As a rule I’m a 1/35 scale World War Two modeller, and just a 1/35 scale World War Two modeller. I don’t venture into aircraft or ships, or 1/48th or 1/72, though I know that many modellers build anything and everything from 1/24 scale sports cars to 1/72 scale Napoleanic minitures.
It’s not necessarily that I don’t like other genres, it’s more a case that WWII is the period that interests me the most and 1/35 is the scale I find to best suit my available space, my eyesight and my digital dexterity. And quite simply that in 1/35 you’re pretty much limited to armour. Which is a shame, as I don’t dislike aircraft or ships, they just don’t make many ( or any ) in 1/35. One of these days I may even take the plunge and build an armoured train.
I know you can usually get away with a 1/32 scale aircraft in a diorama with 1/35 scale figures and vehicles, and likewise if you can find any you can work with 1/32 scale vintage cars. And yes there are the Italeri Schnellboot and the Bronco Seehund Midget Submarines. But really I often wonder why is it that we have these two similar scales that are just close enough to work sometimes, and just far enough apart not to work other times.
I’m looking forward to Masterbox’s release of their 1/35 scale Junkers Ju. 52, Douglas DC 3, and Horsa Gliders so that I can start incorporating aircraft into dioramas without the pain of knowing that they are really 1/32 scale ( I’m one of those wierd people that is bothered by knowing something is wrong even if no-one else does ). And one of these days I’m going to build that Schnellboot. But I’d love to built a 1/35 scale PT Boat as well, not to mention a 1/35 scale U-Boat. It’s just a pity you can’t open up a U-Boat in a realistic diorama.
I crave 1/35 scale 1920s and 1930 cars, everyday cars for city settings and bombed out wrecks, executive cabriolets for spoilt German officers ( actually these days I’d settle for just being able to get a decent 1/32 scale kit of these that wasn’t made in the 1960s or 1970s ). I crave 1/35 scale FlaK barges and tugboats that I can put Commandos onto. I desire a 1/35 scale Me 109 that is made in pieces so I can do a recovery scene and not have to use a 1/32 scale one.
But I can’t see that day ever coming. 1/32 is too entrenched in aircraft, and ships would be too big in 1/35. So for now I’ll stick to painstakingly converting a 1/32 aircraft scale kit into a 1/35 scale one ( or at least closer to it ) and I’ll continue to hunt out old 1/32 scale vintage car kits from the 70s that need a whole lot of modelling love to bring them to life. Not that it will stop me wanting those and hoping that somewhere out there a model manufacturer is listening.
But for now I suspect that it’s just wishful thinking on my part.
So one day I’ll just give in and scratchbuild my own 1/35 Messerschmitt Me 323.
And a month after I finish it someone will release a high end kit of it.
hi i have just finished a 1/35 schnellboat. and saw on you tube a 1/35 u boat diorama in dry dock. do you know which company actually makes the kits? many thanks mark
If you can give me a link to the UTube clip I can take a look, it might be scratchbuilt as I’m not aware of any 1/35 subs other than the Bronco Seehund which is a minisub.