2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 8) Biplanes

An MMCL member asked me if I had shots of WWI aircraft from the Nats.  In looking back thru my photos, I find I didn’t shoot many WWI a/c.  I am not sure why as there were plenty of nice ones.  IN fact, given the amount of memory I had for my camera,I am not sure why I didn’t take more photos overall.  I think that a big part of it was the fact that I was rushed for time.  I probably didn’t get to spend more than an hour of so in the model room itself.

Well, here is what I do have.  The first one is a 72nd scale Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter I think.  I am not too good with the biplane types.

Sopwith biplane

Next is a beautiful, large scale NC-4.  I loved this model and I am pretty sure it is a scratch built job.

NC-4

I love this Ki-10 in 48th scale.  It is a very nice model.  Fine Molds, I think.

Ki-10 Perry

Next is an Arado 65 or 68 in 48th scale.  The prewar German stuff has some very nice markings.

Arado

Lastly can anyone identify this man?

Mystery man

2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 7) More 72nd scale goodness

Ok, on to the multi-engine 72nd scale props.  I will admit that I really like these multi-engine aircraft.  I have enough trouble finishing a single engine a/c, so I admire those who get these models done.  I have several multi engine a/c on my list, so maybe I’ll get one done for Columbus next year.

On to the models.

This is an HS-129.  I am not real fond of the base.  I think it takes away from a really nice model.

Hs-129

Next up we have an Me-210.  I have been seeing a lot of Me-210s and 410s on the tables lately.  I am not sure why since I thought it was an ugly a/c.  However, like this one, the ones I have seen built are really nice looking.

Me-210

This next one is for Jim Bates.  I think I saw this model, or one just like it at the Nats last year in California.  It is a neat plane in a neat scheme, eh?

Canadian Lanc.

Ok, got to have some American a/c.  Here is a nice P-38.

P-38

Ok, back to the Nats. 2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 6, I think)

Things have been happening hot and heavy on the life and modeling front, which means less time for posting on the blog.  But, fear not dear reader.  I have not forgotten you.  So, once again we take up where we left off.  Photos from the 2008 IPMS Nats.  I am going back to posting photos of my favorite subject, 72nd scale aircraft.

First, a nice early 109.  I am not a huge 109 fan, but do think the early ones were the prettiest.

Condor Legion 109

Next we have a Fw-190.  I am not a real fan of the Fw-190, except for the D model, but this is very attractive.

Fw-190

One of my areas of interest is Italian WWII a/c.  Here is a Fiat G-50. 

Fiat G-50

I also have an interest in Japanese WWII a/c.  Here is a Ki-100, one of the nicest looking Japanese fighters.

Ki-100

Finally, next post we will cover the multi engine 72nd scale props.  Here is a taste until the next post.  An IA-58 Pucara from the Falklands conflict.

IA-58 Pucara

Modeling. No, really, modeling.

I know for a blog about modeling, there has been little modeling from me lately.  There are numerous reasons for this.  Many of them have to do with a 60 hour work week and a 4 1/2 year old modelchild.  But you don’t come here to read about my problems.  Yea, like I’ve got it tough!

Modeling has been occurring.  My long delayed Hawker Hunter project is moving forward.  It is the 72nd scale Revell Hawker Hunter.  I am doing it in Jordanian markings, to illustrate one of the three aircraft shot down by the Israelis at the beginning of the Six Day War.  Sadly I’ve not been able to find any actual marking info for the a/c that were shot down, so I am simply doing the model in the Jordanian markings of the time period from the Xtracals decal sheet.

Revell Hunter

Generally I hate the British hard edged defined pattern schemes.  I know I hated masking for the dark green on this one.  However, I really like the way the colors have come out.  I have been playing around with all shorts of shading and highlighting techniques.  This is proof that you can teach avery old dog new tricks.  It is hard to see from this photo and the following one, but the variations in the gray and the green are really attractive.  My only worry now is that they are so subtle that they will be lost when toned down by gloss and flat coating.  I hope not.

