their packaging as well as writing articles and plans for magazines!

Its also interesting that Skybirds range was quite civilian leaning earlier on but military types increased over the thirties.  I have some crusty old Skybirds needing restoration, they would be quite attractive when done up.

[Paul H]

On 14/04/2020 at 11:11, Ben Brown said:

Bob Johnson, who worked for Monogram back in the '70s and went on to start Accurate Miniatures, posted an interesting note in the Model Cars Magazine forum several years ago about 1/24 vs 1/25. The discussion was about the old Monogram Exotics car series, but I can't find the thread to link to it. I did save his post, though. He was talking about their reasons for choosing 1/24 scale for these new kits:

 

"MPC and AMT (and Revell) had auto kit lines created in 1/25th scale...  that scale came from AMT obtaining 1/10th scale four-view car drawings from the "Big 3" and them making a 1/10th scale pattern model. That would yield tooling casts in the same size taken from the 1/10th pattern model.. set the reducing pantograph to "2.5" and you get "1/25th scale"...

 

   1/24th is an engineering scale.. 1" = 24".... create a 1/12th scale model and reduce it by setting the pantograph at "2.0"... instant 1/24th scale..  so, we created these in 1/24th scale...  done right, it is hard to tel the difference between 1/24th and 1/25th..."

 

I've seen discussions on the reasons for the other scales, as well as the different model railroad gauges, but I don't recall the reasons for those choices.

 

Ben

Here's that thread:

 

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/112594-information-on-monograms-exotics-series/

[John Aero]

In America and France there were a number of  aircraft 'Fit the box scales' by Aurora, Comet, Kleeware, Lincoln and Revell including the ridiculous1:28. Lindburg even tried 1:64 scale ( half 1:32). These faded out quite quickly as more people wanted uniformity in their builds. 

 

In the Metric countries such as Germany, France and Japan, 100th and 50th scale initially enjoyed a limited popularity with Heller, Faller, Tamiya and VEB being the most notable. In the UK only one manufacturer used 1:96 (half 1:48) for aircraft and that was Vulcan/Eagle. Frog did some large aircraft in1:96.  The success of Airfix and Frog with 1:72 set the trend for most production, so more foreign makers went over to 1:72 and 1:48. Soon 1:32 (3/8ths" to the foot)  became the norm for the "big scale market"), with Airfix choosing 1;24..

 

I have often thought that had 1:36 (2 x 1:72) been chosen over 1:32 then the Japanese military scale of 1/35 would have been virtually compatible for dioramists and almost full circle.

 

The imperial Model Car kit scales were 1:32 and Airfix plus some USA manufacturers produced vehicles in this scale with as discussed previously the 1;25 and 1:24 tending to take over the market.  Renwall in the USA did a fairly large range of  Historic and 1960's cars in 1:48. some are a little out of scale such as their Bentley 6 Litre. I have a few of these and they're quite nice little models.

 

In my opinion the most irritating scale is the diecast car world scale of 1:43.  It's a nonsensical scale based on nothing but a slavish following of early model railway practice in the UK of O gauge 7 mm to the foot.   American railroad O scale is 1:48 or (6 mm to the foot-ish).  Ahh, I hear some say, but Dinky toys Car models were made to that scale!  No they weren't. Pre-war Dinky scales vary, but post war they are so unsteady as to be almost drunk,  In the 40's and early 50's many are 1/4 " to the foot, yes 1:48 as were all the Super Toys commercial vehicles. In the later 50's they varied from 1:46  or 1;45 to 1:43 where due to competion from other makes they settled.

 

The company who deserve the prize for ridiculous non-conformity are the Matchbox Yesteryears with their scales often hovering around 1:48 but seldom ever getting near.  Most Corgi Collectables Commercial vehicles are to a constant 1:50.

 

John

 

[s.e.charles]

and then there is the scales of wargamers. there are quite a few companies making bits which could be used if they were not so ill proportioned.

 

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=61108.0

[cosmosman]

When I started working in a drawing office in the early 70's before metric, the drawings were 1/4 inch to 1' 0" (1/48th) or 1/8 inch to 1' 0" ( 1/96th). Changing to metric they were  drawn at 1/100 or 1/50. Details were drawn at 1/20, 1/25, 1/10 or 1/5 depending on what you were detailing.