SPA Modeler

Hey folks, I wonder how many of us here only build in one scale? I primarily build aircraft models, and I only build in 1/48. When I started back into this hobby I was fascinated by the "teen series" U.S. fighters that were all just coming into use then. There was no simple way for me to actually see all of the real planes together to compare and by building their scale model counter-parts, all in the same scale, I could do just that. And since I do have more than a slight bit of OCD to deal with, they all just had to be in the same scale.

A few years into building and collecting, I began having doubts about my chosen scale. It seemed like, in those days anyway, that 1/72 offered just so many more choices, and the smaller footprint would've been good for my display cabinets. But, hey, I was committed to1/48 and pressed ahead. As the years progressed, my eyesight and dexterity began to wane and then I was glad that I had stuck with the larger scale. So how about youse guys? What's your take on this? Are there any like myself who limit themselves to just one aircraft scale, and why do you do that? Thanks!

Yes,in a particular genre
Aircraft only 1/48
Armor only 1/35 now,but started with 1/48
Ships only 1/350

I came to a similar decision back in ‘87 when I got off of active duty from the Army and returned to a “normal” life. Before I enlisted I built in pretty much any scale out there, as most kids do. If I liked a kit or subject I bought and built it, although I did concentrate on the main scales out there: 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32-1/35. When I was on active duty, I pretty much concentrated on exclusively 1/35 armor, along with a couple of 1/32 aircraft. I liked the size consistency, although 1/32 aircraft took up a lot of display space, even the smallest ones. When I got back home I decided to stay with 1/35 for armor, but switch to 1/48 for aircraft. At that time, the selection of 1/48 aircraft kits was pretty all encompassing, aside from Eastern bloc stuff. The selection of 1/48 stuff has only increased many times over the years since then, and thankfully now covers the “Red Hordes” stuff and many long ignored types as well.
I kept to this formula, for the next twenty years until I was mobilized and deployed overseas with the Guard from late ‘04- early’06. We had long portions of downtime so I decided to try my hand on the older 1/32 aircraft kits I had built as a kid, and knocked out a few there, then left them behind in the cafe near the base’s airfield. I rediscovered the joy of those large scale planes. But man, do they take up space! So now I bought up more 1/32 aircraft types for my stash, and have started a few. And finally I have sufficient display space for them. At least for now.
But around that same time, Tamiya, Hobbyboss, and some other companies, have introduced a new generation of 1/48 AFV and softskin vehicle kits. And they are beautiful, surpassing even the old Bandai 1/48 armor with complete interiors of my youth. If those had come out in the late 80’s or early 90’s, I would have standardized in 1/48 all across the board. My only real beef is that there is almost nil for post WWII, Cold War, and Modern/current ground stuff in 1/48 injection plastic. Hopefully with time that will change.

Anyways, I still build primarily 1/48 aircraft and 1/35 ground stuff, but I do dabble in other scales such as 1/32 aircraft on occasion. In other genres, such as ships or Sci Fi, I will build what’s available. It’s all good.

Aircraft - 1/48, with the exception of bombers and transport types in 1/72 scale. I will build any livery air raft in 1/144 scale.
WW1 aircraft - 1/32 scale

Armor- 1/35 scale

Autos - 1/24 & 1/25 scale. I've done a couple larger auto kits in my youth years but they do take up lot of display space.

Ships - I prefer 1/350 scale. 1/700 Waterline kits are tiny but will build if one intrigues me.

What is this talk about “other scales”? There is only One True Scale: 1/72!

I like 1/72, large selection of subjects, not to large. 90% of my kits are 1/72. I do have some other scales and build that on occasion but I always come back to 1/72.

Almost all my military aircraft are 1/48 except for transports and other big birds. Like the airliners I do they are 1/144 or 1/200. I wish there were more 1/200 stuff around as it’s a great scale for big planes. For cars I like 1/24 1/25 and 1/20 (formula 1). Bikes are 1/12…a wonderful scale for that subject. And I have a couple 1/16 kits that were gifts (mustang, cobra and MRAP) but I’m just not familiar with that monster scale.
I’ve done a couple 1/72 planes (cal fire) and like the scale for multi engine aircraft

My aircraft are primarily 1/72, my armor 1/35, and my ships generally 1/700 unless the 1/350 ship is a smaller build like a destroyer.

I do like 1/72 armor as well because they are generally something to use as a palette cleanser after a more challenging project. Or if a GB deadline is rapidly coming up and something must be banged out.

No one scale rule for me. While I prefer 1:48 scale, I don't rule out 1:32 nor 1:72

- Kari

Aircraft I build in any scale, autos I prefer 1/25-1/24, but will consider others by subject.

BorgR3mc0 wrote:What is this talk about “other scales”? There is only One True Scale: 1/72!

A man after my own heart! Preach it Brutha!

My chosen scale for aircraft and armor is 1/72 scale and has been since my early days of model building. This is mostly because of the influence of a childhood friend who also loved the consistency of the same scale. I recall one time in my distant youth, I built a 1/35th scale tank: a Pz 38t. It looked cool to me, but it really jarred my sense of "normalcy" for want of a better word. That is what cemented my decision to build exclusively in 1/72 scale.

Wherever possible, this extends into small boats (MTBs, rescue launches etc.) Real Space, and Sci-fi models


There are several reasons for this.

-> I love the consistency in having everything possible in the same scale. I can pose any aircraft model next to an armor or vehicle model and see the relative size of both to each other:



-> when war gaming in my youth, it looked better on the tables when everything was the same scale.

-> General ease of building. I say "general' because several companies do have challenging kits.

Besides, with all the models I have completed I need the small footprint; at least in the smaller aircraft and vehicles. I have a few aircraft and space that defy the description "Braille Scale"!

In ships, I wanted to standardize in 1/600 scale because a) I started in that scale (Or close enough to it) and b) I always felt it was the perfect balance between size and the amount of detail you could easily put on a ship. Of course, no other manufacturer felt the same way except Airfix, so I stretched my parameters a bit. Now I'll accept anything between 1/500 and 1/700 scale with a few very notable exceptions.


Autos, when I build them; are the most open for me. As long as the subject appeals to me; I'll build it.


That being said; I have built "out of scale" subjects in aircraft and armor:

-> A 1/32 scale aircraft that I got 98% done before the number of missing parts stopped me. I have since given that to a friend of mine.

-> Two 1/48 scale aircraft: One was a review kit I got from here; the other was a distressed kit reject that was so bad that nobody would even bid on it. After sitting through four auctions, I was given the choice of taking it home or it was going to be tossed out. So, I took it home. When I looked it over, I saw that it was build-able despite the major issues caused by the original builder. So, as a challenge to show the club that this kit could be built, I finished it with only a couple aftermarket parts to supplement what was lost (canopy, decals). One club member declared that I didn't rebuild that kit; I resurrected it!

-> Besides the one in my distant childhood, I've built one other 1/35th scale armor model and two 1/48 scale armor models.

The 1/35th scale one was an M-48A3 Patton; part of a Patton Group Build done by my SoCal AMPS club. I did it because the M-48 is one of my top five favorite tanks.

The two 1/48 scale pieces were for a wargame done by a friend in 28mm. One was the Kamatsu bulldozer by Tamiya for his Guadalcanal game. He still has that.

The other was an M-4 Sherman for another of his games. He needed three so I and two other guys built one tank each. After the game, he left them behind and so when I tried to give it to him, he said he didn't want it. That's why I have a 1/48 scale Sherman.