The origin of 1/72 scale and Peter Capon's models

[Mark Braunlich]

It's probably been mentioned on this board previously about Peter Capon and the origin of 1/72 scale.  The story goes that as a teenager, Peter was working for a London furniture manufacturer engaged in making wings for Avro 504s during WW1 (1916).   Peter was making models of the Avro 504 for himself and others working in that shop.  He wanted the models to be small enough that he could slip that parts into the pockets of his work apron.   The Avro 504 has a wingspan of 36'.  With a model wingspan of 6 inches, that works out to 1/72 scale.  There are no surviving photos of the Avro models but Peter's completed models were so popular that he started a business making completed models and advertised in aeronautical journals of the day, no doubt Flight and The Aeroplane.   All of the models were made to the constant 1/72 scale.  He records that he made models of the Vickers Vimy that made the first trans-Atlantic flight for a land plane in 1919 for the two crew members, Sir John Alcock and Sir Arthur Witten Brown.  Here's a photo of one of those Vickers Vimy models made by Peter Capon at the dawn of 1/72 scale and our humble hobby.