Best Scale for Models: 1/35, 1/48, 1/72 or 1/144

[rommel222]

Greetings to All,
Here in New York state I am in my mobile home in rural Saratoga NY.
I still teach astronomy/physics online.
To keep from going crazy, I enjoy my Matrix games, John Tiller software, LnL Tactical digital and Combat Mission games. I also enjoy BVS Solitaire collection and 24/7 Mahjong online.
But in rural upstae NY we do lose power in high winds and snow & ice storms a lot.
Over 55 years ago, in my teens, I built many models and made dioramas using an air brush.
Enjoyed Tamiya models in 1/35 and Airfix models in 1/72 & 1/76.
I am thinking of getting into Tamiya 1/48 scale (saves space) models for Eastern Front.
I like the scale since I had the Corgi Forward March & Skirmish 1/50 scale painted metal figures & vehicles.

[MrsWargamer]

It always depends on the specific item, then the brand, and the scale.

I have built Airfix's 72nd scale Spitfire Mk1. Totally awesome kit. Very beginner-friendly as well.
Tamiya's 72nd scale Zero has as much cockpit detail as 48th scale. Extremely wonderful kit.
Tamiya's 48th scale Corsair F4u-1 is a beautiful kit. Beautiful cockpit interior.
Tamiya has a 48th scale Fw190 that even has a bomb loading crew bonus. Very nice kit.
Tamiya also has a fine 72nd scale Fw190 kit.

The key details are how you will display it.
There are plenty of fine vehicles in 48th scale from Tamiya that permit some great supporting dioramas with figures.
72nd scale is a bit harder as the figures can be found, but are not as easy to paint. There are plenty of supporting vehicles though.
Airfix seems to do 72nd scale the most economically for vehicles. But their 'Vintage Classics' while no challenge to me as a veteran modeler, might not appeal to the less hard core. So decent vehicles might tend to be a bit pricer.

The Tamiya 48th scale items that would be more Eastern Front specific are fairly numerous. It just depends on where you would normally shop.
In the US, I might suggest Hobbylinc. They have a good selection, and their prices are good.
I have bought from them, my only complaint, covid and crossing the border was a nuisance. Shouldn't be an issue inside the US though.
https://www.hobbylinc.com/1:48-scale-pl ... y-vehicles

[DeepBlack]

I loved Bandai's 1/48th scale military vehicles. Because,
they all had interior details. (Both engine and crew compartment)

Is there any comprehensive line of military vehicle kits made today in which they all have
interior detailing straight out of the box?

[MrsWargamer]

It's rare to get interiors out of the box unless the kit is like an open topped vehicle.

[rommel222]

Greetings MrsWargamer,
I appreciate your comments and agree. I am mostly infantry & armor, not aircraft.
i neglected to mention that I have almost all of Pegasus Hobbies 1/144 infantry & armor as well.

[rommel222]

Greetings DeepBlack,
I too was impressed by Bandai's 1/48 models and kick myself for not getting them back in the 1970's.

[MrsWargamer]

Initially, I thought it was Pegasus brand, but I checked, I have been pondering a brand called First to Fight. A 72nd scale option.

[Rebel Yell]

1/48th is great for aircraft, but there's quite a bit of detail difference between that and 1/35th for Armor.

YMMV.

[MrsWargamer]

ORIGINAL: Rebel Yell

1/48th is great for aircraft, but there's quite a bit of detail difference between that and 1/35th for Armor.

YMMV.

I'm inclined to disagree.

After building many hundreds of models (I mean that literally, not figuratively), I can assure you bland and sparse part count exists in all brands and scales. I have aircraft in 32nd scale (close enough to 35th) that are basic and limited in parts. I have aircraft in 72nd scale that have a sum of parts you'd think unlikely in that scale. I have 25th scale armour that is fairly basic, and I have 72nd scale armour with great numbers of very fine detailing.

It depends on the brand in a lot of cases. It depends on the age of the kit in a lot of cases.
Dragon DML out of China put a staggering sum of excrutiatingly fine detail into almost anything they release, regardless of scale. They also make very expensive kits as a result.
Tamiya make some of the best crafted products on the market. But their aging kits are sometimes basic.
I have built Airfix naval kits in 1200th scale and the parts are incredibly small.

There are no hard fast rules.
Most hard core modelers will not touch a kit until they have researched it on sites like Scalemates.
https://www.scalemates.com/
Often the kit you bought, isn't the kit you thought you were buying.

[rommel222]

Greetings Rebel Yell,
For some company releases you are correct.
Revell 1/48 armor were poor. I remember their German Panther tank as a young teenager.
No match for Tamiya 1/48.

[Rebel Yell]

Of course the manufacturer makes a huge difference, but without posting a comprehensive list, I stand by my suggestion.

After building models for over 50 years, the number of armor kits at scales less than 1/35th that I've been impressed with are few and far between.

[MrsWargamer]

35th scale has one inevitable brutal barrier. Price tag.

16 bucks for a very good looking Airfix retooled British Cromwell Mk IV vs over 100 bucks for most 35th scale armour of note.

A Tamiya 35th Cromwell Mk IV is a great model indeed (I have had it). But the quantity of parts is not always enough reason to beat up your wallet.

And as some are inclined to say, and I'm one of them, Braille scale is for the truly great modelers, while 35th scale is big enough for the modelers that can't handle truly small models

Maybe in the 70s models were often crude, but today, PE happens to everything, and you simply need to stick to newer modern subjects. I've done PE on everything, ships, tanks and aircraft. And all scales.

[jmlima]

What scale, a guide.

Loads of space for display? 1/35, 1/48, 1/12, 1/24...
Very little space for display? 1/72, 1/43...

[altipueri]

I used 1/72 for kit conversions and making soldiers

Start with a standard Sherman, then use card and a blue print to make variants e.g. Priest or the swimming DD version.

More fun with Panzer 4 because you can make Flak tank or Brummbar.


I can't find the booklets we used but this site seems to do something similar:

https://www.the-blueprints.com/blueprin ... -tanks-us/


And then play games the old way:

https://vintagewargaming.blogspot.com/s ... %20Iwaszko