I nearly fell over this morning!

[Cobrahistorian]

Hey all,

 

For you modelers out there, I just saw this over on ARC and figured I'd post it here too. A new company, WingScale has started producing 32nd scale WWII bombers. Their first release is a B-25H, which is way cool, but this was just announced yesterday:

 

http://store.spruebrothers.com/articles/WingScaleB-17.htm

 

A 32nd scale B-17.... Just incredible!

[gwb123]

Looks big enough that you could actually mount engines on it!

[hawkdriver]

That is a pretty serious kit! I minght think about getting back into modeling with that one.

[Steve B.]

Wow! I can't help but wonder how much it will cost, though. Probably not too many 13-year old kids buying that one!

[Bluehawk]

Remarkable, and large enough for my old fingers to handle!

[Sabrejet]

Wow! Amazing detail..particularly the panel lines and rivets! You'd have fun air-brushing that beast! Can you imagine how a B-29 would look in that scale?! The only problem with things in this scale is storage/display. I've got Corgi's 1:72 die-cast B-17...B-24 and B-25. Superbly presented models, but even in that smaller scale their collective wingspans take up a lot of room!

 

Sabrejet :w00t:

[The Meatcan]

How/where would you display such an immense model? And you'd be buying paint by the gallon for that thing Pretty cool kit though...

Terry

[Cobrahistorian]

Word on the street is that it'll cost less than $250. Just how much less, we'll see.

[Dave]

That's a pretty cool looking plane. I had the 1:48 scale B-17, so this can't be too much bigger...looks about an additional 6 inches in wingspan and length (from the pics). I'd even be tempted to buy one...I wonder how detailed the interior is?

[sgtdorango]

Does it come with a crew?......mike

[Sabrejet]

At the risk of sounding like Mr Nit-Picker, these large kits are very unforgiving of constructional "errors". Take for example the join between the fuselage halves. In the smaller scales, liquid-poly and a few rubber bands, followed by a gentle rubbing down usually does the trick. Maybe even a little filler here and there? Do that in this scale and inevitably panel lines and rivet detail will be lost...and difficult to replace. Such blemishes would be potentially very visible in this scale.

 

Sabrejet :think:

[Jack's Son]

It is a beautiful model, and I understand the concerns expressed.

Well above my head.(No pun intended.)

[Cobrahistorian]

At the risk of sounding like Mr Nit-Picker, these large kits are very unforgiving of constructional "errors". Take for example the join between the fuselage halves. In the smaller scales, liquid-poly and a few rubber bands, followed by a gentle rubbing down usually does the trick. Maybe even a little filler here and there? Do that in this scale and inevitably panel lines and rivet detail will be lost...and difficult to replace. Such blemishes would be potentially very visible in this scale.

 

Sabrejet :think:

 

Ian,

 

I wouldn't be too concerned about that. Restoring panel detail is actually a lot easier in larger scales than it is in small scale. With a 48th scale model, I use an xacto blade, in 32nd, I can actually use my razor saw without too much difficulty.

 

One of the criticisms that has arisen from the test shots of this kit is the raised vs flush riveted airframe. The kit shows all flush rivets, but the real thing is covered with raised rivets in many places on the airframe. I think that'll probably work out better for seam sanding and filling in the long run. If the builder is such a rivet counter that they have to have raised rivets, they can add the detail themselves.

 

As for the interior, I expect a nice one, but I'm sure there will be resin detail sets available fairly quickly after the initial release. I also expect to see a conversion set to enable the builder to make an early G soon thereafter too.

 

Jon

[Sabrejet]

Hi Jon. Fair comment...though I can see rivet-counters approaching something akin to insanity adding 100s of domed rivets in those areas where they are deemed to be missing. "Nurse.....!!"

 

 

Ian :fear:

[dmar836]

Finally one with recessed panel lines. I'd be just as impressed with it in 1:48. Too bad they don't go in between and have recessed lines with the raised rivets!

