Scale Reference
The common die-cast car, aircraft, and train scales in one table, connecting the ratio on the box to a real shelf: model size, the shelf depth that size needs, how many fit along a metre of shelf, and what that row weighs — every figure computed by the same Scale Converter, Display Case Planner, and Shelf Load Calculator functions behind those tools, not a separately maintained table.
Scale, model size, shelf depth, and weight
| Subject | Scale | Real span | Model span | Shelf depth needed | Models / shelf metre | Assumed weight | Weight / shelf metre | Clears a typical bracket? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-size sedan | 1:18 | 4.5 m | 250 mm | 100 mm | 3 | 900 g | 2.70 kg | Yes |
| Mid-size sedan | 1:24 | 4.5 m | 187.5 mm | 75 mm | 5 | 350 g | 1.75 kg | Yes |
| Mid-size sedan | 1:43 | 4.5 m | 104.7 mm | 41.9 mm | 8 | 120 g | 0.96 kg | Yes |
| Mid-size sedan | 1:64 | 4.5 m | 70.3 mm | 28.1 mm | 11 | 45 g | 0.50 kg | Yes |
| Single-engine warbird | 1:48 | 11 m | 229.2 mm | 197.9 mm | 4 | 150 g | 0.60 kg | Yes |
| Single-engine warbird | 1:72 | 11 m | 152.8 mm | 131.9 mm | 6 | 60 g | 0.36 kg | Yes |
| Standard 40-ft boxcar | 1:87 | 12.2 m | 140.2 mm | 36.8 mm | 6 | 80 g | 0.48 kg | Yes |
| Standard 40-ft boxcar | 1:160 | 12.2 m | 76.3 mm | 20 mm | 11 | 20 g | 0.22 kg | Yes |
Model span, shelf depth, models-per-metre, and weight-per-metre are all computed live by the same convertScale(), planDisplayCase(), and shelfLoad()functions behind the calculators above — not a hand-typed table. “Clears a typical bracket” checks that one shelf-metre row against a commonly-cited 20 kg rated capacity for a small-to-mid floating shelf bracket pair, using the calculator’s default 80% safety margin.
How to read this table
Each row starts from a representative real-world size for that scale’s typical subject — a roughly 4.5 m mid-size sedan for the car scales, a roughly 11 m wingspan single-engine warbird for the aircraft scales, a standard 40-foot (about 12.2 m) boxcar for the train scales. That real size is converted to a model size at each scale the same way the Scale Converter does it: divide by the scale number. A 4.5 m car becomes a 250 mm model at 1:18, and the same car becomes a 70.3 mm model at 1:64 — smaller scale-number denominator, bigger model; the direction reverses as the denominator grows.
“Span” and “depth” separate the two directions a model takes up shelf space, because collectors conventionally display each subject differently: a car is typically displayed broadside, nose to tail along the shelf, a plane is typically displayed wingtip to wingtip along the shelf, nose out, and a train car is typically displayed end to end along the shelf, same as a car. The dimension that runs along the shelf is the “span” and feeds “models per shelf metre” through the Display Case Planner’s logic; the dimension the shelf needs front-to-back to avoid an overhang is the “depth.”
The weight columns are the more important ones to read carefully. Every row in this table clears a typical bracket — because one metre of a single row of models, even large 1:18 cars at an assumed 900 g each, comes to well under three kilograms. That is not a claim that shelf load is a non-issue. It shows exactly where the real failure mode this site keeps flagging actually shows up: not one tidy row, but many shelves sharing one set of wall fixings, models packed two or three deep instead of one row, or simply a much larger count than a single metre. The Shelf Load Calculatoris built for exactly that math on your own collection — treat this table as the per-scale starting point, not the final number for your shelf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the same scale, like 1:48, show a different model size for a plane than 1:18 shows for a car?
Because the real-world subject is a different size to start with. Every figure in this table comes from the same convertScale() function the Scale Converter uses — modelSize = realSize ÷ scaleN — applied to a representative real-world length for that scale's typical subject. A 1:18 car starts from a roughly 4.5 m sedan; a 1:48 aircraft starts from a roughly 11 m wingspan. Same math, different input.
What do "span" and "depth" mean in this table?
Span is whichever real-world dimension runs along the shelf in the way that subject is conventionally displayed — a car's nose-to-tail length, a plane's wingspan, a rail car's end-to-end length. Depth is the dimension the shelf needs front-to-back to clear the model without it overhanging — a car's width, a plane's fuselage length, a rail car's width. Span feeds the "models per shelf metre" column through planDisplayCase(); depth is the minimum shelf depth for that row.
Every row says it clears a typical bracket — does that mean shelf load isn't a real concern?
No — it means one metre of a single row of models, at these assumed typical weights, doesn't stress a typically-rated bracket. The failure mode the Shelf Load Calculator exists for shows up at collection scale: many shelves sharing one set of brackets, models packed two or three deep, or simply more models than this illustrative one-metre row. Run your own shelf and collection numbers through the calculator rather than reading these totals as a guarantee for your setup.
Where do the real-world sizes and weights in this table come from?
They're round, representative figures for each scale's typical subject — a mid-size sedan, a single-engine warbird, a standard 40-foot boxcar — not a spec for any specific model or manufacturer. Actual models vary. Use the Scale Converter, Display Case Planner, and Shelf Load Calculator directly with your own models' measured dimensions and weighed masses for numbers you can rely on.
Educational reference only. Real-world sizes and weights are round, illustrative figures for each scale’s typical subject, not a specification for any particular model, manufacturer, or shelf bracket. A shelf’s rated capacity assumes correct mounting into studs or masonry, evenly distributed load, and the bracket’s own manufacturer rating — always check the actual hardware you’re using rather than this table.
Use it with
- Scale Converter— convert any real-world or model measurement at any scale, not just the common ones in this table.
- Display Case Size Planner— work out shelves and total case height for your actual collection count, not a one-metre row.
- Shelf Load & Weight Calculator— check your real shelf and collection weight against its rated capacity before you mount anything.