On the basis of a handful of figure releases from one manufacturer? The truth is, there is some incredibly imaginative work being done in 1/48th scale from a variety of (AM) and 'mainstream' manufacturers. I find a lot of the opposition to 1/48th quite difficult to accept - the biggest argument (against) is that, at the moment, there is a shortage of good, 1/48th figures. Well the truth is, hardly a week goes by without someone releasing yet another set - some are equally as good as 1/35th....Jim

Hi Jim Well yes and no Yes they are trying, very hard Are they going to get there ? No, not to my thinking which IS a shame.) The scale is very hard to work in on a number of points. It is these points that have shown the smallest (high detail and for most modellers to cope with) scale for figures developed into over time, the 54mm scale. 1/35th is a little smaller but OK. 1/48th takes it to far for the eye to compensate for the distortions in the anatomy. ONLY the very best will get the folds correct and hands are a nightmare in most of the 35th scale figs ! already.. As is the case, the more you condense proportional changes (to account for scale) the more the figures will distort towards the ones we see here. Scale makes it very hard to get crisp castings, this will require more precise materials or we will get the same results as seen here. Its a basic scale thing and I do hope to be proved wrong As a scale I still don't care for it. Others do and that's fine too oh sunny day tweet tweet AJ

Some interesting items there. I recently picked up the Tamiya M10 and some detail sets to see how good it will look with some extra work (and dollars of course). Having built a couple of the 48th kits so far I have to say there are things I really like about them. I will have to wait and see how this experiment turns out once I start the project. One thing I wonder about 48th scale figures is are they going to be easier to paint or more difficult for those of use that don't consider ourselves decent figure painters? I have wondered this because with the smaller size the faces are going to be less detailed. Then again the smaller size also means it requires a more delicate touch to get the results we are used to seeing.

I started with the 1/35th, but since I tried the 1/48th has 10 years I don't want to come back behind. For it there are several reasons. I like to make some dioramas and to tell a history in my dioramas. For the same surface one can put several vehicles and figurines more easily without one is obliged to pack the models! It is sufficient to look at the catalog (paper) Tamiya 2006 with the diorama with the aircraft and the dioramas of the previous catalogs to notice the interest of the scale! The painting of the figurines is not more difficult and the quality comes of the painter and no of the scale. The price is a minor argument, but it is always substantial! With the present new techniques of manufacture, the quality becomes equivalent to the scale 1/35th! There are also other advantages that you could discover while trying. Olivier / Gaso.line

I've seen superb looking 1/48 scale aircraft crewmen in both plastic and resin. I've also got some 1/72 scale figures that are nicely done as well.

Just my opinion but its only since Tamiya starting releasing 1/48th scale vehicles that this has come to the forefront of modeling AFV. I believe Tamiya is only releasing 1/48th scale because the lost the ball in 1/35th scale AFV. I still feel that 1/35th scale is the best in terms of detail out of the box for the most part and the amount of space required to display the finished product. That said what does it really matter 1/35th scale or 1/48th scale its up to the individual and as long as you are happy with the finished product that’s good enough. When I see a finished model in here the first thought is that’s damn good or how did they do that, not yuck its in 1/48th scale.

Sorry Olivier, but I am 100 % off beam with you mate sorry AJ

The forums exist for it, because everybody can have a different opinion and can express it thanks to the forums. It is the expression of the diversity of the kinds and it is very happy because life would be very gloomy! Olivier

Here here, cheers and Merci AJ