Scale conversion chart

[Paulrjordan]

In an email to me a few weeks ago, our good friend Alvanir in Brazil
asked me for some information on scale conversions.

Alvanir (and other Paddleducks considering building models) ...I
hope this basic conversion chart might be useful to you.

PJ

Scale
1:2 6"=1'
1:3 4"=1'
1:4 3"=1'
1:6 2"=1'
1:12 1"=1'
7:96 7/8"=1'
1:16 3/4"=1'
1:24 1/2"=1' (1"=2')(R/C ships 50'-100')
1:32 3/8"=1' (R/C ships 75'-125')
1:36 1"=3' (1/35 popular military model scale)
1:48 1/4"=1' (1"=4')(R/C ships 100'-200'/MR '0' Scale/model
airplane plastic kits)
1:60 1"=5'
1:64 3/16"=1' (R/C ships 150'-250'/MR 'S' scale)

1:72 1"=6' (model airplane plastic kits)
1:87 (MR 'HO' Scale)
1:96 1/8"=1' (1"=8')(R/C ships 200'-400')
1:128 3/32"=1'
1:192 1/16"=1'
1:384 1/32"=1'
1:500
1:700
1:768 1/64"=1'
1:1000
1:1200

[Christian]

Hello PJ,

Your scale conversion chart is great! Thanks for sharing it with us. I would
like to add these scales and comments, since I am also a passionate N scale
(1/160) model railroader and ocean liner modeler. You might find them
useful:

1/48 model railroading: traditional US "O" scale. The gauge corrected fine
scale equivalent is called Proto:48

1/144 1" = 12' good compromise large scale for ships that would be too large
in 1/96 scale.

1/160 model railroading "N" scale provides OK figures for 1/144 scale ships

1/220 model railroading: "Z" scale, provides OK figures for 1/250 scale
ships

1/350 static model (rarely R/C) ocean liner scale

1/600 static model ocean liner scale

1/700 much used for waterline resin + photo etched brass kits

Best wishes,

Christian

[Paulrjordan]

Hi Christian...great to hear from you again...(BTW for those newer
Paddledducks..Christian resides in Portugal and he and a friend are
researching the world's largest paddler "Great Eastern" with a view to
eventually building a highly accurate model of her)

Thank you for your additions to the scale charts, Christian. Like
you and many other Paddleducks, I am also an avid Model Railroader
(British Scene and Canadian National Railway HO circa 1959). Maybe you
can help me out here...I was not sure what scales the European "00",
"TT", and "G" scale are.

I believe it's important to understand these scale relationships to
our model ships so modelers can explore the possibilities of obtaining
complimentary scale detail parts and figures, or being inspired to
build in scales which allow them to incorporate realistic railroad
equipment into their water/rail transportation ship models. This also
goes for plastic aircraft model kits which can be used to compliment
naval, research and transport vessels as well.

Now one thing I wanted to do but didn't have enough data...and that's
to convert all these scales to METRIC for our European, Canadian and
other friends who work in decimals. The only metric measurements I
know are some Model RR ones:

"HO" = 3.5 mm/foot
"00" = 4.0 mm/foot
"0" = 7 mm/foot
"N" = 2mm/foot

So if anybody can work out the metrics ACCURATELY and post them, I'll
prepare a complete conversion chart (with the additional comments
Christian provided) which we'll put up in the files section for our
members to copy as a reference.

Christian, thanks again for your additional input and inspiring me to
the next stage in the scale conversion chart. I hope all is
progressing well in your ongoing research of the "Big Iron Ship". (I
recently picked up a small plastic model of her at a garage sale
for $1.00 and which could CONCEIVABLY be powered!)

PJ

[Christian]

Hello PJ,

> Thank you for your additions to the scale charts, Christian. Like
> you and many other Paddleducks, I am also an avid Model Railroader
> (British Scene and Canadian National Railway HO circa 1959).

Great! I model the Pennsylvania Railroad during late 1953/early 1954 in N
scale. For the first time almost all important equipment is/will soon be
available in top notch quality in N scale. Of course I plan on a large
layout (keep on dreaming.....). I have a small test layout and limit myself
to research and collecting locos and rolling stock.

>!Maybe you
> can help me out here...I was not sure what scales the European "00",
> "TT", and "G" scale are.

OO scale is the British equivalent to HO scale. It is actually to 1/76 scale
but it uses the same track as HO: 1/87 scale gauge: 16.5mm. The result is
that the gauge, and therefore all wheelsets, is too narrow. There is a
British fine scale with the gauge corrected.
British N scale has exactly the same problem as well. All equipment is
slightly too large (as far as I remember - need to take a look into my books
- to 1/152 scale) resulting in too narrow wheel sets as well. There is also
a Fine scale version with corrected gauge.