I would have difficulty displaying this as well. Dust and dog hair on top of chalk weathering would reek havoc!

[gpw_42]

This looks amazing.

 

I've never understood why the 1:32 kits for aircraft. Seems the model makers would standardize on 1:32 or 35th scale. Perhaps my wishful thinking, and I haven't built a model in eons.

 

Steve

[drummerboy]

Its quite large but the 1/4 RC kits you can practically hop on an fly lol!

 

Anyway, this model is just beautifully detailed. Love to see it painted and in a diorama.

[Dave]

Too bad they don't go in between and have recessed lines with the raised rivets!

 

What's crazy is that I built one back in the early 80s in 1/72 scale that DID have raised rivets. All of them were raised, but whatever...they were still raised! I'm kinda amazed they didn't raise the ones they were supposed to, and recess the ones that were supposed to be recessed. Doesn't make much sense to me, when they're already investing so much time in the remaining details of the plane.

 

Dave

[dmar836]

It's funny that in that scale one would be hard pressed to see the rivets - raised or not. Especially when considering the "distant view" of a 1/72 model. Similarly, the panels lines on most Dragon, Tamiya, or other of the nicer kits are wide enough that, in scale, you could put a thumb in them! We'd probably be better off with scribed lines and no rivets.

JMO,

Dave

KC

[willysmb44]

That is a pretty serious kit! I minght think about getting back into modeling with that one.

Same here. My model building in the past decade + has been pretty much limited to model RR stuff, but for this I might make an exception. I’ve been waiting to build a model of the WW2 mount of a long-gone friend of mine who ditched one with the 91st BG in early ’44. The size for storage would be an issue for me as well as my toy room doesn’t have much available flat open space. I’d likely reinforce the wings and hang it from the ceiling.

[mpguy80/08]

This seems to be the year for 32nd scale bombers... Revell just released their Heinkel 111 too. The past few years has seen a lot of large scale releases. Trumpeter burst on the scene about ten years ago with their 32nd A-10A, Academy has their awesome F-16, Tamiya has had a 32nd scale F-14 for about 20 years now. (Hangs head as I have all three sitting on the shelf waiting to be built...) I generally prefer 48th scale as it is large enough to have good detail without being too large that you can fit a bunch on the shelf. I'd love to see the first attempts at this monster to see what poeple can do with it.

 

Wayne

[Cobrahistorian]

This seems to be the year for 32nd scale bombers... Revell just released their Heinkel 111 too. The past few years has seen a lot of large scale releases. Trumpeter burst on the scene about ten years ago with their 32nd A-10A, Academy has their awesome F-16, Tamiya has had a 32nd scale F-14 for about 20 years now. (Hangs head as I have all three sitting on the shelf waiting to be built...) I generally prefer 48th scale as it is large enough to have good detail without being too large that you can fit a bunch on the shelf. I'd love to see the first attempts at this monster to see what poeple can do with it.

 

Wayne

 

Wayne,

 

I hear ya. I'm strictly a 48th guy now, but I've got a bunch of 32nd/35th Helos in some state of deconstruction. I'll rebuild some of them someday, but I'm trying to limit my building to 48th scale aircraft related to my uniform collection. That way everything is in scale and everything has a uniform to go along with...

 

But yes... I definitely would like a 32nd scale B-17. Hopefully Wingscale will scale it down to 48th as well!

 

Jon

[2Dogs]

I don't build anymore, but I can't wait to see what you guys will do to this thing. Weathering, battle damage, eye candy, figures, ext, ext....

[USMCRECON]

I've already pre-ordered their 1/32 scale B-25 but I'm going to take a pass on the B-17....even as nice as it looks. I'm already worried about its size and am afraid the B-17 would be just too big for me to display anywhere.

[willysmb44]

I’m hoping to hear something about a price eventually as well as being able to order one. Still, there are NO decals you can with one of these, so your markings will either be very limited or people will have to make their own. At that scale, I could paint my own nose art, though. This is the plane I'd model if I bought this kit.