1/72 size comparison with 28mm

[Schweizer]

This is probably a topic brought up often here, and I apologize if I'm forcing people to retread the same stagnant waters, but I've never done any wargaming and am curious.

For a couple of years now I've been collecting 1/72 plastic soldiers and painting them for dioramas, generally from the Colonial era up through the twenties or so - if it's pulp-oriented, it's for me.  I've been ogling the Brigade Games Pulp Line for some time now, and am just wondering - what's the size difference between 1/72 soldiers and 28mm figures?  Upon first glance, they seem compatible - possibly more so than the variation between one brand's 1/72 to another's.

Thanks so much! 

[pnweerar]

Hey there,

28mms are larger - large enough that it would look odd. Roughly, they're about a third larger.

[revford]

28s are about 1/56 by height, 1/72 can look small next to them, especially as most 28s are heroic scaled (larger than life), rather than naturally scaled.

People often use anything from 1/43 to 1/60 with 28s and it looks fine.

There are no rules really, so it's whatever looks good to you. 

[Azalin41]

Hi ,

There is much size difference within 1/72 depending on the manufactorer and on the range . 1/72 is general considered 20mm . The old airfix used to be 18-20 mm The new revell are bigger something like 23mm . And some Imex ranges are getting close to 25mm.
At some point I started doing legends of the oldwest with Imex plastics. But later I sort of changed to 25-28mm ( Foundry , Blackscorpion and Artizan ) figures.

[earthdog]

I play with realistically scale model with both 1/72’s and 28mm (and 6mm and 1/35 and looking into 15mm) myself.
28mm is simply too large for 1/72, 25mm sometimes matches 1/72 but there’s a lot of variation. Some sculpters measure to the eye, some to the top of the head with both realistic and heroic scaling as well.
Non-human 25’s are usually not a problem as the scales are close enough for them. For humans the best bet would be to check the heights, I’ll assume you already know http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/ for the 1/72’s, for the 25’s you can simply ask the producer, their usually happy to help.

And I can only agree with Revford, it really is what looks good to you.

[Mainly28s]

Half-way down http://mainly28s.com/ there are some comparisons. 1/72 is approximately equal to 20mm.

[earthdog]

Mainly28s, first off I'd like to say I like your website, but.....

quote author=Mainly28s link=topic=6918.msg76576#msg76576 date=1217840676]
1/72 is approximately equal to 20mm.
[/quote]

In 1/72 scale a 20mm figure equals to 1.44 meter, thats rather short for the average soldier.
1/72 troopers should be around 24-25mm, that is to say slightly smaller than 25mm scale.
 (please note that i say should be around, unfortunately it seems that not every manufacturer has acces to a calculater to work out real life height).

[joroas]

Given that the average height was not 6' in the past but 5'8", then I would say that 20mm is a better average,  The tie in is also the HO scale for railways that Airfix and other plastic model companies followed.

[Mainly28s]

Well, yes, I agree, should be. However, most people tend to equate 20mm and 1:72, and from what I've seen, they are pretty similar in size.
Still, as my main focus is 28mm, I won't get involved in a slanging match. I merely offered the pics as a comparison.

[Schweizer]

Thanks so much for the info - I really do appreciate it.  I was working on building a tramp steamer (the contest from this board is how I found it, actually) but I'll hold off any further work until I get my hands on some of the Brigade figures, so that the scale will be a little closer.

Thanks!

[earthdog]

To Mainly28s,
I hope I didn't cause any offence
My english is not good enough to know what a 'slanging' match is, but I'm quite sure I had no intention to drag you into it.
I wasn't trying to be just polite when I said I liked your website, I've had it bookmarked for quite sometime already in fact and I do appreciate the comparison pics.

To everybody else
It’s just that I like 1/72 as a scale and I wouldn’t wish for anyone to buy a 20mm soldier, only to find out you can only use it as a teenage cadet. (I’m currently looking for some proper length instructors for my Revell made UK-cadet force; they may still come in handy when they have to defend their academy and the visiting Queen from some undisclosed attackers)

Earthdog

[joroas]

I am certain that olaf would not take offence, the trouble is that scales vary so much from one manufacturer to the next.  I would imagine that everyone on this site, I know I have, has bought figures that should be the same scale, but they are much too big or too small for the job. 

There have been quite a lot of people querying certain figure companies and comparing them on this site.  People are always prepared to do that fo you, I've noticed.

Even the same company has problems, I just bought the set of .45 figures from Rattrap, and there is a lot of difference in size and build depending on the sculptor within the 20 or so figures.

[Mainly28s]

To Mainly28s,
I hope I didn't cause any offence
My english is not good enough to know what a 'slanging' match is, but I'm quite sure I had no intention to drag you into it.
I wasn't trying to be just polite when I said I liked your website, I've had it bookmarked for quite sometime already in fact and I do appreciate the comparison pics.

To everybody else
It’s just that I like 1/72 as a scale and I wouldn’t wish for anyone to buy a 20mm soldier, only to find out you can only use it as a teenage cadet. (I’m currently looking for some proper length instructors for my Revell made UK-cadet force; they may still come in handy when they have to defend their academy and the visiting Queen from some undisclosed attackers)

Earthdog

Believe me, no offense taken. I just meant that I don't want to raise a fuss about "right" or "wrong" scales again.

The whole "scale issue" is something that keeps being raised because everyone has a different idea of what a scale is. The problem is that 20mm and 25mm and 28mm and 30mm are not really scales.
Most people seem to accept that 20mm and 1:72 are compatible, though, which is why I mentioned it.

Anyhow- what part of the Netherlands are you from? I have family there (Mantgum, Sneek and Limburg).

Olaf

[earthdog]

The problem is that 20mm and 25mm and 28mm and 30mm are not really scales.

That is indeed the problem, especially with somebody who is used to spotting small differences (one of the downfalls of being a labworker I guess)

I'm originally from the East (near the city of Almelo) but nowadays I live in IJmuiden, next to Amsterdam. Another of the downfalls of being a healthcare labworker, you need a lot of sick people.
Or as we like to say; one man's death near-deathly-illness makes another man's bread.

Edgar