Jump to content

"Level Up" - Going up in scale


Lewis95

Recommended Posts

Good Morning all

 

I've just managed to acquire a Revell 1/32 scale Me262 B-1 at auction. To date, I've only built a handful of cold War jets in 1/72.

 

I'm looking for advice on what to expect when going up in size and scale. Obviously the parts count is 4.5x more than most 1/72 but are there any other caveats of larger models. 

 

I do have an Eduard Mig-21 Weekend edition in 1/48 so should I build that before going up a size again? Or should I stash both kits and get happy with 1/72 scale before taking on larger scale models. 

 

Thanks all :)

 

Bonus question! Does anyone know of a build guide or video for the Revell Me262 B1 that's half decent? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, not meant to be a wise-guy answer, but one thing to expect is a LOT more surface area.  This'll be evident when you're looking at cockpit bits, not just the airframe.  So you're going to go through more paint than you're used to!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, gingerbob said:

Well, not meant to be a wise-guy answer, but one thing to expect is a LOT more surface area.  This'll be evident when you're looking at cockpit bits, not just the airframe.  So you're going to go through more paint than you're used to!

That's to be expected. I do have an airbrush so not too phased by that right now at least :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Lewis95 said:

I do have an airbrush

As long as you have a large paint cup & plenty of paint in stock, you'll be fine. 
There's always this:

y4mYlCjDGaOzawnyiXcxUQqpkGAqoh4LSAWKTRJl


 

 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Mike said:

You'll need more shelf room for sure ;)

Some years after first dabbling in the bigger scales, I am still surprised at how much bigger the larger scale models are when complete - I know that is a daft thing to say, but the sheer bulk of some of them is more than you might expect from simply comparing the basic dimensions. Having done a dozen or so 1/24 models, I have settled on 1/32 for the moment as the best of both worlds. The 1/24 kits are really impressive but they take so long (even for a deeply average modeller like me!) and they don't actually fit on a typical depth of shelf!

 

I actually did the Revell 262B not long ago and didn't particularly enjoy it - mostly my fault, I'm sure, but I feel the rave reviews I have seen for the kit are a bit too generous. Conversely, I would recommend the Revell 1/32 Mosquito - very basic, but it goes together pretty well, it looks about right and it's a pretty impressive beast! I'm doing one in the Swissair scheme (Galland Circus eat your heart out - this thing is more colourful) and I like the idea of doing an American PR.XVI if I can manage to do some modifications - again, relying on a distinctive colour scheme to mask the shortcomings of the kit and the modeller!

 

One word of advice - you can, if you wish, spend ages and ages on the cockpit, engines, gun bay etc, but don't feel like you have to use every part in the kit unless you have a huge amount of time to kill. The cockpit is definitely worth doing properly in the larger scales, but if you decide to finish your kit with every panel open, you will probably double the time taken. Nothing wrong with that, but you might feel like you have got a bit bogged down if you aim to create a competition winner first time out! 

Edited by torqueofthedevil
And another thing
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, torqueofthedevil said:

Some years after first dabbling in the bigger scales, I am still surprised at how much bigger the larger scale models are when complete - I know that is a daft thing to say, but the sheer bulk of some of them is more than you might expect from simply comparing the basic dimensions. Having done a dozen or so 1/24 models, I have settled on 1/32 for the moment as the best of both worlds. The 1/24 kits are really impressive but they take so long (even for a deeply average modeller like me!) and they don't actually fit on a typical depth of shelf!

 

I actually did the Revell 262B not long ago and didn't particularly enjoy it - mostly my fault, I'm sure, but I feel the rave reviews I have seen for the kit are a bit too generous. Conversely, I would recommend the Revell 1/32 Mosquito - very basic, but it goes together pretty well, it looks about right and it's a pretty impressive beast! I'm doing one in the Swissair scheme (Galland Circus eat your heart out - this thing is more colourful) and I like the idea of doing an American PR.XVI if I can manage to do some modifications - again, relying on a distinctive colour scheme to mask the shortcomings of the kit and the modeller!

 

One word of advice - you can, if you wish, spend ages and ages on the cockpit, engines, gun bay etc, but don't feel like you have to use every part in the kit unless you have a huge amount of time to kill. The cockpit is definitely worth doing properly in the larger scales, but if you decide to finish your kit with every panel open, you will probably double the time taken. Nothing wrong with that, but you might feel like you have got a bit bogged down if you aim to create a competition winner first time out! 

Thanks for the reply. 

 

The size of the scale is way beyond what I ever thought I'd attempt. I've only built 2 1/72 kits since getting back into the hobby but I've thoroughly enjoyed both. The 262B is going to be the "talking piece" in my den. 

 

In regards to open panels etc, I don't plan on doing them open. I prefer closed up birds for cleanliness. Any particular reason you didn't enjoy the B? I won't be purchasing another 1/32 for a long time. I only have this one because I won it at auction for £28! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Lewis95 said:

Thanks for the reply. 

 

The size of the scale is way beyond what I ever thought I'd attempt. I've only built 2 1/72 kits since getting back into the hobby but I've thoroughly enjoyed both. The 262B is going to be the "talking piece" in my den. 

 

In regards to open panels etc, I don't plan on doing them open. I prefer closed up birds for cleanliness. Any particular reason you didn't enjoy the B? I won't be purchasing another 1/32 for a long time. I only have this one because I won it at auction for £28! 

I just found the fit of some of the parts difficult to achieve - but only because I was expecting more from a brand new kit which reviewers had said was on a par with the best on the market. Both the cockpit and the gun compartment need very careful test-fitting before you put a dab of glue near them, because without absolute precision, the fuselage doesn't fit at all. Like I said before, this says as much about me as the kit itself - I think I was careless this time because I was expecting a straightforward assembly without much effort! The end result was fine though 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 23/04/2020 at 13:34, torqueofthedevil said:

I just found the fit of some of the parts difficult to achieve - but only because I was expecting more from a brand new kit which reviewers had said was on a par with the best on the market. Both the cockpit and the gun compartment need very careful test-fitting before you put a dab of glue near them, because without absolute precision, the fuselage doesn't fit at all. Like I said before, this says as much about me as the kit itself - I think I was careless this time because I was expecting a straightforward assembly without much effort! The end result was fine though 

I'll bear that in mind for this kit when I get round to doing it. Might take a look at doing a few more 1/72 kits before trying this one! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...