1/32 or 1/35 ?

[norbert]

Hi dear modelers

 

I have a question for those who may build large scale helicopters :

If you forget you often have no choice,in what scale would you prefer to build a helicopter ?

 

• 1/35 to match figures and armour ?
  
• 1/32 to match scale of plane collection
  
• 1/35 for military and 1/32 for civilian helicopters ?
  
• no preference ?
  

 

thank you for your answers

 

Norbert

[dodgem37]

I prefer 1/35 because they do match up in scale with armor and figures.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

[Learstang]

1/35th scale is the scale of Satan. I refuse to do any aircraft that are in 1/35th scale; for example, I'd love to do a Hind in a large scale, but I will not do it in 1/35th scale. Seriously though, it irritates me no end that not only did Tamiya ruin armour forever for this modeller by choosing this offscale (1/35th) for their armour, but now this wretched offscale is polluting aircraft, becoming the preferred scale for helicopters, and I've even seen a few aeroplanes in it. I believe the only reason Tamiya chose this scale, instead of the long-established 54mm or 1/32nd scale is their bean-counters figured nobody would notice the difference and they could make a few extra bucks (or a lot of extra bucks - this is Tamiya, after all) by doing armour in a slightly smaller scale. That's my theory and I'm sticking with it! Rant over.

 

Regards,

 

Learstang

[LSP_Ron]

1/35th scale is the scale of Satan. I refuse to do any aircraft that are in 1/35th scale; for example, I'd love to do a Hind in a large scale, but I will not do it in 1/35th scale. Seriously though, it irritates me no end that not only did Tamiya ruin armour forever for this modeller by choosing this offscale (1/35th) for their armour, but now this wretched offscale is polluting aircraft, becoming the preferred scale for helicopters, and I've even seen a few aeroplanes in it. I believe the only reason Tamiya chose this scale, instead of the long-established 54mm or 1/32nd scale is their bean-counters figured nobody would notice the difference and they could make a few extra bucks (or a lot of extra bucks - this is Tamiya, after all) by doing armour in a slightly smaller scale. That's my theory and I'm sticking with it! Rant over.

 

Regards,

 

Learstang

 

I always wondered where 1/35th came from. Tamiya eh?

 

It is an extremely odd scale and doesn't follow any standard convention of drafting, engineering design or architecture whether in imperial or metric measurements.

[Royboy]

Hi dear modelers

 

I have a question for those who may build large scale helicopters :

If you forget you often have no choice,in what scale would you prefer to build a helicopter ?

 

thank you for your answers

 

Norbert

 

 

I have learned to build helo's in whatever larger scale they come in Norbert!

My preference is for 1/32 scale, but it seems that the norm now is 1/35 for rotary.

I don't get too sniffy about it, I enjoy the build and add it into my collection.

If a model kit comes along in 1/35 scale how long will it be before it's duplicated in 1/32?

My guess is never, and they DO sell - regardless!

Let's say a company does a helicopter that most rotary modelers would probably love to do, like the CH-53 for example.

Who's going to argue about the small difference in scales?

Most modelers will not, heck it's a larger scale CH-53, whoopee!!

I do think that companies like Revell should stick to 1/32 that standardises their range.

Trumpeter on the other hand has chosen 1/35, so you know that will be consistent for that company.

In short, I'm just grateful the subject is done in the larger scale - Full stop!

Hope this helps a bit?

Roy.

[Derek B]

Good post Norbert.

 

From an entirely purist point of view, helicopters are aircraft (albeit rotary wing ones), and I build to 1/32 scale (or larger), so they should be 1/32 scale? Having said that though, I have to side with Roy's general sentiments.

 

The larger the physical model, the greater the noticeable difference in scale between 1/32 and 1/35. This is one of the main reasons I have not yet tackled the Trumpeter CH-47 Chinook (that and cost!). So, what do I do?; Scratch build a whole range of helicopters to 1/32 scale, or do the same for all my fixed wing aircraft to match the helicopter and figure scales?

Cheers

 

Derek

[Mike]

I agree, Good Post, Great responses which rarley seem all in general aggreement. Being a former Navy Helio Pilot I like Large scale (anything) helicopter models BUT as a modeler my general collection is 32nd. I have academy's Giant 1/48 CH-53E because it is the largest scale model of what I used to fly myself. But as much as I envy and admire Trump's 1/35 line of Uber Choppers. I have None, even though I have plenty of of favorite armour pieces in that scale. Oh the arguements go on Adnausem over "how Close" the two scales are, Hog Washy to me though. Yes it is true they both are near a couple of inches in size for a human figure and all those Armour and figure pieces are so detailed and great looking. When they are matched in scale and until you mix or put the two side by side. I am sorry but you can argue to your blue in the face that they "look" the same but to me you immediately recognize you have a race of Pigmies / Drawfs side by side when you mix 54mm with 1/35. Thats a bit off track there. back to the Orginal question. YES as an Aircraft & 32nd scale person I WISH those same helio kits out there were in 1/32. As an example I sanpped up revell's 1/32 Bell Jet Ranger ( I flew that too)and was happy to get it. If I was an armour only afficeniado although I find it would be strange to then also be a Helio nut, perhaps the two share a symbotic realtionship as Rotory Air is used to support and or attakc armour ? But Rarely do the two meet in the same scene ? Oh well I digress again. I love all the 1/35th Helio Kits but WISH they were 1/32.

