Small Scale Military Headquarters

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Moderator's note: This is a fun old thread I stumbled on and thought i'd bring up. Lots of optimism still, even in 2015.

aferguson

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There are many aircraft that I will want in the future but I am trying to get a grip now before it is to late. Single engine WWII fighters are great in the scale but no twin engine aircraft were ever made besides the P-38. This will change now for sure but what about 4 engine aircraft?

Is a 1/18 B-17 insane?

Normally I would have said No! but now considering all the planes that I would want and with space limited should four engine bombers even be considered?

How many people would actually have room for such a model?

Hard to say what I'd do... A B-17 is pushing the limits for me. Don't get me wrong, it's my favorite WWII aircraft and would look awesome in 1:18 scale, but really, I'd have nowhere to put it, either hanging or on ground display. Part of the reason why I'm not collecting those 1:6 scale-ish RC planes... They're simply too big!

Something like a B-25 seems doable in 1:18. It would still get the "wow" factor in terms of size and would actually be smaller in terms of length and wingspan than the JSI F-14. An RAF DH Mosquito would be only a little bigger than the P-38 even.

tmanthegreat wrote:Hard to say what I'd do... A B-17 is pushing the limits for me. Don't get me wrong, it's my favorite WWII aircraft and would look awesome in 1:18 scale, but really, I'd have nowhere to put it, either hanging or on ground display. Part of the reason why I'm not collecting those 1:6 scale-ish RC planes... They're simply too big!

Something like a B-25 seems doable in 1:18. It would still get the "wow" factor in terms of size and would actually be smaller in terms of length and wingspan than the JSI F-14. An RAF DH Mosquito would be only a little bigger than the P-38 even.

The twin engine stuff will be made, the Me110 and Ju-88 and even a He-111 will be very cool! but doing anything much bigger seems sorta insane. An Fw-200 would be very impressive but to large. I love flying boats like the Catalina and the Dorniers but they are getting into the relm of insanity as far as 1/18 goes.

21st Century went on with a B-25 project, it should have had a little bigger wingspan (20,6 m) than the Tomcat with deployed wings (19,24 m), the Dornier 17 is a little bit smaller (18 m, exactly 1 m at 1/18th scale)... if the F-14 is the limit, the Heinkel 111 is over with 22,6 m wingspan, but the Me-110 (16,3 m) and the De Haviland MOSQUITO (16,5 m) seem to be feasible. By the way, I think that with many types of german planes made from excellent people here, it would be nice to have some from other countries.
I'm just sorry that artist resin planes are too expensive for me, but of course I have to agree with the price when I look at the lot of work one model represents.

For me the F105 thunderchief could be thé limit. But how much cooler CAN it be?

When wingspans start getting near 4 feet thats pushing the limit. Thats why I collect armor .

http://www.warbird-photos.com/gpxd/view ... f=1&t=3027

G'day Guys. It Would be Great but sadly you would need some serious Hanger space

Cheers
Studly

I still would love to have a sunderland flying boat. It would propably only have the cockpit deck for internal detail. I figured if i ever got around to building one i could build just the fuselage as a standalone assembly. That way you can display it like a large scale boat. You can always have wings that just slot in and out if you have the room to hang it.
Displaying just a fuselage (on a multi-engined plane) also means you dont need to build engines and undercarriages.

The TBF Avenger has 2' more wingspan than a P-38 and is nearly 3' longer. It's about the same as an ME-110 and close to a Mosquito. So if a TBM is manageable, then any small twin should be right up through an Me-410, Ju-88, Do-17 or A-20. Even a B-25 would be under 4' at about a 45" span. A Curtiss Helldiver would be nice.

The TBF Avenger is perheaps allready out of the limit. Just have a look at the sagging wings...

granch wrote:The TBF Avenger is perhaps already out of the limit. Just have a look at the sagging wings...

