Scale Pilots - size?

[wgt40w]

I have a 'bit-of-a-thing' that I do not like to see LOS planes with an empty cockpit.

Whilst I can find various places selling scale, either full of half, pilots, I have no idea what size I need (or the nearest to) for various different planes.

The majority of RC planes are non-scale, so no reference to scale is stated.

Question:
Is there any rough calculation, using overall length / wing span maybe, from which an approximate scale can be calculated ??

[FPVSteve]

"whatever looks right" I think will be the answer - especially since as you say the planes themselves aren't necessarily built to scale anyway.

[wgt40w]

"whatever looks right" I think will be the answer - especially since as you say the planes themselves aren't necessarily built to scale anyway.

Agreed - it's just that I'm trying to avoid buying something that's just plain wrong / wasted.

[FPVSteve]

I would say 400 sized planes are probably around "action man" sized, i.e. 12" or so.

[wgt40w]

I would say 400 sized planes are probably around "action man" sized, i.e. 12" or so.

Thanks Steve, but I don't know what 400 size is. Can you rather equate in terms of 1/10, 1/8 etc.

[Gundummy]

[FPVSteve]

a 400 size plane, kind of like a WOT-4 or something?

A Skywalker in fact..

[BigT]

Isn't it simply a matter of working the scale out? Say for example you are trying to find a scale pilot for a 1/5 th scale p51 mustang. You now it's 1/5 th scale so if your full size pilot is 6 ft = 72 in /5 = 14.4in. Round down to 14 in high.
What intend to do is look at a full size plane that is relative to the model. So for example a SW1900 looks like an ASW27. Look up the dimensions of that plane on the net.  Length: 6.55 m (21 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
Wing area: 9 m2 (97 sq ft)

Divide the larger wing by the smaller wing (or fuz). So 15000/1900=7.9. So the ratio is 7.9:1. In real terms for us that's about 1:8 scale. So your 6 foot pilot would be about 9 inches tall.

Look at the chart on this eBay site for confirmation
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/World-War-2-RAF-full-body-Pilot-RC-Model-Pilot-UNPAINTED-/291166976065?var=&hash=item43cae77841:m:mt62vnQZBHD_20hiskDD7fg

Of course we make mostly models that are cartoon scale so you need to fudge the scale a bit.

[wgt40w]

BigT

Thanks - I thought there would be a formula to work it out - it's a bit more complicated than I had hoped though !!

[BigT]

BigT

Thanks - I thought there would be a formula to work it out - it's a bit more complicated than I had hoped though !!

Sounds worse than it is. What's the wingspan and fuz length and I'll do it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[wgt40w]

BigT

Thanks for your kind offer, but I will be able to do the calculations myself.

[chris-s]

I have quite a lot of scale IC models (1/5 to 1/3 scale) , and in general, it 'looks' better if you err on the side of larger is better, within reason of course.

Chris

[wgt40w]

I have quite a lot of scale IC models (1/5 to 1/3 scale) , and in general, it 'looks' better if you err on the side of larger is better, within reason of course.

Chris

Unless you have a scale Japanese Zero. WWII films always make the Japanese pilots look small compared to the size of the canopy (IMO).
Partial  :P

[chris-s]

Unless you have a scale Japanese Zero. WWII films always make the Japanese pilots look small compared to the size of the canopy (IMO).
Partial  :P

As it happens, a 50cc zero currently on the workbench....



(yes I admit that the pilot in the picture is a little larger than scale, particularly his head!)

[Loopdreams]

That's really a terrible workbench too.