I am interested in aircraft in WW II dioramas, and the number of WW II 1/35th aircraft is pitifully small: Tristar's Fiesler Storch and a Piper Cub by a manufacturer I forget. So my question is: how far off would a 1/32nd plane be to 1/35th armor?

After all, not all 1/35th figures are the same size, so.....

Hi Bill

It's all relative really. Let's start with an example. If you were to take a man of 6 feet in height and scale him down to 1/32nd, he would be 2.25" tall. In 1/35th, he would be 2.06" tall. So mixing 1/32 figures and 1/35 figures isn't a bad idea because of the difference in size of real people. A 1/35 figure would appear to be slightly smaller in stature standing beside a 1/32 figure. The real problem come when you start modelling equipment...helmets, rifles, packs etc. All this stuff is supposed to be the same size so if you mix 1/32 equipment beside 1/35th stuff, it's very is noticible and they look to be different sizes....not good. Different manufacturer's equipment and figures will sometimes look wildly different as well.

Now if you're planning a diorama with a 1/32 airplane and a 1/35th vehicle, this is relatively more common practice. As long as your not putting two of the same thing side by side, one in 1/35th and the other in 1/32nd, then the difference is not really noticible. If you're showing off to the pure and the rivet counters, they will point out the difference in scales quickly because they know. Someone will always bring out their scale rulers and point out the difference in scales.

If you're modelling for yourself, no one will care but you. Build it that way if it makes you happy. If you're modelling to enter in a model contest with strict rules, be prepared to explain yourself.

The same subject come up in 1/76th scale and 1/72nd scale quite often too.

Hope this helps you...

bob

Hey Bill,
I've seen quite a few dioramas that mix 1/32nd scale aircraft and figures with 1/35th scale figures and vehicles.
All the 1/35th scale figures I've measured out tend to range from 50mm to 54mm tall depending on the manufacturer
The Airfix 1/32nd scale figures I have tend to be 54mm or bigger, hence to the old "54mm scale" term.
In reality, people do come in a variety of sizes but you have to be careful doing a diorama using a mix 1/32nd and 1/35th scale figures and vehicles.
Otherwise you can get a scene looking like a bunch of basketball players playing a team of jockeys.
From my experience, if you mix 1/32nd scale aircraft and 1/35th scale vehicles, try and stick to smaller aircraft and larger vehicles.
That way the vehicles don't look dinky next to a plane or helicopter.
Cheers

jjumbo

I was thinking about a Bf 100 or even an ME 109 in a DAK setting.

But maybe I should just stick to the Fieseler Storch....

Hey Bill,
I've always wanted to do a diorama with a Storch or Stuka being refueled by an Opel Blitz carrying fuel drums.
Something like that might suit your DAK diorama.
Cheers

jjumbo

It's all in the details; a 1/32 scale M-1 Garand will look huge in the hands of a 1/35 scale figure & the inverse is equally noticeable, a 1/35 scale weapon will look like a toy with a 1/32 scale figure.

If you are loosing sleep over this, pehaps consider go into 1/48 (my favorite scale)

Tamiya makes really nice aircraft, armor, and acceptable figures in this scale. However, mixing /35 and /32 probably wont be that noticable, after all, if you are putting it into a diorama, the eye will have so much to see it probably wont pick up such a small difference.

Absolutely!

Whoops, double post.

I mix 1/32 helos, aircraft, and civilian vehicles w/ 1/35 figures and AFVs all the time. They look great together. The size difference isn't that noticable. As stated above, as long as you keep constant sized items like rifles and gear in the same scale, you will be fine. Also, as stated above, people come in different sizes as well.

Like this:


More here.

You can also see some more examples in my gallery here at Armorama.

I say go for it.

You're right about it! I can't tell the difference.

As for 1/48th, adding armor in that scale will have me sleeping on the couch....