I'm just curious here in how people go about card kits. Before today I've done Launch vehicles and often the original creator will suggest the use of wire, cocktail sticks and even beads. I'm wondering whether the card modellers here are purists and everything needs to be made out of paper/card, or would you "bend the rules" if its more convenient. For instance I was thinking on the British WW1 tanks it could be very easy to space out the rhomboid frames with foam board...or use plastruct tubing to make the machine guns etc.
There is no real consensus on the subject. As one who creates cardmodels, I use other media in my models and see no reason for not doing so. For me, the object is to enjoy making the models. In my recent 1/48 scale Medium B, I do not include a card/paper exhaust pipe. Rather, I expect the modeler to shape one from copper or similar wire, or rod. Other modelers will disagree with me, and that is their right. I am cool with it.
I've done origami in the past and the purist insist on "square" only paper.
Strangely enough it was scaling your WW1 tanks up and I thought about using foam board between the side frames as a spacer. I had some 5mm stuff around - two of these is too thick so I just ordered some 3mm as well. Gives me, in combo 3,5,6,8,9,10 thickness.
Also looking at using prastruct tubing on the German A7 since it would be perfect for the machine guns.
Looking around the internet the consensus seems - some prefer to be paper and card only whilst others think better to have a good looking model with other media then a rubbish one without.
I confess I've built a number of space probes and used stuff like mirror board for the silver panels and gold/silver foil for the heat shields.