 

Yours Mike

[BaldEagle]

It's 1/32 for me. The larger the better.

 

Then again, I've no intention of posing one of them next to a man inspecting his tank!

 

Mr TEL

[ssculptor]

1/35th scale is the scale of Satan. I refuse to do any aircraft that are in 1/35th scale; for example, I'd love to do a Hind in a large scale, but I will not do it in 1/35th scale. Seriously though, it irritates me no end that not only did Tamiya ruin armour forever for this modeller by choosing this offscale (1/35th) for their armour, but now this wretched offscale is polluting aircraft, becoming the preferred scale for helicopters, and I've even seen a few aeroplanes in it. I believe the only reason Tamiya chose this scale, instead of the long-established 54mm or 1/32nd scale is their bean-counters figured nobody would notice the difference and they could make a few extra bucks (or a lot of extra bucks - this is Tamiya, after all) by doing armour in a slightly smaller scale. That's my theory and I'm sticking with it! Rant over.

 

Regards,

 

Learstang

 

As I recall, Tamiya chose 1/35 scale back in the early 1960's either because it fit into their boxes, or it fit their die casting machinery.

I read this years ago and I forget which or if either is true or fiction.

Nevertheless, making kits to fit within a certain box size is a model industry tradition going back to the 1930's with such firms as Strombecker and Ideal and their warship model kits. Some of the earliest plastic model kits from Asia seemed to follow this rule, also. The English pretty well stuck with one scale from the beginning, like 1/72 for aircraft, and kept it that way. The American model companies stuck with one scale, some 1/72 and some 1/48, but there were other companies that adhered to the "fit all the damn things in one size box" philosophy. Things were a bit chaotic in the plastic model industry back in the 1950's. Look at the kits by Revell back in the 1950's and early 1960's. There are a number of very odd scales for both aircraft and ships just to get them to fit into the same size box.

Unfortunately, we are stuck with old man Tamiya's silly 1/35 scale. Which is really interesting considering how Tamiya's early tank kits were more like bad motorized toys than serious scale models. Incidentally, The early TAMIYA MOKEI toy like tank kits are worth a small fortune in today's collectors market. I have seen the early ones going, in mint condition, for $800 and up on eBay.

Personally, I prefer the larger scales and now I have sold almost all my 1/24, 1/32 and 1/35 kits and have been stashing the larger scales, like 1/18, 1/16 and 1/15 tanks. I like them big.

Oh yeah, I gots me a mess of dem 1/35 armor railroad kits for my G gauge model railroad. Dey goes wit de 1/32 scale trains. What's dat you say? Mixing 1/32 and 1/35 scale together? Yeah, so what, ya wanna make sumptin' bout it?

Stephen

[song]

Very interesting

[LSP_K2]

Time for me to throw my opinion in here. I too would prefer 1:32, but really have no problem with 1:35 as such. Neither will I be building any dioramas that include both helicopters and armor together, so that really is not a factor for me. 1:32 really would be my preference though, just to "match scale" with my dozens of aircraft kits.

[LSP_Mike]

I have only the revell kits in 1/32, and bought up a bunch of resin bits when I could. I don't know how or why 1/35th was chosen, but it is the industry standard for armor. A guy named verlinden did the same with the release of a 120mm figgy back in the early 80s, and it is a very popular "scale" now.

So, I'd prefer 1/32, but if I want to build it, I'd buy the kit in 1/35th if that were the biggest kit.

[thewizardofaz]

Most of my aircraft models are 1/32 from various manufacturers, including Tamiya.  Most of my rotary wing models, in fact except for a few 1/48,  are 1/35. So, while I understand what's already been said in this thread, what I really want to know is which is larger, 35 or 32?  I don't have the same models in different scales.

[LSP_K2]

On 11/4/2010 at 5:10 PM, LSP_Ron said:

It is an extremely odd scale and doesn't follow any standard convention of drafting, engineering design or architecture whether in imperial or metric measurements.

 

Agreed; .3428=1'-0" is a bit weird.

[Dave Williams]

11 minutes ago, thewizardofaz said:

Most of my aircraft models are 1/32 from various manufacturers, including Tamiya.  Most of my rotary wing models, in fact except for a few 1/48,  are 1/35. So, while I understand what's already been said in this thread, what I really want to know is which is larger, 35 or 32?  I don't have the same models in different scales.

Larger, as in physically bigger, or larger in popularity?  For the same subject, 1/32 is going to be physically bigger because it’s only shrunk down 32 times instead of 35 times.  For popularity, I’m not sure it’s a contest as there are few duplications of the same helo in both scales, and when there is, usually the 1/32 kit is a much older kit.  Usually if you want a kit of a specific subject, you don’t have much choice in the scale.