About Historic Scale Models

I was away from scale modeling for more than 40 years. Life happened — career, family, all of it — and the hobby just faded into the background. I figured that chapter was closed.

Then I went to the “Flight of the Mustangs” airshow in Columbus, Ohio, with my grandfather. He flew 34 combat missions over Europe from September 1944 to April 1945 as a waist gunner and flight engineer aboard B-17 Flying Fortresses, flying out of RAF Polebrook, England. Standing on that tarmac, watching P-51s roar overhead while he told me stories I'd never heard before — something clicked. I didn't pick up a kit right away. It actually took a few more years. But eventually I found myself in a hobby shop again, staring at boxes the same way I did as a kid.

I consider myself a new beginner. Four decades away from the bench means the tools, the paints, the techniques — almost everything has changed. And when I went looking for help, I found plenty of kit databases and review sites, but nothing that connected the models to the history behind them the way I wanted. I didn't just want parts counts and paint schemes. I wanted to understand the real aircraft — the battles they fought in, the crews who flew them, and why these machines mattered.

So I built this site.

Why This Exists

Historic Scale Models is part history, part modeling, and part personal journey. It exists to honor the men who fought bravely and flew the missions — people like my grandfather. It's also here to document my own path back into the hobby and, hopefully, to help others who are in the same boat. Maybe you stepped away for a decade or two. Maybe you're picking up a kit for the very first time. Either way, you're welcome here.

S/Sgt Carl E. Johnson

S/Sgt Carl E. Johnson

510th Bomb Squadron · 351st Bomb Group · 8th Air Force

This site is dedicated to my grandfather, who flew 34 combat missions over Europe aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress. Read his full story →

What We Cover

The focus is on American WWII military aircraft — from legendary fighters like the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt to heavy bombers like the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-29 Superfortress. Every aircraft profile and kit listing is tied to the real warplanes and the people who operated them. Down the road, I plan to expand into additional eras, ships, and armor.

What Makes This Different

  • History comes first — every model is connected to the real story of the aircraft, the units that flew it, and the missions it flew. Building a kit means more when you know what it represents.
  • Honest, beginner-friendly guidance — difficulty ratings, straightforward kit assessments, and recommendations from someone who is genuinely relearning right alongside you.
  • Build logs and how-to's — I document my own builds, including the mistakes, so you can learn from what I get right and what I don't.
  • A curated collection — not every kit ever made, but the ones worth building, with the information you actually need to decide.

Who This Is For

Whether you just bought your first 1/72 Mustang or you're dusting off an airbrush after decades away, this is your place. I believe building a model is more than assembling plastic — it's a way to connect with history, to honor the people who lived it, and maybe even to feel a little closer to the family stories that brought you here.

That's what it did for me. I hope it does the same for you.