I’ve been looking at a couple of kits and wondering if the non-standard scales are “close enough for government work.” [:)]
Airfix makes a Ford Tri-motor in 1/72 scale that is, from all accounts, difficult to put together. Revell (or Monogram), on the other hand makes one in 1/77 scale. It’s a pretty good from what I’ve read. So, do you think 1/77 is close enough to 1/72 to make getting the kit worthwhile? Will it fit in pretty well with other 1/72 scale kits?
It’s the same question with the recently reissued Revell PBM Mariner in 1/118 scale. Do you guys think that 1/118 is close enough to 1/114 for the plane to not stand out in a collection of 1/114 planes?
Only you can answer that question. I don’t like “off” scale stuff and won’t buy it as I like all my stuff to be same scale. That way anything in the case can be compared to anything else for size comparison. I see 1/25 and 1/24 scale cars next to each other and I can see the difference and it bugs me. Some folks say 1/32 and 1/35 is close enough for gov’t work and combine them in dios and such. I’ve seen 35th scale figs with 32nd scale heads that looked real funky.
I’d like to have a Ford Trimotor but won’t buy the kit because of the odd scale. I never knew they made a 72nd scale kit.
I’ve battled the same question, and come up with a few answers…To me, if its an aircraft, I want it to fit in with the rest of the collection, and so I do want it to be a true 1/48 or 1/72 scale.
As an example, according to wikipedia:
The wingspan of a Ford Trimotor is 77’ 10" (934"), and its length is 50’ 3" (603"). In 1/72 scale, this works out to a wingspan of 12-31/32" and a length of 8-1/8". In 1/77 scale, the model has a wingspan of 12-1/8" and a length of 7-13/16" So, the smaller kit is missing 27/32" off the wingspan, and 5/16" off the length. To me that’s major…to you, who knows?
For another example, my Smer 1/50 Macchi MC.72:
The wingspan of the Macchi MC.72 is 31’ 1-1/4" (373.25"), and its length is 27’ 3-1/2" (327.5"). In 1/48 scale, this works out to a wingspan of 7-25/32" and a length of 6-13/16". In 1/50 scale, the model has a wingspan of 7-15/32" and a length of 6-35/64" Still noticeable, but not nearly as much. Will I live with it? Absolutely. Will I replace it with a 1/48 build, first chance I get? Absolutely.
As for the Revell Mariner…if its 1/118 scale, it will probably not be close enough to 1/144, which I think you mean.
Troy, my next major decision in modeling has to do with the 1/24 vs 1/25 thing. I haven’t done any looking as to what’s available in each scale, so bear with me here. I want to build older cars mostly, 20s through 70s…are the scale differences that noticeable in that small of a jump? Thanks!
Alex, I think so. I used to build a lot of cars and had both 24 and 25th. Sitting next to each other is was obvious to me and I had to keep them on different shelves. Even seeing a 25th 1985 Camaro next to a 24th 1970 Challenger something didn’t look right. I could always pick which was which scale.
Now, this is cars, many of which I was very familiar so the difference is obvious. With a/c the difference may not be that big of a deal because the viewer may not be so familiar with the subject. The problem may be much more apparent if two of the same subject were in close proximity in close but not same scales.
I always thought that if I were to build something in an off scale like that I’d obtain or build a special display box for just that kit to separate it from the other kits. I have a single 32nd scale a/c in the case with my 48th stuff and even though it obvious they are not intended to be the same scale I’m still considering building a display box for just that kit. Not only to remove it from the 48th stuff but to also regain the space in the case I need for 48th kits.
I think it depends. The major issue is when you place two models of the same subject, in slightly different scales, next to each other. It’s then pretty obvious which is smaller and which is larger.This might happen with the Moonogram Ford Trimotor and the Airfix one (1/77 vs 1/72), though they’re both different versions of the aircraft. So long as you know what you’re in for, btw, the Airfix Trimotor isn’t that hard to build. Here are some build notes on one I made a couple of years ago:
and, with a bit of aftermarket help, it turned out reasonably OK, I think:
Sometimes, the ‘off’-scale kit is so much better than the ‘on’-scale one that it’s worth compromising on scale. A case in point is the soon-to-be-reissued Revell 1/78 (i.e box scale) Fairey Rotodyne. which knocks the spots off the Airfix 1/72 one.
There aren’t that many aircraft where you’re likely to place two slightly-different-scale models of the same subject next to each other. It happens more often with military vehicles (1/32 vs 1/35) and ships (1/350 vs 1/400, 1/700 vs.1/720). I once put a Tamiya 1/700 and an Italeri 1/720 HMS Hood next to each other (the kits show the ship at different stages of her career). It does show.
The airfix Trimotor is absolutely not hard to build at all. I have two of them. All the little struts that hold up the engines take some care, but thats the a/c, not the kit. It comes with some lovely American Airlines decals, matches the example in the Smithsonian,
My only hints would be that a) the kit has misbegotten working baggage doors on the underside of the wing- glue them shut; and 2) The wing top is in three sections and there’s a missing corrugation at the joins. I stretched a piece of 2lb test fish line over each joint, flooded it with glue and snipped off the ends. Nuff sed. Very nice model.
As for the PBM, well Mach 2 makes one in 1/72, wots is in the Bondostash, and on the occasional libatious evening when I get the box down and look inside, Ms. Bondo has to put the slap on me and drag we away from sharp objects! Do it as Revell made it. My favorite PBM model, and it’s a favorite a/c of mine, more in a minute, is in 1:400 and is hanging by a cable from the very fine classic Revell kit USS Pine Island, as she was off the coast of Antarctica in 1946; Operation Highjump.
It’s been a minute. Chris wot be our flightless friends eating for breakfast just now. i’d hope you got the Bass-o-matic working!
I was confused a bit about the Revell PBM kit. It’s 1/118 scale, which is nowhere near the “standard” 1/144 scale, but could be close to the 1/100 scale planes that are floating around.
The 1/77 Tri-motor wouldn’t bother me too much if I didn’t have a 1/72 scale Tri-Motor to compare it to. The question is whether the Revell 1/77 kit is much better than the Airfix one. If the Airfix kit isn’t really that bad (a relative term!), then I would probably choose it over the slightly off-scale alternative.
Chris, thanks for posting your photos! You did a great job. Have you built the Revell version?
thanks for the compliment! No, I’ve not built the Monogram Trimotor. The reason I built the Airfix one was that I was given one by Airfix, in part-payment for building them some display models a few years ago.
The Monogram kit, as mentioned previously, is a different version. Here’s the Monogram:
I’ve not heard of any major problems with it, other than the usual things that arise when dealing with corrugated surfaces. One version which,IIRC, at least one of my LHSs has in stock, comes with Antarctic explorers, a sledge, and huskies (but no penguins [|(] )!
Regardless of scale - doesn’t any PBM “float around” ? nyuk nyuk`
The Williams Bros Lockheed Electra is another example of an “off” scale kit (I think I heard that it’s close to 1/53) I wanted to build Amelia Earhart’s Electra and it was the only one I could find at the time. It’s obvious that it’s neither 1/48 nor 1/72. As long as it is sitting alone - I think it looks pretty good.
