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                        1/72nd or 1/48th scale

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                        54 replies
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                        tempestjohnny
                        • Member since
                          November 2003
                        • From: Naples, FL
                        1/72nd or 1/48th scale
                        Posted by tempestjohnny on Saturday, November 22, 2003 11:20 PM
                        I've heard that most American modellers build in 48th scale and that most other modellers of the world build in 72nd. So lets find out tell us what scale you mostly build in. I build mostly 1/72 with some 1/48 mixed in. I don't have room to display too many 1/48 so 1/72 suits me better. I still enjoy 1/48 WWII aircraft. Everything else is 1/72.

                         

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                        BlackWolf3945
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Pominville, NY
                        Posted by BlackWolf3945 on Saturday, November 22, 2003 11:36 PM
                        For aircraft I build mainly 48th. As of late I've gained more interest in braille-scale, 32nd & larger) I think because my eyes are really starting to change for the worse and also because I'm into 35th targets tanks and other targets.

                        Little scale doesn't do a whole lot for me, although it is tempting to build a collection of 72nd jets which would take up a helluvalot less room than a like 48th collection.

                        As to 48th, on the whole, there's alot more of everything available than in any other scale, (especially decals) although I think that there's still more 72nd kits out there.


                        Fade to Black...

                        Steve O. Reno Check Out My Photo Sets on Flickr

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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 12:06 AM
                        I only build in 1/48. I will admit that some of the new 1/32 &1/24 kits look interesting.
                        My eyes barely see 1/48. I would be lost with a 1/72 kit.
                        Report Abuse
                        berny13
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Panama City, Florida, Hurricane Alley
                        Posted by berny13 on Sunday, November 23, 2003 12:10 AM
                        1/48 scale. With my fumble fingers I need more space to work with. I also have some 1/32 scale and am now doing a "Vietnam Air Power" series with a F-4D, F-4E, F-4J , MIG17F, Mig 21PFM, and MIG-21MF.

                        Berny

                         Phormer Phantom Phixer

                        On the bench

                        TF-102A Delta Dagger, 32nd FIS, 54-1370, 1/48 scale. Monogram Pro Modeler with C&H conversion.  

                        Revell F-4E Phantom II 33rd TFW, 58th TFS, 69-260, 1/32 scale. 

                        Tamiya F-4D Phantom II, 13th TFS, 66-8711, 1/32 scale.  F-4 Phantom Group Build. 

                         

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                        chasblake99
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Boise ID
                        Posted by chasblake99 on Sunday, November 23, 2003 12:27 AM
                        I build mostly 48 for fighter and 72 for heavies, but as the man said my eyes are goin and 32 and bigger is starting to "look" good to me.
                        Charles NKAWTG (My KC-135R at RAF Fairfird during Allied Force) Pilots without crew chiefs are nothing but pedestrians with nice sunglasses and a cool jacket. Crew Chiefs RULE!
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 2:26 AM
                        I build mostly 1/48, but, if the actual aircraft was a large bird (XB-35, XB-49, B-52, B-1, etc.), I'll build the 1/72 version of it, as the 1/48 version is either unavailable, or too big to display once built. I also occasionally build 1/32 kits, but only if the price is right for the kit. 1/72nd just seems too small (for me, anyway) for good cockpit detail, altough I've seen a 1/144 Harrier with cockpit detail that rivaled a 1/32nd kit. So, as a compromise between decent detail and display space, I stick with 1/48th. Currently, I have 98 1/48 scale kits out of a total of 116 unbuilt kits.
                        Report Abuse
                        djmodels1999
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: United Kingdom / Belgium
                        Posted by djmodels1999 on Sunday, November 23, 2003 3:13 AM
                        1/48 does not appeal to me much anymore... I must have built the whole series of ESCI 1/48 kits in my youth, but I think I got used to build 1/72 for the sheer diversity of subjects available. Nowadays, choice is much better in larger scales, but still...

                        Domi
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                        robvandodewaard
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Netherlands
                        Posted by robvandodewaard on Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:02 AM
                        I only build 1/48 scale ww2 aircraft. The reason for this is that I can detail it without guessing where to put it due to my eyesight and I also think that the size of the completed model is perfect for collection. However when I see a wel build model in a smaller scale I really appreciate the effort and take my hat of for the modeler who build it

                        cheers

                        robSmile [:)]
                        Report Abuse
                        J-Hulk
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Tochigi, Japan
                        Posted by J-Hulk on Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:55 AM
                        I usually prefer the best kit available of a subject in the largest scale.
                        I don't have any particular problems with my eyes or fingers (big as they may be), I just like big models!
                        ~Brian
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 8:13 AM
                        Well, I like 1/72, but the odd 1/48 is nice for a change. I'm only 16, and my eyesight is great (very nearsighted yet I can see smaller things than most people. I was born to model!Wink [;)]) Also, since I'm young, I have a lifetime of models ahead of me, and I'm going to want room to be able to display all or most of them.
                        Report Abuse
                        Lucien Harpress
                        • Member since
                          June 2003
                        • From: A Computer in Adrian, (SE) Michigan.
                        Posted by Lucien Harpress on Sunday, November 23, 2003 10:37 AM
                        I' m more into 1:72 for several reasons:

                        1. I am currently in progress building my first "real" model (i.e., it actually looks like the real thing!), which happens to be a 1:72 B-36, so therefore, for easy size comparison purposes for future models (which [will/i] be coming), I've decied to stick with 1:72 until further notice.

