[Gort]

MHII members occasionally comment that heft trumps visual appeal when considering model purchases. Heft, of course, is proportionate to a model’s metal content. The more the heft, the more appealing the model.

Case in point: On another thread, someone maintained that hefty Minichamp models trump lightweight 1/35 Dragon Armor tanks. Heft, in his opinion, conveys the massive feel and presence of the real thing, a crucial attribute. Someone else responded that visual impact, or realism, surpassed weight as a consideration; therefore, Dragon Armor is the better choice.

So, my happy band of brothers (or sisters if we have any ), what’s more important? Heft, that lusty, meaty feel of the real thing—or authenticity: visual appeal? Which do you consider first when purchasing a model? Or does it matter?

My take:

Heft is sublime. I own the entire 1/32 FOV line and enjoy them immensely—especially their heaviness. To me, weight and metal effectively mirror the real thing, and frankly, I can’t get enough of it. I’ll admit, though, that FOV falls short of Dragon Armor’s incredibly beautiful, unerring authenticity. Between the two, Dragon wins hands down. I own a 1/35 Dragon Armor Tiger I and Panther .

For me, looks come first. Love the heaviness of my FOV models, but I’m a visual-impact kind of guy. If the two come in the same package, all the better.

[skydriver]

I would place more emphasis on the look of the diecast versed the heft or weight.

I have quite a few 1:72 Scale B-17's, B-24's, and B-26's and to be honest the weight of them concerns me. I would love to place several of them on some glass shelves, but am worried about them crashing through the glass.

Granted, the thicker the glass, the less chance of that happening, but sometimes, you just have to go with the glass that came with the display stand.

[theodore]

I have no problem procuring some plastic to supplement my diecast collection, as long as it looks detailed and accurate. I have won some eBay auctions in the past on some built, plastic models, both aircraft and armor, and they look very nice next to my diecast tanks and aircraft!! Most people wouldn't know the difference, unless they picked up one of my plastic aircraft/armored vehicles!! (the majority of people's first reaction when viewing my collection is: "Nice collection of PLASTIC models you have", and I politely correct them and reply: "90% of what you see is diecast metal!! ).

[Cavtanker]

The Easy Model M-113 (no metal content) looks very good next to the Dragon Armor.

[Shawn 507]

Heft is nice. But its only important in keeping the thing from being knocked around if displayed in the open. I don't have any plastic only aircraft, so I can't comment.
I do have more pieces of plastic armor than I can shake a stick at. Plastic gives armor models greater deatil than can be found in any small scale ( 1/35th and smaller ) diecast I've seen. And plastic allows modification / repair that can't be found in diecast.
And I'm no fan of exposed metal ( chipped paint/excessive rust etc...) on AFVs, but I've seen many a model that can give you the feel of heavy metal with being heavy. Besides, men are visual creatures or so I keep hearing. Substance comes later, just ask most women.

[Captain Eddie]

Originally Posted by skydriver

I have quite a few 1:72 Scale B-17's, B-24's, and B-26's and to be honest the weight of them concerns me. I would love to place several of them on some glass shelves, but am worried about them crashing through the glass.

Granted, the thicker the glass, the less chance of that happening, but sometimes, you just have to go with the glass that came with the display stand.

Skydiver, it isn't extremely cheap, but you could always have some thicker glass cut to fit by a glass shop. Or, if you wanted, pick up a plastic sheet at your local hardware store

[HotTrap429]

I prefer an accurate, good looking model plane over something that is just awful, but has weight. Now when I get both together, I'm a happy camper!

[PappyB]

I do like heft, a lot... but in the end looks will win out with me. Let's face it, how often do you really handle a model and appreciate the "heft" factor?... probably not that much, aside from when you first get it and put it together and perhaps then when you're changing your display around? (And lighter is really better for prolonged cat strafing, too. If you're looking for a workout, try this with a Marushin )

For me the two most important factors are profile (does it look 'right" from 3-4 feet away) and the paint application... as I feel these are the most critical factors to get right for a model to look good on display, then comes detail and I suppose "heft" .

[swoop]

Originally Posted by skydriver

I would place more emphasis on the look of the diecast versed the heft or weight.

I have quite a few 1:72 Scale B-17's, B-24's, and B-26's and to be honest the weight of them concerns me. I would love to place several of them on some glass shelves, but am worried about them crashing through the glass.

Granted, the thicker the glass, the less chance of that happening, but sometimes, you just have to go with the glass that came with the display stand.

I have the tendancy to favour heft. the problem with heft is the pressure it can extend to overburdened stands.I have had stands fatigue at the insert to the model and some torn out at the base by the weight of the model. (T-BOLTS as one example) Then along comes the Swordfish, the lightest of any that I possess and in IMO the best model of 2007. It would appear that detail is more pronounced with lighter gauge material. Just a thought!!

[MoMo]

..........................as long as it looks true, I don't care.

MoMo.