The Little World

And 36 ÷ 2 = 18. So you can see the logical mathematical connection between the standard small plastic model airplane scale and the cast-metal car hobby.

But what is 1:36 doing in between? Not a lot, if Google is accurate. A few die-cast cars but nowhere near as many as adjacent scales. I think the mathematical ratio has petered out. It can be upheld when you look at model aircraft in 1:144 scale but fades out if you multiply it up to 1:288. Only a few old revell box-scale kits come close.

Okay, we’re back to being lonely. 1:8 scale car kits exist, if you are made of money. Mazel tov. 1:16 kits also exist, and Revell, and a number of other major makers make them. They are a delight to work on as the parts are big enough to see with weak eyes. You get fewer choices and fewer on a display shelf, but the selection is amusing. 1:32 is a standard car and slot-car scale, as well as a scale that was pursued by many older AFV kit makers. And you can run parallel to the aircraft world with the big 1:32 airplane kits.

If you want armour, you get 1:35, but I suspect you get it because Mr. Tamiya said so a long time ago. And he picked the number because it was closer to a metric standard than an imperial one. I am glad the confusion of 1:70 scale has not penetrated further than a few ship kits.

Let us go to 1:12 scale and acknowledge that it is the queen of doll house genres. A few die-cast cars in the size, and the occasional toy commemorative item. 1:24 is full-blown model car territory, and if you embrace 1:25 as well, you can say all that needs to be said about motor vehicle transport. 1:48 is a vast airplane scale for most users.

Where are 1:76 ( OO scale ) and 1:87 ( HO scale ) ? In the train room, and vaster than most other hobbies. But 1:38 and 1:43 snap back to diecast cars.

There is no common scale, nor is there a common progression of mathematical scaling to make the calculations sing along. We have not been served well by the planners of the hobbies in earlier times. It will be hard for future lines to break the strictures of these established scales.

Mind you, I am waiting to see the advent of the 1:9 scale B-36 kit. You can pre-pre-order it…