I have been thinking about this for a while.
Whether it be Plastic, Resin, or Paper it's definitely in the details. That's where the time gets eaten up. Either plastic or resin it's aftermarket ( including P.E.) it's definitely what sets a model apart !
Now, that said I must warn anyone that is thinking about transitioning to a detailed Paper( Card) model this is so true. You don't have the pieces ( Winches, and piping or lifeboats detailed out or ready to install. You have to make them!
Well, you're saying, " How hard can that be"?
How about a whole sheet( Normal Typewriter size! of Winches? Yup, there's 40 of them on there. Remember we're talking 1/250 here! Each winch has three or four parts! Not including the bases which are on another sheet!
The Andrea Doria has 30 life boats. I had to Vac-U-Form ones from another close kit because they just didn't look right in this scale. Then each Davit was four parts! The Boats are in two different sizes too! The winches are for the Boat davits!
Aircraft are actually more fun, If you have a place to put them. Why, well you're basically making parts for a tapered at both ends tube. With internal supports!The smallest things are the Gear Wheels and Antennas! On a fighter aircraft! you may have to do a two part fairing on each side top and bottom for the wings and build all the bombs( If it has them.) Oh, some even have offices and include the plastic to shape inside the paper frames. This can drive you nuts, but the end results can be astounding!
I did one 1/32 car that someone gave me at a model show. It was a down-load from a PDF file. I was actually able to use tires and wheels from a plastic kit and still was able to ( Using the Warm Spoon, Craft Foam and Water Spritz treatment) get the right curves on the Body parts. Thank goodness, it was a Mitsubishi Pajero( An S.U.V.)
The only other car I have been able to find around here was a 1/35 scale, 1/4ton truck. U.S.Army nomeclature for a JEEP! That was fun too, even though, it was frustrating doing the engine parts!
Again, to make them look good it's all in the Details. To Close this. You ship-Modelers. Think back. Revell's "U.S.S.The Sullivans". Yup. the old box scale kit. How about them embossed on the outside, smooth on the inside Railing walls? And they even have the NERVE to tell you to paint them Silver? No, no!, take them away! Replace with carefully bent and folded and as close as you can get P.E. That includes all the " Inca Stairs" molded all over the place.
Instant transformation to another DETAILED level! Besides, who ever heard of Warship rails painted silver anyway?