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In-Box Review
Pine Tree
Pine Tree 15 cm high
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by: Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]

Introduction
Pine Tree, 15cm High from NOCH is part of their series PROFI Trees. This is item 21914.

PROFI Trees are the top offerings by NOCH, designed to be true to scale and as professional models.

Pine Tree, Kiefer
Pine Tree is packed in a blister pack stapled to a heavy card backing label. The tree is secured by the root base with glue. Useful graphics on the front are silhouettes of a human in H0 (1/87), TT (1/100), N (1/160) and Z (1/220) scales, with graduation marks to judge the height of the model. On the back label is a table listing trees that NOCH models, the prototype heights, and the scale heights for HO, TT, N, and Z Scales.

This tree is made from plastic and resembles (at least to me) a Longleaf Pine. The trunk is molded with noticeable bark detail. It is inserted into a base. The base is molded to resemble roots in earth.

The trunk is molded with integral boughs and branches, a couple appear to be separately attached.

The trunk does not have any shining plastic surface.

For foliage NOCH covers the branches with spongy material and then flock. The result is a convincing tree that does not have the "cookie cutter" duplication of most mass-marketed model trees.

Because of the variation of tree types around the world it can be risky to criticize the colors used on model trees. However, the colors of the foliage and bark are topics that I think model makers get wrong. The foliage used on this model looks too dark. While I have seen many pines with brown trunks in the higher elevations of the American West, the majority of bark I see around me is gray. Sometimes a brownish gray. However, many trees do change from gray to brown the farther up the trunk. Of course, noting keeps a modeler from painting the tree to preference.

Scale Size
How tall is a 6-inch tree in your favorite scale?
    1/32 (54 mm): 16’ / 5 m
    1/35: 18’ / 6 m
    1/48: 24’ / 7.4 m
    1/72: 36’ / 11 m
    1/87 (HO): 44’ / 13.5 m
    1/100 (TT): 50' / 15 m
    1/144: 72’ / 22 m
    1/160 (N): 80’ / 30 m
    1/220 (Z): 110' / 34 m

To visually demonstrate this model I show it with figures and common armor in 1/35, 1/48-O scale, HO-1/87, and N scale.

Summary
This PROFI Pine Tree looks convincing with nice armatures, bark detail, fine pine detail. I think the green is too dark and the trunk too brown. These trees do look good and can be acceptable front row trees. Recommended.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on KitMaker.
SUMMARY
Highs: Nice armatures, bark detail, fine pine needle detail and colors.
Lows: The green appears dark.
Verdict: This tree looks good and can be acceptable front row tree.
  Scale: Multiple S
  Mfg. ID: 21914
  PUBLISHED: Dec 18, 2018
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.04%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 89.22%

Our Thanks to NOCH!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

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About Frederick Boucher (JPTRR)
FROM: TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES

I'm a professional pilot with a degree in art. My first model was an AMT semi dump truck. Then Monogram's Lunar Lander right after the lunar landing. Next, Revell's 1/32 Bf-109G...cried havoc and released the dogs of modeling! My interests--if built before 1900, or after 1955, then I proba...

Copyright ©2021 text by Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

That tree looks really good About the sizes of model trees: 15 cm high. Scaling gives the following 1:1 size pines: 1:87 = 13 meter (almost a third of the full size for that species) 1:72 = 10,8 meter (a little over a quarter) 1:48 = 7.2 meter 1:35 = 5.25 meter (twize the height of my christmas tree). A full grown pine in Sweden can reach 40 meters. Fricking difficult to make room for one of those in a 1/35 diorama. In 1/87 it would still be over 45 cm (1.5 feet ...) On the other hand, a forest contains trees of many different sizes and if it is a fairly recent plantation there would be lots of trees of this size. A 5 meter pine would be somewhere around 15 years old. A tree growing in very infertile soil will grow a lot slower. / Robin
DEC 16, 2018 - 09:28 PM
For years I have been wanting to do a dio of a Blitz radio van with the telescoping antenna fully extended. Then park the truck in a stand of full height, adult pine trees like those in your photo. Just say'n. p.s. Thanks Robin for the helpful height conversion chart! I was just at the point of asking myself those very questions, then scrolled down to find they had already been answered for me!
DEC 16, 2018 - 10:25 PM
Some years ago I was a member of a model railroad club, I didn't own any rolling stock, I was only in it for the landscape and layout building. Anyhow, making forests was a large part of the landscape work and that gave me reason to consider the issue with height of trees and I realised that ALL available trees were severely undersized if they were to represent full grown trees, not talking redwoods or anything large, just plane Jane Swedish pine and fir, birches also grow taller than H0-scale layout bushes. Nature has a tendency of becoming very large .... Consider the trunk diameter of a large pine, 35 cm is sort of a medium size tree, the big ones are thicker, 35 cm would be a whole cm in 1/35th, a wooden pencil is 0.7 mm .... The ones hitting 40 m will be thicker, over 2 feet diameter. My sister had two big ones taken down in her backyard and a local craftsman made chairs from the bottom ends. Image from the internet, the ones my sister have look a lot better. Ask google about stockstol. 2 feet in 1/35th is 1.7 cm (11/16 of an inch) .... / Robin
DEC 17, 2018 - 12:54 AM
   
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