HooYah Deep Sea
Aircraft models are in 1:72, 1:48. and 1:32 scales. Military vehicles are in 1:35, and car kits are in 1:24 and 1:25. Wouldn't it be much simpler to standardize the scales? It would definately make dioramas easier
It all goes back to dime stores, boxes, and units of measurement.
In English measurements, ther ewere a number of standardized scales typically in increments of an inch to the foot. The notations changed over the years, but the scales were generally the same.
So, let us consider 1:48 scale. We can also render that as 1 unit equals 48 units. Another way to write that would be 1" 4'-0"; in more modern guise that's rendered as 1/4"=1'-0"
If we look at 1/72, 1 unit equals 72, or 1" = 6'-0" or 1/6"=1'-0--which is a hair odd, as most inch scales are not divided in sixths. In ship building, there is 1/64, which is 3/16"=1'-0"--and rulers are graduated in sixteenths.
1:72 scale seems to have been an upscale of 1/144, or 1/12"=1'-0" (or 1"=12' in wargaming scales).
These small scales get the "classic" railroad scales of HO, ±1/87, and its cousing OO, ±1/43(ish)--railroad "scales" are based on some nominal width between rails representing the semi-standardized rail width of 4'-8 1/2" (based on the width of Roman carts--sorta).
Interesingly, there's an argument over whether 1/300 is a doubling of 1/700, or 1/700 was the halving of 1/350. Given that before 1/350 settled in as the scale, there was 1/400, 1/500, and 1/600 about, and the 1/700 seem to have come out first, pantographing 1/700 moulds up (or usings the double-size moulds direct, makes more sense. To mme, at least.
Now, not one of those much matches scales that are metric-suitable--1:48 is ok where 1mm = 48mm, despite being 2.54mm = 1.2192m, a ridiculous number to contemplate.
We owe, it is said, 1/35 to Tamiya, as that was the best size kit to stick motors into and a couple of C size batteries. It certainly fit better with 54mm tall cast metal figures. And was--sort of--suitable with 1/32 (aka 3/8"=1'-0") scale.
54mm works out to about 5'-8.5" tall at 1/32, at 1/35, about 1,890mm tall, or 6'-2"
Ands, strangely enough, what we see today is actually somewhat standardized. In my lifetime we have also had 1/34, 1/43, 1/50, and 1/40 to contend with. Those are mostly die-cast scales, and meant to fit standardized boxes for store shelves (and to make a constant scale within a single manufacturer).
In a more perfect world, perhaps the metric scale might have been 1/30, with 1/32 being the "english" equivalent. 3/8" scale is spiffy for scratch building as 1/32" (close enough to 0.030) pretty much is an inch to scale, and dimensions can be ginned up readily.
The 1/24 & 1/25 divide is cleanly english/metric, 1unit = 24units is 1/2"=1'-0" being well known, as was 1mm = 25mm.