TT scale stands for Table Top and is 1/120 scale. It is recently growing
quite quickly in Germany as opposed to the stagnating N scale. IMHO TT would
be the very best scale for European equipment when you don't have enough
space for Ho or larger. But only now decent equipment is available.

G scale is a large scale. It is not a fine scale, but rather a garden toy
train and locos many times are short "box size scale". You won't see a NYC
4-6-4 Hudson in G scale. Tracks are 1'3/4 apart. Sometimes G scale is to odd
scales like 1/22.5. The firm Bachmann recently started producing excellent G
scale locos from US prototypes.

BTW: Gold Medal Models (along other firms) make photo etched brass sheets
for N scale equipment including brake wheels and grab irons. Great material
also for ship modeling.

Thanks in advance for the work of scale conversions. It is not easy to cope
with both the Imperial and the metric system.

I hope this helps.

[Derek Warner]

Afternoon all paddle ducks - yep these are all good but how about scale
(RPM) & (distance/speed)

RPM - Is scale RPM not calculated by (actual RPM x square root of the scale)
= scale RPM?

so if a full size paddler was providing 50 RPM and the scale was 1:24, this
would be

50 multiplied by (4.898) = approx 250 RPM scale - now this seams much
higher than suggested in all the previous postings - or have I gone adrift
here without a tachometer?

Distance /Speed - these are interrelated - 1 knot = (yes I looked it up to
ensure correctness) = 2025 yards or 1852 metres

so if the same paddler attained 10 knots per hour, this would be 18.52
kilometres/hour, again I think ?? distance should be proportioned by the
square root of the scale (1:24) - so

18.52 divided by (4.898) = 3.78 k/h (3780 metres) - now this is a little
hard to visualise so if we divide this by 60 to give us distance in minutes
= 63 metres/minute - I think most of this is correct here but would welcome
comment or & correction
Progress with PS Decoy = hull + decking 100% complete, (just trying not to
scratch in continuing works), topsides say about 5% complete, engine &
boiler rooms 20% complete - but a launch prior to 30/12/01 is looking a
little delayed ----------- (& yes it good to see your postings back again
PJ)

regards Derek

[Dallinson]

Gentlemen paddlers.

Sorry to pedantic about this BUT, could we please let there be no more
mention of "knots per hour".
The "knot" is the unit of speed at sea. It is the same figure as "nautical
miles per hour".
For interest the "knot" derived it's name as follows:-
Take a coil of light cord with a number of knots in it, I forget at what
exact spacing! (Getting old)
Attach it to lump of wood.
Throw said lump of wood over the side.
At the same time turn your sand filled egg timer over and start counting the
knots on the cord as you gently let it slide through your fingers.
After (I think) 1 minute (or when the sand ran out in the timer!!) tell the
captain how many knots had passed through your fingers.
Drag the block of wood back on board, coil up the cord and you are ready for
the next speed check.

Hence the seaman would simply call out, for example, "Five knots, sir" No
time involved.

The distance given by Derek is actually a nautical mile, not a knot!!
Hope you found that of some interest???
Keep up the good work with the conversions. Very interesting and very useful
indeed.
Regards
David

[John Roberts]

David:
I agree with you. Actually, you have hit on a pet peeve of mine, with
the "knots per hour". So glad you brought it up.
John

[HBelflower]

Also, remember that while you can scale down the size of the ship.boat it is
not possible to scale down the water. It remains at the same density
andviscosity and therefore affects the equations thusly.

Harry B.

[Paulrjordan]

Towboat Joe sent me this email:

>I have a scale chart on my site foryou to take a look at and see if
> it would benefit anyone.

> http://www.dragg.net/jbrown/scale.htm

> Joe

you kiddin Joe??? It's superb....and I suggest everybody goes to your
site to take a look.

You'll also find an a very useful link to a neat metric conversion
scale which Joe has put up on this page and I wish I'd seen this one
before!!!

http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm

It's a "must bookmark" thing so I'll put it into the "bookmarks "
files. Thanks Joe and in fact if you havn't toured his site for a
while, it's time you did so.

http://www.dragg.net/jbrown

Eddy has also sent me a script for a metric scale calculator which I'm
going to play with again tonight and let you all know how it turns
out. And THEN I want to give you some of my thoughts on SCALE WIND
and WATER and it's rather important relationship to model Paddlers...

PJ