This has always annoyed me so i just wanted to see if anyone had an answer, why do armor models come in 1/35 and planes in 1/32!!! Why cant they just be the same size so you can put them together in one scene, like tanks overrunning an airfield or somthing cool like that?

i have always wondered that myself

its annoying isnt it?

Comes from the history of plastic modeling, guys. Aircraft kits have been around longer, and were pioneered in the US and UK--back when English units of measurement were the rule. Hence, 1/72 (one inch to six feet) or 1/48 (one quarter inch to one foot). Armor kits came along later, and were often simply "box scale". That is, the manufacturer had a box of X by Y dimensions to package the model, and the kit was scaled so the sprues fit in the box. Yeah, it sounds weird and stupid but that is how it was. This also explains why all those old Revell ship kits have scales like 1/426, 1/542, and so on--all to fit in th approved ship box. When Japanese manufacturers began to mold kits in the sixties, they used metric measurements. 1/35 works well when one is scaling down a subject from metric dimensions; the numbers work out better. Other scales such as 1/76 and 1/87 were originally associated with model ralroad scales.
Greg

thanks, but why not make the other the same size, even switch measurements, it would be a lot nicer. That way you could create some cool new dioramas with planes AND tanks

Hi,

AIRFIX still have at least a 1/32 AFV - a SdKfz 250/3 Rommel command car in North Afrika.

So at least you can have a dio with an airplane and an AFV, not a tank but quite.

it will probably never change

Airfix also made the best M3 Grant/Lee available. It was 1/32 and came with both the Grant turret and Lee turret. Monogram also made 1/32 armor, a Grant, Lee, M4A1 Calliope, M4 Hedgehog, and several German tanks as well as armored recon vehicles (M-8, M-20, Panzerspahwagen). Renwal also made their kits in 1/32 like the Patton, Bulldog, Ontos, SP Howitzer, Mace Missile and Terracruiser, Atomic Annie, Hawk missile battery, and 5 ton wrecker. Then Ringo (also reissued by ITC and Glencoe) issued the BTR-50/PT-76/FROG missile carrier in 1/32.

Of course, the Japanese took over the armor modeling and even Tamiya's first motorized tanks were closer to 1/32 than to 1/35 (like the M4A3E8). But, like stated above, the metric system is easier to convert 1/35 than 1/32.

MRC tried to "rectify" (get it?) this by producing helicopters in 1/35 like the UH-1C, AH-1T & W, Bell 47, and AH-58D so they could be used in armor dioramas.

Of course, if someone reissued any of those old 1/32 scale kits (which came out in the 60s and early 70s), we would all complain what pieces of crap they are

As stated above, US and British companies made armor kits in 1/32, then the Japanese came out with 1/35. The US/British manufacturers didn't push the 1/32 issue, so Tamiya, etc, won out.

We should right a petition to the companies! That would mybe make them change it.

Mark

Petition? I say when they have a couple corps of 1/35 armor with support showing up on their doorstep then they'll listen to reason! The only problem is we need a name for the operation, all military actions have a cool name. Think about it.

Stephen Magee

"I speak the universal language of 120mm smoothbore."

Why bother? The scale difference is only 4% between 1/32 and 1/35. Frankly, any diorama large enough to hold a vehicle or two and a helo or airplane will have the flying subjects far enough from the vehicles that the difference won't be noticeable. Even if the flying subjects are displayed on the ground, this should probably hold true. Unless it is a motorcycle or something akin to a jeep, no ground vehicle parks very close to something that flies. Nobody likes to be right in the rotor wash, nor do pilots like to try to keep track of small wheeled objects while taxiing.

Greg

Lets rampage to their houses with picth forks and balls of fire screaming down with the man......er.... maybe the petition would work, but first, the next sruvay for armorama would have to be, do you think that 1/32 scale planes should be changed to 1/35???

I think some armor subjects in 1/48 scale would make better diorama with aircraft, then 1/35th or 1/32nd. But what do I know.

Just imagine what a change of scale would mean in financial terms to the manufacturers............

Yep....we do a petition and call it

i disagree, if it gets phased in, it migth not mean bankrupcy at all. In fact it would be easier for a company like tamiya because as has been pointed out, 1/35 somehow goes better with meetric. They can start with a p51 or something like that until its eventually changed

and ehhh the Greg-man is right. Once again British forefathers dominated the world with Feet, Stones and other prehistoric measurement units......

I just love them for it...... and hey my British friends....... you're right you know......it's us that drive on the wrong side of the road ! #:-)

Tamiya and others are willing to change and invest if there is some return on their investments. I don't think they're expecting a significant rise in income otherwise they would have changed the scale long time ago...

Would you buy more aircraft if the scale changed to 1/35 ? Don't think so.

" OPERATION RAMPAGE"

That's why marketing was invented. They should try making a popular type of plane in 1/35 or armor in 1/32, and see how this reflects on sales figures. If sales figures show that modelers have an interest to combine the two in dioramas, they may change their attitudes...
Jan

I still am not convinced GeneralF. But realistic thoughts or not, I'd sign the petition anyway. One scale is far more better than two.

I retract my post about the tactical operation in 1/35th. After some cafeful thought I realized the logistics nightmare that would be. On to plan B! So where is this petition exactly?

Stephen Magee

one scale would rock the dio. world

You guys complain too much, Like a bunch of Old Women #:-) #:-) "Uh OH"
JUST KIDDING, "DON'T SHOOT ME"..LOL. No but really i never reallly found the differnce in the scales all that much of a delima. I just find myself checking the scales on each kit that I get to be sure that its the size that I want. Most especially in the A/C dept. For the Armor. The ones that I buy are 35 scale. So I just have to be a little picky about the name brand that I buy. Other wise I dont really complain. But then every one has thier idea of a PERFECT SCALE AND PERFECT KIT. From what I have been READINGand SEEING Here, You Folks, Take a kit with all its little imperfections and create some REALLY AWESOME works OF ART. So you should be happy with that. NO CRITISM MEANT.

DAGGER-1

Someone stated that 1:32 is only 4% different in size and scale than 1:35 - this is mathematcally not true... there is almost a 10% difference, which is noticible to most.

1:32 is .the same as 0031 while 1:35 is .0028... a difference of .0003, which in "scale" means that 1:32 is 10% larger than 1:35. (.0003/.0028 = 10.7%)

You can get away with is in some things, but for example, putting a 1:32 soldier next to a 1:35 door that is 6" tall makes the soldier look like he is 7 feet tall! Yes it "COULD" happen now and then, but you wouldn't want to see an entier squad of 7 foot soldiers - unless you were looking at a baseketball team that got drafted at the same time!

Keith