                        2. I'm more into bombers than fighters, which suits 1:72 perfectly.

                        3. 1:72 offers the widest (I think so) selection of what I want to build.

                        And, the most important reason of all-
                        4. Because I too am only 16, and currently without a job, a [i]lot                         of 1:72 models are cheap! (Under $10)

                        That, and I don't mind working with small projects.
                        That which does not kill you makes you stranger...
                        -The Joker
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                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 4:15 PM
                        I am really into 1/144, but have been branching out into 1/72 jets. Won't build in 1/48 because people get too crazy with all the detailing and aftermarket stuff. Plus, 1/72 does not require me to add an addition on to my home for display purposes!
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 4:56 PM
                        I HATE 72 scale
                        HATE HATE HATE
                        I only would consider the largerst kits (Tu-95, B-52).
                        I don't like Scale Aviation Modeler because they almost exclusively cover 72. I know people build outstanding replicas in 72nd, but what's the point? A 72nd Bf-109 is tiny. It's not all that big in 1/24 ( a real man's scale). A 72nd scale biplane is even sillier. 1/48 is decent, the planes are still small, but not ridiculous.
                        Just my opinion :)
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 5:54 PM
                        I build in 1/48 primarily, although I have built 1/72nd, but the smaller the model the less detail. The drawback to the 1/48th is that they do take up a lot more space, plus there seems to be more of a selection of subjects in 1/72. Still I like my 1/48th stuff...

                        I did build a 1/24th? of the Gemini spacecraft for my son, and that was a nice change of pace. Although I was tempted to climb in the thing after I finished. Smile [:)] I have noticed at my ripe age of 45 I have had to start using reading modeling glasses more frequently. Who knows what I'll be able to see in years to come.

                        Do you think in fifteen or twenty years they'll be offering a 1/2 scale? - Now that will take up some shelf space!

                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:24 PM
                        I prefer 72nd scale since my return to the hobby just less hassles of where will I put it when its done. Before I left the hobby I was a larger scale fan...I'll build both its just I now mainly concentrate on 1/72nd....I would also agree that there are larger AC selections available in 72nd scale
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 23, 2003 6:43 PM
                        72nd for bombers. 48th for fighters, 32nd for phantoms FW190' s and ME109's.
                        Of course, as Blackwolf said , targets 1/35th and the odd ship in 1/350th
                        Report Abuse
                        Woody
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        • From: Third rock from the sun.
                        Posted by Woody on Sunday, November 23, 2003 7:27 PM
                        1/72 for me! If you can't find it in 1/72, you can't find anywhere! Wink [;)]
                        A real mans scale...ROTF. That's a good one! Laugh [(-D]

                        " I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
                        Report Abuse
                        shrikes
                        • Member since
                          November 2003
                        • From: Manila, Philippines
                        Posted by shrikes on Sunday, November 23, 2003 7:28 PM
                        I like building multi-engined WWII stuff, so, 1/72 suits me fine... i like the practcal aspects of 1/72 too. it's cheaper, offers more variety, and will fit on my shelf without me having to tear down a wall and add a new room. (A 1/48 P-47 is almost as big as my B-17, so imagine what the fort would look like in 1/48) the thing i hate about 1/72 is its lack of fine detail especially in the interior, and aftermarket parts. (did i mention it lacks detail). One day when i'm old and decrepid, i'll move off into 1/48... Big Smile [:D]
                        Blackadder: This plan's as cunning as a fox that used to be Professor of cunning at Oxford University but has now moved on and is working with the U.N at the high commission of cunning planning
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                        rjkplasticmod
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: A Spartan in the Wolverine State
                        Posted by rjkplasticmod on Sunday, November 23, 2003 8:44 PM
                        I build mostly 1/48 scale WWII Fighters but I enjoy an occasional 1/72 kit as a change of pace. There are still some AC that are only represented in 1/72 and some of the larger AC don't use up a lot of space if you want to display them. I built an Accurate Miniatures B-25 a couple of years ago but it won't fit on any of my display shelves. I recently built the new Hasegawa B-25 in 1/72 and it's almost as nice as Accurates and takes about as much space as a 1/48 fighter. I just turned 65 and my eyes don't handle 1/72 easily, but I can still manage. Having stuck up for 1/72 I have to admit prefering 1/48 for most of my modelling projects. The new 1/32 releases are hugely tempting but so far I've resisted.

