Editing Scale model (section)

====Aircraft====
{{Main|Model aircraft}}
[[File:Koottava DC3.JPG|thumb|Scale model of a [[Douglas DC-3]] in [[Finnair|Finnair Airlines]] colors. Many airlines use model aircraft as advertisement items]]
[[Static model aircraft]] are commonly built using plastic, but wood, metal, card and paper can also be used. Models are sold painted and assembled, painted but not assembled ([[snap-fit]]), or unpainted and not assembled. The most popular types of aircraft to model are commercial airliners and military aircraft. Popular aircraft scales are, in order of increasing size: [[1:144 scale|1:144]], [[HO scale|1:87 (also known as HO, or "half-O scale")]], [[1:72 scale|1:72]] (the most numerous), [[1:48 scale|1:48 (known as "O scale")]], [[1:32 scale|1:32]], [[1:24 scale|1:24]], [[1:16]], 1:6, and [[1:4]]. Some European models are available at more metric scales such as [[1:50 scale|1:50]]. The highest quality models are made from injection molded plastic or [[resin casting|cast resin]]. Models made from [[Vacuum forming|Vacuum formed]] plastic are generally for the more skilled builder. More inexpensive models are made from heavy [[Paper plane|paper]] or card stock. Ready-made die-cast metal models are also very popular. As well as the traditional scales, die-cast models are available in [[1:200 scale|1:200]], [[1:250 scale|1:250]], [[1:350 scale|1:350]], [[1:400 scale|1:400]], [[1:500 scale|1:500]] and [[1:600 scale]].

The majority of aircraft modelers concern themselves with depiction of real-life aircraft, but there are some modelers who 'bend' history by modeling aircraft that either never actually flew or existed, or by painting them in a color scheme that did not actually exist. This is commonly referred to as 'What-if' or 'Alternative' modeling, and the most common theme is 'Luftwaffe 1946' or 'Luftwaffe '46'. This theme stems from the idea of modeling German secret projects that never saw the light of day due to the close of World War II. This concept has been extended to include British, Russian, and US experimental projects that never made it into production.

[[File:Alaska Airlines plane model.JPG|thumb|Scale down model of Alaska Airlines]]
Flying model aircraft are built for aerodynamic research and for recreation ([[aeromodeling]]).

Recreational models are often made to resemble some real type. However the aerodynamic requirements of a small model are different from those of a full-size craft, so flying models are seldom fully accurate to scale. Flying model aircraft are one of three types: [[Free flight (model aircraft)|free flight]], [[control line]], and [[Radio-controlled aircraft|radio controlled]]. Some flying model kits take many hours to put together, and some kits are [[Almost Ready to Fly|almost ready to fly]] or [[ready to Fly (radio control)|ready to fly]].