Why 1/35 scale?

[Fishplate42]

As I understand it, we have Mr Tamiya to thank for the rather weird scale of 1/35th. The story goes that this scale was adopted so motors would fit in the early tanks kits, the first of which being the Tiger I. Personally I would of thought ther was plenty of room in there!

But why 1/35? One would have though that 1/36 would have been the obvious choice. This would be 1/3 inch to the foot, fitting in nicely with existing scales (1/72nd being half that at 1/6 inch to the foot and 1/48 being 1/4 inch to the foot). There is no direct corolation between ratio and linier conversion, ending up with far from round numbers even if a metric equivilent is applied (8.7mm to the ft) The only equivilent I can find is in reference to figure size being generally accepted to be 50mm.

Even if Mr T had not used 1/36 instead wy on earth did he not just go with 1/32nd and be done with it.

...and I thought model railway scales and gauges could be hard to understand...

Ralph

Edited March 14, 2011 by Fishplate42

[TinHead]

As stranger scale it is, 1/35 is pretty much my life. I've never felt so attached to a model scale. I've tried 1/72 when I was younger (I believe I had a chinook and some falklands era soldiers maybe modern, by.. well.. I can't really remember who made them but I can tell you they were pretty turd in terms of quality. 1/35 isn't too big neither too small, to me it's just about right. There's no need to put motors inside them, use pigments, acrylics, inks, a well presented diorama/viginette to bring the bugger to life!

If I may say one con about 1/35 though, is the fact there isn't a particularly large range of rotary, fixed wing or any kind of aircraft in this scale, don't get me wrong there are some, but not the range you'd find in.. 1/72 let's say? Why is this? I mean you have the UH-60, the CH-47 (I'd like to see a 46), Cobra AH1, Lynx etc ll in 1/35 but not much else? It really is a shame.

Cheers,

Andy.

Edited June 11, 2011 by TinHead

[bruce3371]

As stranger scale it is, 1/35 is pretty much my life. I've never felt so attached to a model scale. I've tried 1/72 when I was younger (I believe I had a chinook and some falklands era soldiers maybe modern, by.. well.. I can't really remember who made them but I can tell you they were pretty turd in terms of quality. 1/35 isn't too big neither too small, to me it's just about right. There's no need to put motors inside them, use pigments, acrylics, inks, a well presented diorama/viginette to bring the bugger to life!

Yeah, I'm the same, started out with 1:72, moved on to 1:35. To me 1:35 is the perfect scale for AFVs, which are now pretty much all I build.

[1964rac]

1/35 isn't too big neither too small, to me it's just about right.

I agree with Andy, as a kid I tried other scales but when I got hold of 1/35 scale kit I was hooked, I haven't looked back since. I am talking about AFVs of course, I'm not into aircraft they don't float my boat.

Talking of boats, I have made the airfix HMS Victory but is the only boat/ship I have made or possibly will make.

I have moved on to 1/16 scale figures as a break from 1/35 scale armour and dioramas, you can have too much of a good thing.

Long may the 1/35 scale continue.

Richard

[vanandjuanunited]

I agree with Andy, as a kid I tried other scales but when I got hold of 1/35 scale kit I was hooked, I haven't looked back since. I am talking about AFVs of course, I'm not into aircraft they don't float my boat.

Talking of boats, I have made the airfix HMS Victory but is the only boat/ship I have made or possibly will make.

I have moved on to 1/16 scale figures as a break from 1/35 scale armour and dioramas, you can have too much of a good thing.

Long may the 1/35 scale continue.

Richard

same as myself. Once I tried 1/35 its all I ever consider now.

[Iain Ogilvie]

I suspect the OP was questioning wher we have two fairly close (but not close enough IMHO) scales for aviation and armour in 1:32 (and, at one time, 1:36) and 1:35 - where it would probably have been better if armour had taken off with 1:32 as a standard scale (and there have been some over the years).

As to reasons - strongly suspect it's the old Metric v. Imperial - I believe Japan is all Metric and has been for eons - so the Japanese manufacturers tended to go for 'round/decimal friendly' numbers. Look at early Japanese aircraft models - 1:100 and 1:50 appear to have been the norm early in some manufacturers lives - before they had a global presence and, in effect, Imperialised to 1:72 and 1:48 to match markets overseas.

I suspect this didn't happen for armour/AFVs as Tamiya had already made inroads internationally in 1:35 - so much so that other manufacturers/markets followed their lead - rather than vice-versa in aviation. Of course European manufacturers such as Heller went for 1:35 as well. 1:32 armour tended to originate from the US (Monogram) and from the UK in the form of Airfix' pre-assembled polythene models - Stalwart, Abbot etc..

Just a personal view of course - reality may be something different!

Iain

Edited November 30, 2011 by Iain (32SIG)

[BWP]

As I understand it, we have Mr Tamiya to thank for the rather weird scale of 1/35th. The story goes that this scale was adopted so motors would fit in the early tanks kits, the first of which being the Tiger I.

Panther, actually.

But why 1/35? One would have though that 1/36 would have been the obvious choice.

1/36 is smaller than 1/35. If 1/35 was chosen because it just fit the motor, then 1/36 would have been of no use.

Even if Mr T had not used 1/36 instead wy on earth did he not just go with 1/32nd and be done with it.

1/32 is bigger than 1/35. That may have complicated the mould design, or might have been inconvenient for the size of box they wanted to use ....

Not to mention, at that time, Tamiya clearly had no interest in compatibility with other manufacturers -- they were designing the kit to suit themselves. They didn't make anything in 1/32 scale (so far as I know) -- cars were 1/24 (or 1/25), aircraft were 1/48 (or 1/72), ships were of course much smaller ... if the Panther had been a sales failure they may well have chosen a different scale, or chosen not to continue with tanks at all. What a different modelling world we would live in now if that had been the case! Of course it was a success and everything that followed had to be 1/35 or risk isolation.

