History of scale models

Concerning ship models:
The ancient Greeks and Romans had ship models, presumably for display or toys as the examples I've seen are not historically correct, although there might have been builders' models as well.

Later on when shipbuilding became more sophisticated, but people were still illiterate, models were used to:
Gain the ship owner's approval to build the full size vessel,
Loft the frames and other details for full size construction.

The most famous of these models, all done in the standard 1:48 scale, are the Admiralty models built for the Royal Navy in the 18th and 19th centuries. Most are in the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK, and you can visit their web site for photos and more details on them.

Variations on the full hull Admiralty models are the half hull models used mainly for lofting hull forms and plating patterns. These were used on modern ships up until CAD programming took over not that many years ago. The Maritime Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston Ontario has several examples of these models and explains their use in modern shipbuilding. They also have a web site for more information.

Funny enough, these types of models were never rigged, and rigged models were not made for the purposes I have stated. Rigging was left up to the shipwright practices of the day.

Ship models are still used for owner's approvals even in this age of Auto-CAD. Model cruise liners are often given to passengers on maiden or other commemmorative voyages.

Regarding aircraft models:
Wind tunnel models were and still are used to prove the aerodynamic characteristics of concept airframes. Sometimes scale models were fastened to rocket boosters for high speed flight analysis. Try contacting Boeing to pursue this line, I was privileged a few years ago to tour their Everett facilities and I spoke to many of their design people. Saw the original wind tunnel model for the B-17, intricate in every airframe detail, made from laminated wood, and complete with pressure sensors throughout the airfoil sections. Absolutely amazing!

Good luck with your thesis,
Bruce

Even the Neaderthals used models of sorts-little fertility goddesses. So it's more a matter of when is something a "model". Is it a talisman, statue, representation or a Tamiya ME-262.

Well models really got some use I beleive starting in WW2. Many countries issued models out to the men for identifiying friend from foe. Back then, they might not have heard of King Tiger except from squadmates. (Russians might have mistaken the Panther for a large-scale T-34!) I beleive mostly pilots used these. At night, it is hard to tell what a plane is. Building or studying a model etches its shape in your mind.

Well models really got some use I beleive starting in WW2. Many countries issued models out to the men for identifiying friend from foe. Back then, they might not have heard of King Tiger except from squadmates. (Russians might have mistaken the Panther for a large-scale T-34!) I beleive mostly pilots used these. At night, it is hard to tell what a plane is. Building or studying a model etches its shape in your mind.

okay, I´ve done some research and here is what I´ve found so far if anyone of you is interested. It deals with architectural models.

Ancient cultures used models of their homes for religious purposes like placing them in graves etc. to ensure a better afterlife.

At the dawn of modernity models were rarely built and when they were built it was a representation of the structure as naturalistically as possible. Drawing was at this point in time more important.

But then during the renaissance in Florence Italy, the architect Brunelleschi built a model of the cathedral during the design stages. It was at this time that everything changed. The architect started regarding himself as an artist and not just a craftsman. The model was a work of art in itself almost. Models, after this, became commonplace.

Fast forward to the information age (now). Computers and easy to use computer programmes are taking over and there has been a clear regression in the use of scale models.

Scale modeling as a recreation didn't really take off until the age of exploration. Sailors would get really bored and would spend time making models of their ships. Some of them put the models inside a bottle.

Building on the bored sailor topic, amny were prisoners for years in hulks, and passed time as well as earned money by modelling. Usually ships but also any other subject that caught their fancy. Often these were made of wood or bone, and were finely worked. Some of these prisoner models fetch handsome prices in auction rooms today.

Bruce