Scale model
A geometrically similar physical model of a prototype, used across many fields.
A scale model is a physical replica that is geometrically proportional to its real-life subject, called the prototype. These models are usually smaller than large prototypes like vehicles, buildings, or people, but they can be larger than tiny prototypes such as anatomical structures or subatomic particles. When built at the exact same size as the prototype, they are known as mockups.
People use scale models for many purposes: engineering design and testing, promotion and sales, special effects in filmmaking, military planning, and hobbies like rail transport modeling, wargaming, and racing. They are also made as toys. Model building itself is a hobby pursued for the craft and artistry involved.
Scale models are commonly made from plastic, wood, or metal. They are typically painted with enamel, lacquer, or acrylic paints. Common prototype subjects include all types of vehicles—railroad trains, cars, trucks, military vehicles, aircraft, and spacecraft—as well as buildings, people, and science fiction themes like spaceships and robots.
The scale of a model is defined as the ratio of any linear dimension on the model to the same dimension on the full-size prototype. This is expressed either as a ratio with a colon (e.g., 1:8 scale) or as a fraction (1/8 scale), meaning one unit on the model represents eight units on the prototype. In English-speaking countries, scale is sometimes given as the number of feet on the prototype per inch on the model, such as 1:48 scale being "1 inch to 4 feet."
Models are obtained in three ways: assembling a kit, scratch building, or collecting pre-assembled models. Scratch building is the only method available to structural engineers, and among hobbyists it requires the highest skill, craftsmanship, and time; scratch builders tend to focus most on accuracy and detail. Kit assembly can be done "out of the box" or with modifications, known as kitbashing. Many kit manufacturers produce models with some inaccuracies, but using the kit as a base and adding after-market conversion kits, alternative decal sets, and some scratch building can correct these issues without needing the master-level skill or time of full scratch building.
Scale models generally fall into two types: static and animated. They serve many purposes across different fields.
- Common scales
- 1:12, 1:24, 1:48, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200, 1:500
- Materials
- plastic, wood, metal
- Paints
- enamel, lacquer, acrylics
- Prototype categories
- railroad trains, cars, trucks, military vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft, buildings, people, science fiction themes (spaceships and robots)
- Model types
- static and animated
Lore & Background
Scale models are built to a defined scale, expressed as a ratio (e.g., 1:8) or fraction (1/8), where one unit on the model represents a corresponding number of units on the prototype. In English-speaking countries, scale is sometimes expressed as feet per inch, such as 1:48 scale being '1 inch to 4 feet'. Models are obtained by kit assembly, scratch building, or collecting pre-assembled models. Scratch building requires the highest level of skill and craftsmanship, while kit assembly may be done 'out of the box' or with modifications known as kitbashing.
Hobbyist models are mostly built for static display, but some have operational features, such as flying airplane models that may be simple unpowered gliders or have radio control powered by miniature methanol/nitromethane engines. In film and television production, before computer-generated imagery, visual effects of vehicles were created by filming miniature models, which were considerably larger scale than hobby versions to allow high surface detail and electrical features. For structural engineering, scale models are constructed observing the requirements of similitude to study problems too complicated for analytical or numerical methods.
Reader's Guide
Scale models hold significance across numerous domains. In engineering, they allow testing of structural and aerodynamic designs under controlled conditions, with structural models requiring careful scaling of loading, geometry, and material properties according to the theory of similitude. Architectural firms use models to sell designs to builders and investors, traditionally hand-made but now involving laser cutters, CNC machines, and 3D printing. In military contexts, plan-reliefs serve as geographical representations for visualizing fortification projects, and navies have used hand-made warship models for identification and instruction. Manned models, small-scale ships that can carry a person, are used for research, port layout engineering, and training maritime pilots and masters. The hobby of model building is pursued for artisanship, with enthusiasts ranging from those who assemble kits to scratch builders who demand the highest accuracy. The legacy of scale models includes their role in filmmaking special effects before CGI, as seen in the production of the Starship Enterprise for Star Trek: The Original Series, where a pre-production model was built of pine with Plexiglass and brass details, followed by a larger production model from plaster, sheet metal, and wood.
Did You Know?
- A full-scale (1:1) model of a Kyushu J7W Shinden was built by Toho Studios for use in the 2023 film Godzilla Minus One.
- The Boy Scouts of America's annual Pinewood Derby, which debuted in 1953, involves children racing gravity-powered cars carved from pine.
- For Star Trek: The Original Series, a 33-inch pre-production model of the Starship Enterprise was created in December 1964 for $600.
- In English-speaking countries, 1:48 scale is sometimes expressed as '1 inch to 4 feet'.
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