That is my biggest beef with the 21c Avenger. 21c wanted exacting accuracy with the wing folding mechanism, but the way it was designed, it couldn't support that long heavy wing. Either they should have improved how the outer wing connected/clipped to the inner wing or included some sort of supporting rod that could be inserted into the wing to provide support. Or they could have just gone the inaccurate route, like BBI did with the folding wings on their F6F Hellcat, which are sturdier and hold better dihedral than the 21c Avenger...

granch wrote:The TBF Avenger is perheaps allready out of the limit. Just have a look at the sagging wings...

I get to spend a lot of time around a real one. It is amazing how little holds that wing in place when extended and yet it is rigid and takes the stress of flight. One major locking pin and a lot of hydraulics does it all. A little more engineering and planning might have remedied the wing issues on the model.

One interesting note is that you need to be on level ground to be sure the wing clears when folding. Most recently after recovering our TBM, while he was taxiing in and parking, I noticed the left gear strut was overcompressed and the plane wasn't sitting level. Didn't think too much of it until after I gave the pilot the thumbs-up that he was clear to swing the wings back. My heart skipped a beat as the left wing missed the tarmac by about the thickness of a sheet of paper. After he shut down and I attached the wing tip securing pins, I told the pilot that if an ant had been there it would have been killed.

I would love to see larger 1/18 models. Over the last several years, I have been getting into RC planes, so I am used to the size, I have built a 1/18 B-25 and 1/15 Mosquito, and a 1/18 F-106 and B-29 is next. And they will both fly! I think some twins like a tigercat, P-61, or OV-10 would be perfect size for 1/18.

I'd like to see a Betty, Dinah, or Nick in 1:18th. That B-25 looks nice in your pics B-29.

USCGMK2 wrote:I'd like to see a Betty, Dinah, or Nick in 1:18th. That B-25 looks nice in your pics B-29.

Thanks! It was a lot of work, I even got it signed by the remaining Doolittle Raiders. Both the Mosquito and B-25 are modified Flying Styro Kit models.

Think the JSI 1/18 Tomcat is as large as you could resonably go.

Most people just don't have the room for anything larger than that.

Even the P-38 and Avenger are already pushing the limits, in my opinion.

When you have a model that is 3 feet long/ wingspan, potential customers are far fewer than 1/72, 1/32 etc.

While I would like the option, think even the popular B-25 and He 111 are just too big. Cost would be an issue, and space certainly would be. From a manufacturers perspective, just not enough potential buyers to make it worth while.

snake wrote:Think the JSI 1/18 Tomcat is as large as you could resonably go.

Most people just don't have the room for anything larger than that.

Even the P-38 and Avenger are already pushing the limits, in my opinion.

When you have a model that is 3 feet long/ wingspan, potential customers are far fewer than 1/72, 1/32 etc.

While I would like the option, think even the popular B-25 and He 111 are just too big. Cost would be an issue, and space certainly would be. From a manufacturers perspective, just not enough potential buyers to make it worth while.

That size isn't too large, when I collected 1:48 I had both a B-1 and a B-29, both about 36"x 36". My collection was large, and included numerous models over 24" in span or length. Storage and display have caused me to limit what I focus on, cost is more of the limiting factor for me. I agree with you about limited market potential of large 1:18. I would love to have a 1:18 B-17, as that is a plane my Grandfather flew, but I've thought seriously of trying to build a 1:18 SR-71 or B-58. All of these are smaller and less expensive than having a car habit.

may i ask were did you get the B25 and is it still available?

conni64 wrote:may i ask were did you get the B25 and is it still available?

It is one of these kits with extensive modifications: http://www.flyingstyrokit.com

My big problem is i want many 1:18 models. So i need space, the space is the problem for almost all 1:18 collectors. So the best option is have models that can be unassembled and with good plastic like BBI. The F18, F16, UH60 and AH64 are a clear demonstration of how an 1:18 scale model should be. I have more than 100 helicopters and aircraft models, all unassembled in a small room, also in that room I have many armor, artillery, vehicles and figures. I'm sure if you see the room I have, you will understand how important is a big 1:18 piece that can be unassembled. The F14 is over the limit but I have it and I like it.

1:18 F-105

I'll give a beer to whoever builds the Hughes-Kaiser HK-1 Hercules, better known as the "Spruce Goose" in 1:18 scale