Another shot of the Hunter

Not only have I made progress on the Hunter, but I have also painted the Tamiya Jeep I started building for an MMCL in club contest.  I don’t normally do armor, so I am using this model as a chance to play around with acrylic paints, which I generally hate.  I painted the model with Tamiya Flat Black and then followed with a coat of Tamiya Olive Drab.  I really like the O.D. color.  I had intended to mist the O.D. on and leave a hint of the black under it, but I think I may have put it on too heavy.  It is hard to tell from this photo.

Tamiya Jeep

Hopefully there will be more to post soon.

We interrupt this broadcast…….

I’ll get back to the Nationals coverage in the next post.  However, it is time once again for a post regarding a  recent modelfamily restaurant experience. 

Saturday night the family went to the California Pizza Kitchen in Oxmoor.  This is just a few doors down from the BJ’s Brewhouse that was the subject of the previous restaurant post.  The place was crowded, even more than normal for a Saturday night.  Our waiter speculated that it might have to do with the opening of the Kentucky State Fair.  I am not sure if that was the case, but we did have a 20 minute wait to be seated.  

Once seated, it took a while to be greeted by our waiter and our drink and appetizer order taken.  In fact, it took so long that the modelwife and I went ahead and placed our entire order, since we were not sure when we might see the waiter again.  Appetizer was the Sesame Ginger Chicken Dumplings.  These were decent.  The dumplings themselves had little taste, but the dipping sauce was very good.  Even the modeldaughter enjoyed these. 

The modelwife and I each had a different salad for dinner.  She had the BBQ chopped chicken salad and I had the Cobb.  These salads are available in whole or half orders.  Do yourself a favor and get the half order.  The whole size order is more than anyone can eat.  The modelwife enjoyed her salad and mine was OK too, but the whole thing was so cold it made the ingredients almost tasteless.  Mind you I am not advocating a warm salad, but the ingredients here seemed to have just emerged from a near freezing temperature. 

The total bill was in the $40+ range which was more than I’d care to spend for what we got.  All in all, about 2 and ½ out of 5 stars.

2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 5) Some armor

By popular request, yes that means you Koko, I’ve decided to interrupt the 72nd scale aircraft posts to show some armor from the Nats.  I took very few photos of armor, but I did find a few things I liked so I shot them.  Here are a few.

A nice diorama of the 101st Airborne taking the guns from “Band of Brothers”.

101st Airborne

Next is a photo of some Russian T-37s in German service. Though it doesn’t show up well in this photo, the underwater portion of the wake behind the tanks is really nice.

T-37s in German markings

I am unsure of what this is, it looks like a Bofors on some sort of truck.  It is just way cool.

AA truck

The T-34 is a neat tank.  Here is a neat camo scheme.

T-34

Finally, here is a diorama that I have seen before at another contest, but I really like it, so I thought I would post it.

Pipeline dio

Ok, enough of this silliness.  Next post, back to 72nd scale aircraft.

2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 4) 72nd single engine props #2

The 2008 Nats is history.  I’ve been watching the reviews and they seem generally positive.  There is always some “navel gazing” after each contest.  I will say that IMHO the contest is on the right trajectory.  The national organization is standardizing the registration and awards system.  They have a system in place and it has a track history of success.  I know that Columbus in 2009 and Phoenix in 2010 are both going to be using the system.

Now back to the models.  This year the contest used separate “out of the box” categories.  The host chapter put the out of the box categories on different tables than the regular entries.  That is a shame.  In the future I’d recommend that the out of the box categories go next to the regular categories of the same type.  That way you can see all the 72nd scale aircraft together.

Here are some photos.

A nice WWI aircraft.  Sadly I don’t know mush about the designations of WWI a/c.

Cool WWI a/c

There were a lot of U.S. Navy a/c.  Here are a few nice ones.

F4U

 and

F4F

This Spitfire is particularly nice.

