a couple of questions??

Wow, questions within a question.

I cannot answer about the trucks. ButI can tell you that 1/72 tanks are pretty small - detailing them is a chore. To get the right effect, 1/35 is better simply because a well detailed armor vehicle is rather "busy."

In the small scales, this busy-ness is not only hard to reproduce, but it gets muddled in the overall effect.

Airfix 1/72 kits are of varying quality. If you get one of the newest ones, like the SHAR 1 or one of the new Canberra's, they are quite good, overall. Detail level is excellent and the decals spot on. Airfix has stepped up their game recently and it shows in the model quality. These new kits are normally found in a solidly built, red boxes.

However, if you get one of the boxings containing plastic shot from the old molds (some going back to the 60's), then that is not the case at all. Detail is sparse, panel lines are raised and and the decals may be questionable.

Since you'll be getting it at a LHS, you should be able to specify the new issues and make the right selection.

Not much in the way of military vehicles in 1:24/25, those mostly fall into 1/35 and the ever expanding 1/48 scale. IMO 1/76/72 is tedious to detail for this club sized mits and failing eyes.

1:48 is the same as O in model railroading so you have access to a plethora of accessories.

Gift certificates are great, however spend them on the things that will give you the most use, such as tools and supplies that you really need. The cost of these items adds up fast, so if you can offset them do so, as they rarely ever go on sale as kits do.

Thanks for the replies guys.  I guess the reason I was thinking about 1/72 is because of the space issue and more importantly the price issue.  Some Airfix I've noticed are under $10.00 a kit!    I think a car model for $20 or more is expensive so when I see so many military models well into the $30 range and up I was surprised. Maybe 1/48 scale would be better to keep me sane.  Of course I'm not exactly sane to start with.  Maybe I should keep plugging away at the 50 plus car models I have to build. To tell you the truth, the part I like best about military modeling is the use of weathering. I'm not fussy about purdy clean ones. I often build weathered cars cause it's just so much fun. Long live rust, dirt  and old chipped paint!!!

If you let the price of any hobby dictate what you do, you'd never do any. They are all expensive.  Watch the sales, swap meets, ebay and where ever else you can find models. I've even scored some good deals at yard sales. Build what you can when you can in whatever scale you can. Eventually you'll be able to pick more of your preferred scale and subject as the budget and time permit.

Your right Hawkeye, they are all expensive.  You get use to it after you are into a hobby for a while. But tools and supplies add up quick. Specially when you start diving into aftermarket parts. If I had been building military models for the last couple of years I probably wouldn't think much of the higher prices.

Italeri makes a 1/24 Opel Blitz truck.  I believe they have made both the cargo truck and a fire truck version of it.

Yes Bronto that is what I was looking for.  I wonder if you can still get them?