# IPMS National Contest 8-25-07



## X15-A2 (Jan 21, 2004)

I had the opportunity to visit an IPMS (International Plastic Modelers Society) national event for the first time when it was held in Los Angeles last weekend and I thought some of you might like to see a few of the photos I took while there. I must admit that I was disappointed by the small turnout in the Sci-fi & Fantasy section but the models that were there were excellent. Rob (Carson Dyle) brought his "Proteus", "Seaview" and "Voyager" models, which most of you already know are very fine pieces of work.

This will be a series of posts with links to the images hosted on Photobucket (my apologies to those of you viewing from behind company firewalls which prevent seeing Photobucket images). I'll begin with some photos of the sales room, which was my first port of call on Saturday.

Sales room overall: 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/SalesRoom.jpg

New 1/32 scale X-15 (!), very cool: 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/NewX15Kit.jpg

Some familiar kits and their prices at one dealers table: 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/ExpensiveKits.jpg

Huge, "GI Joe" scale metal tank kits (these guys have a web site at: 
www.battlereadyarmor.com): 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/BigTanks.jpg

This dealer had a very large (1/32 scale?) built-up "Firefox" for sale (didn't ask how much he wanted for it): 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Firefox_01.jpg

Here's a closeup of the same model: 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Firefox_02.jpg

The same dealer had this built-up hybrid TOS Enterprise. Don't know the story behind this model, does anyone here know any details about it? 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Little_Enterprise_02.jpg

Here is the same "E" model again from a different angle: 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Little_Enterprise_01.jpg

This dealer also had a mostly assembled copy of the big 66-inch TOS Enterprise as seen in these photos. Once again, I didn't ask how much it was selling for: 
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_04.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_05.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_06.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Big_Enterprise_07.jpg


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## X15-A2 (Jan 21, 2004)

Now for the display room. As I mentioned before, the Sci-fi & Fantasy vehicle section was fairly small but included very fine examples of the model builders art. These are a few of the models seen there:

The overall display room:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/DisplayRoom.jpg

The overall Sci-fi and Fantasy vehicle tables:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Sci-fi_Table_01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Sci-fi_Table_02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Sci-fi_Table_03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Sci-fi_Table_04.jpg

Most of you have probably seen this model before but I just love it, "The Hobby Shop":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/HobbyShop.jpg

Robs "Proteus":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Proteus_02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Proteus_01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Proteus_03.jpg

Robs "Voyager":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Voyager_01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Voyager_02.jpg

Wallace & Grommet:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/WallaceGrommet.jpg

The "Creature from the Black Lagoon" vs an alligator:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Creature.jpg

Millenium Falcon (Fine Molds):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Millenium_Falcon_01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Millenium_Falcon_02.jpg

I don't know the name of this Japanese comic book series but I love their take on WW1 armor:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/PigTank.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/PigTank-1.jpg

Tank and its "German Raptor" crew (?):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/RaptorTank.jpg

My personal favorite of all the models there, a magazine cover realized in model form:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/SphereTank.jpg

A cool APC made (mostly) via "3D printing":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/APC.jpg

One of Robert Goddards early rockets:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/GoddardRocket.jpg

One of the Russian rocket club "GIRD" early rockets:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/RussianGIRDRocket.jpg

A very cool Apollo CSM, complete with appropiate silver tape exterior:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/ApolloCSM.jpg

At little humor in the form of a diorama of "Old Ben Kenobi's Preowned Spaceship" lot:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/BenKenobis.jpg

A large version of "Harry" from "Harry and the Hendersons":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Bigfoot.jpg

A real aircraft, the French "Celopter" (not sure of the exact spelling):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Cleopter.jpg

Giant Robots & Bi-ped Walkers:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Giant_Robots_01.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Giant_Robots_02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Giant_Robots_03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Giant_Robots_04.jpg

Nazi "Flying Saucer":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/Nazi_Flying_Saucer.jpg

From the "paper model" section, my favorite, the "Trojan Rabbit" from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail":
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/TrojanRabbit.jpg

Two "UFO Racers" from the "Roswell UFO Race" diorama:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/UFOStooges.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/UFOTowTruck.jpg

From another model builder (or was it the same?), the UFO "U-haul" ship & trailer:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/UFO_U-Haul.jpg

And last but not least, a model of the real life proposal for the X-24C, erroneously identified as a "follow-on to the X-15" but which was in fact, a follow-on to the X-24B "Flying Flatiron". Still, a nice model of a cool subject:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/X24C_03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/pwbroad/X24C_01.jpg

I hope that you've enjoyed a brief look at this great display of model building art work. This is just a sampling of the 312 photos I took at the show. I also shot extensive photos of the aircraft and ship models that were there but those would be more appropriate in another section of "HobbyTalk".

Phil


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

Thanks for posting these, Phil (I was too lazy).

I too was a bit disappointed by the sci-fi turnout, although not terribly surprised. Maybe next next year I'll remember to remove those plexi display covers so my models will be eligible for judging. :freak: Whadda chowderhead.  

In spite of the above, and despite a general disinterest in military subjects (subs and warships notwithstanding), I enjoyed my first trip to the Nats and found the work as a whole to be both impressive and inspiring. There are some _very_ talented model makers out there, and my hat goes off to them. 

BTW Phil, I'd never seen that 70's Hobby Shop-in-a-box before. From a strictly how-cool-is-that? perspective it was my favorite model of the entire show.


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