Spitfire

 

I thought this was a Fine Molds Zero, but the entry form indicated it was the Hasegawa kit.

A6M2 Zero

2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 3) 72nd scale aircraft

Well,  I am still processing all of the stuff from the Nats.  I am watching the discussions on the IPMS forums to see what everyone thought.  All in all everybody seems to be pretty happy with the show.  There are always some complaints, and given the size of the Nats, there always will be.  However Virginia Beach seems to have done a nice job.  It is pretty hard for me to judge how the show went given my limited time there.

Now, this is the first of the posts on 72nd scale aircraft models at the show.  I am posting the prop jobs first and will post jet photos down the road.  First up, one of my favorite a/c a Blackburn Firebrand.

Blackburn Firebrand

Next a Northrop pro job.  I forget the designation.  It is an MPM/Azur/Special Hobby kit.  Very nice.

Norway Northrop

I am a sucker for the Buffalo.  The next two shots a Buffaloes, the first in the Navy prewar scheme, then one in the Barclay scheme.

Navy Buffalo

Barclay Buffalo

Finally a Mig-3 in a striking scheme.  You don’t see many MiG-3s at contests.  I don’t think I have ever seen this particular scheme before.  Anyone know anything about it?

MiG-3

More 72nd prop jobs in Part 4 coming soon.

2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 2) The Journey

As I said in the previous post, this was my 14th or 15th Nats.  I usually go for the entire show, arriving on Wednesday and leaving late on Saturday or early on Sunday.  This year, the modelwife was working which thru a monkey wrench into my plans as we could not both be away from the modelchild for such a period.  Therefore, I wasn’t able to fly to Va. Beach until Friday morning.  I flew on Southwest via BWI to ORF.  Thanks to the Dr. Terry Hill Chiropractic office and limosuine service, I was picked up at the Norfolk airport when I arrived a little after noon.  I was already registed at the show, again thanks to Dr. Hhill and thus we travelled from the airport straight to the convention center.

Vendors!  Ah, the world’s largest traveling hobby shop.  Of course, upon arriving, we went straight to the vendor area, since my meager supply of available spending money was begging to be spent.

Vendors room

After a quick pass thru the vendor room and a parting of some hard earned cash in exchange for magazines, books, decals and resin, it was off to the model room.  This year there were 2500+ models entered.  It looked like less since the model display room was so large.  My only complaint was that the convention center lighting gave the models a yellow cast, which made some of the colors appear odd.  Here is a photo of the display room.

Contest Room

I shot a lot of photos.  Naturally I concentrated on 72nd scale aircraft.  I will cover those in a subsequent post.  However I’d like to post a few photos of other models entered.

This was a beautiful 1/48th scale Corsair construction dio.  Very nice indeed.

Corsair dio

In honor of the modelwife’s employer and my transportation to the show, I took this photo of a very nice 1/144th scale 737 in the Southwest Sea World scheme.  The decals are by Jet decals, which I don’t think you can get anymore.

Southwest 737

I love 700th scale ships, especially those of WWI and before.  Here is a stunning 700th scale HMS Cumberland.

HMS Cumberland

Part 3 will follow tomorrow with a selection of 72nd scale aircraft.  Check back for more photos.

2008 IPMS Nationals (Part 1)

Well, the 2008 IPMS Nats is history.  This was my 14th or 15th National.  Like all the previous Nats, it was a blast.  I almost didn’t make it, but that story is for part 2.

Below is a photo of the site of the show.  If you attended the 1996 or 2002 Va. Beach Nats, this show was held at the same location.  However, the convention center had been torn down and completely rebuilt.  It is a class A facility.  A photo of the new building is below.

Va. Beach convention center

The Best Aircraft model was, once again, a 72nd scale kit.  This once again proves that 72nd is the divine scale.  This year the model was a prototype B-17.  Here are a few photos.

B-17

 Here is another one.  These pictures don’t do the model justice.  It was impressive.

Another photo of the B-17

One last photo of this amazing model.

AN award winning model