                        Rick
                        RICK At My Age, I've Seen It All, Done It All, But I Don't Remember It All...
                        Report Abuse
                        Bossman
                        • Member since
                          December 2002
                        Posted by Bossman on Sunday, November 23, 2003 10:05 PM
                        About a 50/50 mix - Although the 1/48 scales tend to take me alot longer. I like the variety. (and a bargain)
                        Report Abuse
                        Keyworth
                        • Member since
                          January 2003
                        • From: NE Georgia
                        Posted by Keyworth on Sunday, November 23, 2003 11:57 PM
                        I build primarily in 1/72 for space considerations and the variety of models available in that scale. I also build in 1/48, but not as many for the same space reasons.
                        "There's no problem that can't be solved with a suitable application of high explosives"
                        Report Abuse
                        inpw1
                        • Member since
                          September 2003
                        • From: u.s.a.
                        Posted by inpw1 on Monday, November 24, 2003 12:24 AM
                        hey shrikes.....
                        got a -17 under the tree in 48 scale....the span is over 2 feet...kinda big...but i have a ceiling (my 14 monthold son and 9 year old daughter will enjoy gawking at it in there room) and if not there is always the living room......now i just gotta talk the wife into a 48 scale b-29 or b-52 or c-5 Big Smile [:D]
                        jim
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                        Dwight Ta-ala
                        • Member since
                          July 2003
                        • From: Philippines
                        Posted by Dwight Ta-ala on Monday, November 24, 2003 12:40 AM
                        I prefer 1/72 scale because:

                        1.) I don't have the space for displaying larger models.
                        2.) It usually fit my hobby budget.
                        3.) I find more types (variety) in this scale here in my area.

                        I have also done two 1/48 scale kits (F-22 Raptor & AH-64) and I found the details quite better than 1/72 but due to the 3 reasons I mentioned, I stick with 1/72.

                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 24, 2003 7:35 AM
                        I build in 1/72 because of cost reasons and space. I have a Hasegawa B-25 in 1/72 that probably has more detail than the 1/32 corsair that I ordered. Plus, a 1/48 scale B-36 would not fit in my house...
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 24, 2003 8:00 AM
                        Don't ask me why, but way back when, when I used to do aircraft, I built all but one of my BF109's in 1/72 and all (3) of my modern day jets in 1/48. I guess I just like the size for the jets, not too big , not too small. Saw a couple of 1/32 A-10's at a model show a few weeks ago, they were huge, never last in my house. Strongly considering a MIG-29 right now, probably in 1/48, but display room is at a premium. Will have to take that into consideration.
                        Report Abuse
                        Anonymous
                        • Member since
                          November 2005
                        Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 24, 2003 2:17 PM
                        1/32 and 1/24 ALL THE WAY!! (for airplanes that is)

                        Everyone is a masterpiece
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                        styrene
                        • Member since
                          May 2003
                        • From: The flat lands of the Southeast
                        Posted by styrene on Monday, November 24, 2003 2:23 PM
                        1/48 for 95% of stuff, 1/72 for the big, multi-engine stuff.
                        Gip Winecoff

                        1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

                        1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

                        Report Abuse
                        oldhooker
                        • Member since
                          July 2003
                        • From: Piedmont Triad, NC (USA)
                        Posted by oldhooker on Monday, November 24, 2003 3:17 PM
                        Approve [^]Some are Large, some are smallApprove [^]

                        Some are large.....
                        .....some are small
                        they live together....
                        .....on my wall

                        Hours spent.....
                        .....on every part
                        equal time.....
                        .....with all my heart

                        When trouble comes....
                        ....and days it will
                        there is a place.....
                        ....where all is still

                        Some are large.....
                        .....some are small
                        they live together....
                        .....on my wall
                        .........Frank White
                        Approve [^]


                        Frank Wink [;)]

                        Report Abuse
                        cassibill
                        • Member since
                          February 2003
                        • From: Indiana, USA
                        Posted by cassibill on Monday, November 24, 2003 4:29 PM
                        Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]
                        Frank, that was too much. lololol Hey Dave!! Publish that. I got the chills looking at that pic. I build 1/144 planes and 1/72 occasionally for something special, my flight team collection or Migs but I want 1 model of every plane in 1/100 or smaller. I have ambition but not for course workBig Smile [:D]. Armor in 1/72. Ships in 1/350!!!!

                        cdw My life flashes before my eyes and it mostly my life flashing before my eyes!!!Big Smile The 1/144 scale census and message board: http://144scalelist.freewebpage.org/index.html

                        Report Abuse
                        luftwaffe1
                        • Member since
                          August 2003
                        • From: USA
                        Posted by luftwaffe1 on Monday, November 24, 2003 6:52 PM
                        Being reborn to modeling after a ten year absence. I think 1/48th scale offers the best of both world...not to big not to small. Just enought to fit on a shelf but not to small not to be seen or take too much space up. I always modeled in 1\48. 1\72 is too small...but the only advantage...MORE KITS
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