by Epap » Fri Oct 21, 2011 7:23 am
One of the reasons for lightening the colors on such models is called "the scale effect". When you hold a 1:72nd scale model of an SBD in your hand----about a foot away------that's the same as looking at the real full sized plane from a distance of 72 feet. According to the theory, particles in the air diffuse our vision at distances, causing the object to appear lighter than it really is when seen close up. Accordingly, most modelers add about 10-15% white paint to their colors for 1:72nd scale models, about 10% for 1:48th scale models and up to 20-25% for those in the 1:144th scale. When you account for the additional wear effects of exposure to the weather, wind and salt spray , etc. the consensus holds that a lightening the colors provides a more realistic picture of a plane that has seen active use that the factory fresh look one sees in a museum. It's really a matter of taste, however----- I just happen to be in the "realistic" camp.