Be it scale model trucks or diecast cars, scale modeling has been among the most popular hobbies amidst most kids and middle aged men for years but did you understand exactly how it got started? Then you'd have thought, there is more history to your injection-molded diecast trucks with trailers and cars. In this post, we will discuss scale modeling first started.
Where it All Began
Scale modeling has existed for millennia, to depict military installations, defense mechanisms and other big machines cost-effectively before construction began. Leonardo Da Vinci was well known for creating intricate scale models of catapults, paddleboats, and even mechanized robots during his lifetime to present to the local rulers.
From Concept to Production
Moving into the 20th and 21st centuries, scale versions such as diecast model trucks and cars went from representations of concepts to commercially available goods. Many credit the scale model revolution to Lewis Glasser of Revell and Nicholas Kove of Airfix if they chose to utilize their injection-molding systems to create toys that were then sold to a producer in components, where manufacturers would then assemble and paint the versions.
Upon recognizing their achievement using these disassembled plastic toys, both firms began generating scale model kits of aircraft and ships and brought them to the market. Originally, these kits were very crude by today's standards, along with the inconsistent scale of the models made it hard to consider them accurate representations of the original vehicles.
As you'd expect, the first model kits were rather fundamental, most notably the single-piece flat wings to the airline versions. That having been said, they did get some things straight, and the shattered strings and string bits from Revell's 1/90 scale boat collections are highly coveted to this day.
Improving the Versions
While the original manufacturers were mostly concerned with their profit over all else, fresh modeltrucks and diecast car manufacturers climbed up to create skillfully crafted version collections that met consistent scale requirements and were predicated on a variety of different vehicles, such as airplanes, tanks, cars, and boats.
These new versions were also created comparatively cheap by today's standards, meaning hobbyists could afford to build many different versions and curate a substantial collection. With this boom in popularity, the need for high-quality decals for these models became apparent, and producers started producing stickers with military numbers along with camouflage patterns to make the models as realistic as possible.
Modeling in the 21st Century
Today, die-cast models come in many different sizes and scales thanks to modern manufacturing systems. You can find a model for plane, trucks and trailers or any car and assembling instructions are written in a simple manner, allowing the newcomer to build a version. Different materials require different tools than before, and the design of scale versions is becoming more and more complicated as time continues.
Nobody knows where the future of scale modeling goes from here, but for now, it is definitely in a fantastic location.
When did you first start collecting your scale models? Do you remember the one that you first assembled? Let us know! We like to hear the history of other collectors and the memories they've generated.
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