[Pilgrim_UK]

Nowadays I think its sometimes up to the manufacturer rather than historical. GMP's Diecast line of planes are 1/35. Rather than stay with the standard of 1/32 for aircraft they went with 1/35 as it would be in line with the military line of many manufacturers.

1/20 scale is a scale I like but hard to find anything in it.

[afv_rob]

I thought it had something to do with fitting the early Tamiya kits inside a certain size box....?

[Wayne rc]

I once was checking the accuracy of some 1/35 drawings against actual measurments taken from an Afv and came to the conclusion that Tamiya had chosen 1/35 because it gives the designers a little leeway in the maths, Tamiya seem to round up or down to the nearest mil for the main dimentions, and the nearest 0.5 for smaller bits like wheels and so on, Tamiya claim to Tweek the actual dimentions here and there, thus compromising 100% accuracy but aiming to capture the look of the original. I read that in some Tamiya promo...... And it seemed to make sense when I was playing with maths and scale drawings etc....eg doing sums for a 1/24 Panther using 1/35 plans...... Ive been happy to model in 35 for many years, when I first got into Tamiya back in 1971 it was an exciting time for Armour kits, the small range soon expanded and improved, and a few other Japanese firms made some 1/35. Anyone remember Nitto and Nichimo ?....... Italeri came along and some of thier efforts knocked Tamiya for six......but the competition has been good for the rising quality and customer choice...... Im sure that Tamiya have a place in many of our hearts, and even though in my area of interest (German) Dragon have surpassed them, Tamiya still remains the most builder friendly and it is always a pleasure to open the box....... Yes a big thanks to Tamiya for the odd 35th scale.... Monogram had some nice armour in 32nd along with a few from Airfix, and its maybe a shame that Tamiya chose not to go with the 32. But then again we may not have what we have today..... Along with Tamiya and 1/35 we also had Bandai and a good range of 1/48 armour, this scale now making a comeback, but why did Bandai go for 1/24 and 1/15 for a few large kits, and Tamiya 1/25 and 1/16 for thier big tanks. Ps I said earlier that its always a pleasure to open the Tamiya box, esp the 1/32 P 51, but its about time they got rid of items like the old I mean ancient Panther Ausf A and a few others...... I think its a little misleading to newbies and younger modellers, for example. You get a nice 1/35 Tamiya Cromwell or Stug III, and then find out the hard way why the Panther A seemed such a bargain at the time, Come on Tamiya its crap, on the other hand some of the old Tamiya are still good esp for the newbie, but this should be reflected in the price, I don't like it when Tamiya do a re pop and the price is almost that of the more recent kits

[alanmac]

Hi

I too have read both explanations, the motor and box size but don't know which is the correct reason. I'd been modelling Airfix 1/72 kits for a few years as a lad then a mate knocked on the door with his latest built model. A Russian, either SU85 or SU100 in 1/35th scale. It looked so, so big, and then he put it down and switched the motor on and it trundled up my front path. From that moment on Mr Tamiya had all my pocket money.......till girls and rock music pushed him out !!

I've returned to the hobby after many years away and like a lot of other modellers still hold Tamiya with affection. It is disappointing that the companies focus has moved on to other things but they still manage to put out a cracking kit when they want to, look at the Char B, New Matilda, BT, etc. I don't think they'll give up the scale completely, well I hope not as despite trying others I'm at heart a 1/35th scale armour modeller and that's all down to Mr Tamiya.

One other thing that sold me on the 1/35th scale, not just Tamiya kits but the others that produced in that scale in the sixties and seventies.....the boxart, that was enough to have the "want gland" doing overtime on its own without seeing the contents........

I know its 1/25th scale but its typical of the action boxart of the period....love it.

http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/l.aspx?k=106423710

There used to be a web site with all the old boxart from that period but I've lost the link, and Google searching hasn't turned it up so if anybody has it please post it up.

cheers

Alan

Edited February 22, 2012 by alanmac

[Wayne rc]

Hi

I too have read both explanations, the motor and box size but don't know which is the correct reason. I'd been modelling Airfix 1/72 kits for a few years as a lad then a mate knocked on the door with his latest built model. A Russian, either SU85 or SU100 in 1/35th scale. It looked so, so big, and then he put it down and switched the motor on and it trundled up my front path. From that moment on Mr Tamiya had all my pocket money.......till girls and rock music pushed him out !!

I've returned to the hobby after many years away and like a lot of other modellers still hold Tamiya with affection. It is disappointing that the companies focus has moved on to other things but they still manage to put out a cracking kit when they want to, look at the Char B, New Matilda, BT, etc. I don't think they'll give up the scale completely, well I hope not as despite trying others I'm at heart a 1/35th scale armour modeller and that's all down to Mr Tamiya.

One other thing that sold me on the 1/35th scale, not just Tamiya kits but the others that produced in that scale in the sixties and seventies.....the boxart, that was enough to have the "want gland" doing overtime on its own without seeing the contents........

I know its 1/25th scale but its typical of the action boxart of the period....love it.

http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/l.aspx?k=106423710

There used to be a web site with all the old boxart from that period but I've lost the link, and Google searching hasn't turned it up so if anybody has it please post it u

cheers

Alan

[/quote

I know what you mean about those action box arts on the 1/25

it was great inspiration for dioramas.

And by the way Alan Im knocking 50 and I still spend my pocket

money on girls and rock music. Oh yes and the odd tank kit.