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Questions frequently arise
regarding the scale of vehicles and men for World War II and Modern
miniatures wargaming. For example: “What size miniatures should I use with
my 1/72 scale vehicles?”
Let’s take a look at
1/72 scale. This scale is very easy
to calculate. The following table shows various heights, converts these to
inches and millimeters, and then provides a result in scale millimeters.
|
Actual height |
Inches |
mm |
1/72 |
Scale mm |
|
|
Seven feet, 4
inches |
88 |
2235.2 |
0.0139 |
31.044 |
|
|
Seven feet, 2
inches |
86 |
2184.4 |
0.0139 |
30.339 |
|
|
Seven feet |
84 |
2133.6 |
0.0139 |
29.633 |
|
|
Six feet, 10 inches |
82 |
2082.8 |
0.0139 |
28.928 |
|
|
Six feet, 8 inches |
80 |
2032 |
0.0139 |
28.222 |
[28mm] |
|
Six feet, 6 inches |
78 |
1981.2 |
0.0139 |
27.517 |
|
|
Six feet, 4 inches |
76 |
1930.4 |
0.0139 |
26.811 |
|
|
Six feet, 2 inches |
74 |
1879.6 |
0.0139 |
26.106 |
|
|
Six feet |
72 |
1828.8 |
0.0139 |
25.400 |
[25mm] |
|
Five feet, 10
inches |
70 |
1778 |
0.0139 |
24.694 |
|
|
Five feet, 8 inches |
68 |
1727.2 |
0.0139 |
23.989 |
|
|
Five feet, 6 inches |
66 |
1676.4 |
0.0139 |
23.283 |
|
|
Five feet, 4 inches |
64 |
1625.6 |
0.0139 |
22.578 |
|
|
Five feet, 2 inches |
62 |
1574.8 |
0.0139 |
21.872 |
|
|
Five feet |
60 |
1524 |
0.0139 |
21.167 |
|
|
Four feet, 10
inches |
58 |
1473.2 |
0.0139 |
20.461 |
[20mm] |
|
Four feet, 8 inches |
56 |
1422.4 |
0.0139 |
19.756 |
|
|
Four feet, 6 inches |
54 |
1371.6 |
0.0139 |
19.050 |
|
|
Four feet, 4 inches |
52 |
1320.8 |
0.0139 |
18.344 |
|
|
Four feet, 2 inches |
50 |
1270 |
0.0139 |
17.639 |
|
|
Four feet |
48 |
1219.2 |
0.0139 |
16.933 |
|
|
Three feet, 10
inches |
46 |
1168.4 |
0.0139 |
16.228 |
|
|
Three feet, 8
inches |
44 |
1117.6 |
0.0139 |
15.522 |
|
|
Three feet, 7
inches |
43 |
1092.2 |
0.0139 |
15.169 |
[15mm] |
|
Three feet, 6
inches |
42 |
1066.8 |
0.0139 |
14.817 |
|
Based on the calculations
above, a six foot tall soldier should convert to a 25mm miniature. A 28mm
miniature represents a soldier that is roughly six feet, eight inches tall.
One of the best sources for
basic information on scales comes from model railroading. The National
Model Railroaders Association publishes strict guidelines for that
hobby, where accuracy and correct scale are taken much more seriously than
in wargaming. Another source is FineScale Modeler magazine, which
provided the following information:
|
Scale |
One inch equals: |
Usage |
|
1/22.5 |
22.5 inches |
G scale trains |
|
1/35 |
2 feet, 11 inches |
Armor models |
|
1/48 |
4 feet |
O scale trains, aircraft models |
|
1/64 |
5 feet, 4 inches |
S scale trains |
|
1/72 |
6 feet |
Aircraft and armor models |
|
1/76 |
6 feet, 4 inches |
Armor models |
|
1/87 |
7 feet, 3 inches |
HO scale trains, vehicles, buildings |
|
1/160 |
13 feet, 4 inches |
N scale trains, vehicles, buildings |
|
1/285 |
23 feet, 9 inches |
Micro-armor miniatures |
Source: FineScale Modeler,
February 1991
Let’s look at a table for
1/76 scale. If you are using 1/76
scale armored vehicles a 25mm figure represents a man that is six feet, four
inches tall. A 20mm figure represents a man that is five feet tall. A 23mm
to 24mm miniature would be a better match for this scale.
|
Actual height |
Inches |
mm |
1/76 |
Scale mm |
|
|
Seven feet, 4
inches |
88 |
2235.2 |
0.0132 |
29.411 |
|
|
Seven feet, 2
inches |
86 |
2184.4 |
0.0132 |
28.742 |
|
|
Seven feet |
84 |
2133.6 |
0.0132 |
28.074 |
[28mm] |
|
Six feet, 10 inches |
82 |
2082.8 |
0.0132 |
27.405 |
|
|
Six feet, 8 inches |
80 |
2032 |
0.0132 |
26.737 |
|
|
Six feet, 6 inches |
78 |
1981.2 |
0.0132 |
26.068 |
|
|
Six feet, 4 inches |
76 |
1930.4 |
0.0132 |
25.400 |
[25mm] |
|
Six feet, 2 inches |
74 |
1879.6 |
0.0132 |
24.732 |
|
|
Six feet |
72 |
1828.8 |
0.0132 |
24.063 |
|
|
Five feet, 10
inches |
70 |
1778 |
0.0132 |
23.395 |
|
|
Five feet, 8 inches |
68 |
1727.2 |
0.0132 |
22.726 |
|
|
Five feet, 6 inches |
66 |
1676.4 |
0.0132 |
22.058 |
|
|
Five feet, 4 inches |
64 |
1625.6 |
0.0132 |
21.389 |
|
|
Five feet, 2 inches |
62 |
1574.8 |
0.0132 |
20.721 |
|
|
Five feet |
60 |
1524 |
0.0132 |
20.053 |
[20mm] |
|
Four feet, 10
inches |
58 |
1473.2 |
0.0132 |
19.384 |
|
|
Four feet, 8 inches |
56 |
1422.4 |
0.0132 |
18.716 |
|
|
Four feet, 6 inches |
54 |
1371.6 |
0.0132 |
18.047 |
|
|
Four feet, 4 inches |
52 |
1320.8 |
0.0132 |
17.379 |
|
|
Four feet, 2 inches |
50 |
1270 |
0.0132 |
16.711 |
|
|
Four feet |
48 |
1219.2 |
0.0132 |
16.042 |
|
|
Three feet, 10
inches |
46 |
1168.4 |
0.0132 |
15.374 |
[15mm] |
|
Three feet, 8
inches |
44 |
1117.6 |
0.0132 |
14.705 |
|
1/87 scale is
commonly referred to as HO scale in model railroading. A large range of very
detailed, plastic World War II and modern armored and soft-skinned vehicles
is available in this scale from Roco Minitanks and Trident
Miniatures, but the periodic difficulty in getting them has made them
rarer than model kits and cast metal vehicles in other scales.
If you are using 1/87 scale vehicles, a
20mm figure represents a man that is five feet, ten inches tall. This is a
very good match, but unfortunately few 20mm figures look like they would
actually fit into a 1/87 scale vehicle compartment or hatch. A 15mm figure
represents a man that is four feet, four inches tall. That seems pretty
small, but at least the sitting figures will fit in the seats of an HO
jeep.
|
Actual height |
Inches |
mm |
1/87 |
Scale mm |
|
|
Seven feet, 4
inches |
88 |
2235.2 |
0.0115 |
|