Model Aircraft – Static
Big boys and small boys love planes, any kind of plane. If they
can’t fly them then they’ll collect model versions with those that are scaled
down versions of the real thing proving most popular and expensive. There are a
few versions; static, or those which are displayed on stands or from mobiles,
and those that have motors added and can be flown, are the most well known. Some
producers have many models, a few of which are offered as ‘signature’ versions.
These have been mounted on stands where the signature of a well known aviator
associated with that plane (in full scale) is added and certified to be
genuine.
The more intricate, the more expensive seems to be the rule.
Some can be bought fully assembled while others are constructed by the hobbyists
and collectors. They can be made from many materials including wood, plastic,
cloth, metal, synthetic resins or a mix of all of these. Those made of cast
resin are the most expensive as the raw materials also cost more and the cast
resin process requires a lot of labour. Static display models range from mass
produced toys to highly accurate models requiring thousands of hours to produce
for display in museums. Aircraft manufacturers produce models of their own full
sized aircraft both for wind tunnel testing and for advertising. Some of these
static models are scaled specifically for use in wind tunnels, where the data
acquired is used to aid the design of full scale aircraft.
Static Aircraft models are collected especially by aviation and
history buffs. Usually, static model airplanes are used for publicity or
promotional campaigns of the aircraft they were modelled after. Some are used
for acquiring an up-close and personal look at the look and details of the
aircraft they were modelled after. Static models which still need to be
assembled and are also known as snap models are more popular among
hobbyists.
From World War I through the 1950s, model airplanes were built
from light weight balsa wood and often covered with tissue paper. This was a
difficult, time consuming procedure that mirrored the actual construction of
airplanes through the end of World War II. Some early version were constructed
by fans of aviation from studying aircraft drawings.
Ready-made models (desk-top models) include those produced in
fibreglass for travel agents and aircraft manufacturers, as well as collectors
models made from die-cast metal, mahogany and plastic.
Scale (From Wikipedia):
Static model aircraft are primarily available commercially in a
variety of scales from as large as 1:18 scale to as small as 1:1250 scale.
Plastic model kits requiring assembly and painting are primarily available in
1:200, 1:144, 1:72, 1:50, 1:48, 1:32 and 1:24 scale, often depending on the size
of the original subject. Die-cast metal models (pre-assembled and factory
painted) are primarily available in 1:400, 1:200, 1:72, and 1:600, 1:500,
1:300, 1:250,1:48. A variety of odd scales (e.g. 1:239) are also available but
less common.
The scales are not random but are based on easy divisions of
imperial measuring systems so that 1:48 scale is 1" to 4 feet, 1:72 is 1" to 6
feet. Even numbered scales are similarly based on metric systems. 1:72 scale was
first introduced in the Skybirds wood and metal model aircraft kits in 1932.
According to "Fine Scale Modeler" magazine, 1:72 was also popularized by the US
War Department (renamed the Department of Defense) when it requested models of
single seat aircraft at that scale. The War Department also requested models of
multi-engine aircraft at a scale of 1:144. The War Department was hoping to
educate Americans in the proper identification of aircraft. These scales
provided the best compromise between size and detail. After WWII, the toy
manufactures continued to favour these scales. More detailed models are
available at 1:32 and 1:24. Some manufacturers introduced 1:50 scale and 1:30
scale. Japan offers 1:100. The French firm Heller SA is the only manufacturer to
offer models in the scale of 1:125. Herpa and others produce promotional models
for airlines in scales including 1:200, 1:400, 1:500, 1:600, 1:1000 and more. A
few First World War aircraft were offered at 1:28 by Revell.
