“That’s Made of Paper?”

I hear that a lot when I exhibit my paper models. In details and finish, paper scale models can stand up well against plastic, resin, and other media. This is my B5N2 “Kate” torpedo bomber in 1/33 scale:

The Kate is a kit, published in Poland and sold through online shops in Europe, the US, and Canada. Like most published paper models, it comes in book form, on heavy cardstock, already colored. Except for a bit of piano wire, clear plastic, and fish line (for landing gear reinforcement, glazing, and antenna), it’s all paper.

I spent years building plastic models until I discovered scale paper models a few years ago. Now I’m hooked. And it’s not just airplanes. I’ve built armor, ships and submarines, buildings for my model railroad, spacecraft, science fiction models, and a few odd bits, like this 1/16-scale Rolls-Royce Merlin engine:

Paper models offer some very real advantages:

• Low Cost — With cost of plastics going through the roof, high-quality paper models are a real bargain. Ninety percent of the printed, published kits are in the $5 to $20 range. A few of the really huge kits (like a 4-foot long model of the Bismarck in 1/200 scale) can run $30 to $50. The kit for my 1/33-scale Kate sells for about $10. Most armor kits range from $5 to $25.

• Free Paper Models — On the Internet, you can find thousands of free kits to download, print, and build. Some of them are as detailed as anything you could purchase from kit publishers. The Merlin 45 engine pictured above was a free download. My only cost for the kit was ink and paper. (I like Wausau Bright White® 65-lb cardstock from Staples®.) Here is a list of links.

• Simple Tools and Techniques — A starter’s tool kit consists of scissors, hobby knife, steel rule, white glue, and a straight pin (for scribing). You can add or make lots of other handy tools as you progress, but the basic kit is very basic. And the basic techniques of paper modeling are easy to learn. You can start out with simple models and work your way up to more detailed kits. The Cardmodeling FAQ is loaded with information. Not sure how to build a subassembly? Photocopy the parts and test-build it, as many times as you need to. And with downloadable kits, if you make a mistake, just print the part again and redo it.

• No Paints or Decals Required — This is a BIG plus for me. I like building and detailing; I never cared much for painting and decaling. With paper models, I need only a half-dozen watercolor pencils and artists’ felt-tip pens to color the cut edges of the paper parts. (I don’t have to match the color, just the contrast. An assortment of gray pens & pencils does the job.) Ah, but what about customizing the markings on a model? Well, I recently scanned parts from a 1/33-scale C-47 and using PhotoShop®, changed the markings to match the aircraft my father flew in World War II. Now I’m recoloring another kit to represent a Russian Lend-Lease C-47. With even a modest graphics program and a scanner, the possibilities are endless. (Left: USAAF; right: CCCP)

• Variety of Subjects — The Internet has brought an explosion in the availability and variety of paper models. Designers can create kits on a computer, post them on a Web site, and sell them (or give them away) for downloading. Any subject you can find in plastic is almost certainly available as a paper kit, from a traditional hard-copy publisher or an online designer. And there are paper models of ships, planes, armor, vehicles, buildings, figures, and other stuff that has never been offered in plastic, like Rutan’s SpaceShip One (1/48 scale) or NASA’s proposed new LSAM lunar lander (1/50). Some kits, like Digital Navy’s 1/250 USS Arizona, will take many hours of pleasure to build. Others, like an L-19 Bird Dog from Fiddler’s Green, will occupy an evening or two. Paper modeling offers kits for every level of skill and interest.

• Large Scale Paper Models — As my reading glasses get stronger, I really appreciate the larger scales of paper models. The most popular scales are: aircraft, 1/33; ships, 1/200 and 1/250; armor, 1/25, buildings, 1/87. Of course there’s lots of variety here, too, with plenty of 1/50 and 1/72 aircraft, 1/35 and 1/72 armor, and ships, spacecraft, and buildings all over the map. And if you don’t like the scale of a kit, change it. My Merlin 45 engine was a 1/33 kit. I enlarged it to 1/16 with a couple of computer keystrokes. One online publisher (Gremir Models) provides software with each kit that allows you to print the kit at any scale you want.

• The Glue Tastes Better — The Modeler’s Dictionary defines “glue” as “the stuff you chew off your fingers,” and the craft glue I use for paper models (Aleene’s Tacky Glue®) tastes a lot better than plastic cement. Seriously, the glues, paints, and solvents used in plastic modeling can be very real health hazards. I’ve done away with nearly all of that. I have a few jars of Model Master® enamel from my “plastic surgeon” days, that I use (rarely) for touch-ups, and a can of Krylon® clear flat acrylic for sealing my models.

How durable are paper models?

I have 15-year-old models that look as though they were finished yesterday. And I have models that dove off the shelf with little or no damage.

Paper modeling is still an “underground” hobby, but that’s changing. The International Plastic Modeler’s Society now has a contest category for paper, and the number of paper modelers is growing rapidly. Paper Modeling is easy to learn, inexpensive, portable, and ecologically friendly. And I can store a lifetime’s worth of kits on a single bookshelf—or on my computer’s hard disk. To learn more, check out one of the online paper modeling forums. And have fun!

“Rock is dead; paper and scissors RULE!
—David Sakrison