new to this hobby help with scale please

[malcolm-339157]

Hello,as im getting old i needed a new hobby,my wife got me 2 models 1/72 scale of a Airfix Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane mk1,can someone please explain to me how the scale works,like witch is the largest and witch is the smallest and so on,thank you,your most kind

[Ratch]

Generally, the bigger the number, the smaller the size.

1/1 is life-size.

A 1/24 Spitfire is the biggest with 1/48 smaller and 1/72 the smallest of these three.

[peebeep]

The scale is simply a fraction of the size of the original object, so the bigger the scale denominator eg. 24, 35, 48, 72, 144, then the smaller the scale.

[John Symmons]

hi Malcolm.

Welcome to the forum, and the world of plastic modeling.

Concerning scales the above answers are correct but it can still be a bit confusing. Basically for every six feet on the real thing in 144th scale this is represented by half-an-inch on the model, in 72nd scale by one inch on the model, at 48thy scale equals one-and-half inches, and at 1/24 scale equals three inches, So a model of a Spitfire that has a wing span of just over 36 feel the model in 72nd scale will be a fraction over 6 inches while the same model in 24th scale will have an 18 inches wing span.

Hope this helps, and would love to hear how you get on with your first two models. Just remember there's no such thing as a bad build, each build is your best build, even the first one, and there's no such thing as a silly question, so just ask if you get stuck. Good luck and enjoy the new year and have fun.

Remember we do this for fun. Happy new year to everyone. John the Pom

[malcolm-339157]

many thanks

[J-346856]

I like to think of it as how many of the models would need to be laid end to end to make the full size item so a 1:72 Spitfire would have 72 of the models laid own to make the full size Spitfire.

[Sailorman]

I find the easiest is to think in terms of inches. Think of the numbers on both side of the : being in inches.

1:600 means - 1 inch on the model = 600 inches on the real thing (or 50 feet since 50 feet = 600 inches)

Similarly

1:72 means - 1 inch on the model = 72 inches on the real thing (ie: 6 feet)

1:48 means - 1 inch on the model = 48 inches on the real thing (ie: 4 feet)

1:24 means - 1 inch on the model = 24 inches on the real thing (or 2 feet)

1:12 means - 1 inch on the model = 12 inches on the real thing (or 1 foot since 1 foot = 12 inches.

Thus, if working to 1:600 a ship 600 feet long in real life becomes a model 1 foot long.

If you built a plane that was 30 feet long to 1:600 you would end up with a model about half a inch long.

On the other hand if you built a 600 foot ship to 1:72 you would end up with a model some 8 feet long need an extension added on to your room and probably lose your wife in the process!

[SD45elect2000]

On the other hand if you built a 600 foot ship to 1:72 you would end up with a model some 8 feet long need an extension added on to your room and probably lose your wife in the process!

There are a lot of ways to lose your wife, this is one of the better ones.

[peebeep]

There are a lot of ways to lose your wife, this is one of the better ones.