Advice on scale: according to detail

[GazzaS]

Hi All,
I've got some great shipyard plans for SMS Brummer in 1/200. There are details like coal schutes, vent tubes, life boats, davits, torpedo tubes, ladders, stairs, even railings and rigging. There are lots of hull cross sections and screw and rudder detail at scales as large as 1/50.
What I'm missing are those little things that don't show on the diagram: Firefighting equipment, Bridge equipment, Optics other than the most simplified of range-finders, and all of those little things that crowd the deck of a ship. Finding photographic evidence online, especially since I can only read English, isn't proving very fruitful.

Based on this detail/lack of detail, what scale would you recommend?

Thanks, in advance!

[Dave Wooley]

Hi GazzaS when faced with this problem go for a scale that can absorb the lack of fine detail say 1: 200 , 1;144 . As time progresses and more information comes to light then the omitted detail can then be added if at all possible . From 1;100 and above the fine detail or the lack of it will show. Hope this helps
Dave Wooley

[GazzaS]

Thank you Dave. That was exactly the kind of answer I was looking for because lack-of-detail is what I'll have. I've yet to see a picture that isn't either a full-hull shot, or taken after many years of encrustation.