Editors Mark Savage and Aaron Skinner found themselves at the IPMS/USA National Convention, held August 3-6 in Columbia, South Carolina. The International Plastic Modelers Society gathered for four days of modeling seminar and held it's popular National Contest.
The Collections category at the IPMS/USA National Convention is a chance for individual chapters to shine as their members set a theme and build any, or in some cases every, model that fits it. FSM Editor Mark Savage takes a look at some of the entries and talks with some of the creators.
Jose M. Morales, Roswell, Georgia
To reposition the arms and head, Jose cut apart Hasegawa’s 1/32 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 piklot . Everything else on the Dora is out of the box, painted (including pre- and post-shading) with Testors Model Master enamels and weathered with Flory Models’ washes.
Ed Allen, St. Matthews, South Carolina
The best days are behind Ed’s 1940 Ford coupe in this 1/25 scale vignette of a retired dirt-track racer. After opening the door, he added dents to the body by heating the plastic with a soldering iron; tissue paper replicates torn upholstery. Krylon spray paint provided the body colors before Ed hand-painted the lettering. Light sanding, pastels, and powdered rust added age.
Richard Sliwka, Warrensburg, Missouri
Revell’s 1/380 scale NS Savannah is almost as old as the nuclear-powered merchant ship that first sailed in the 1960s. Richard refined it with photo-etched railings, ladders, and catwalks on the cranes. He finished the sleek ship with Polly Scale and Testors Model Master acrylics.
William B. Baker Jr., Crumpier, North Carolina
William added lighting to Pegasus’ 1/144 scale Nautilus submarine and applied it with Dr. Ben’s Weathering Powders and Vallejo pigments. Then he made it feel at home on a dry-wall compound base livened with scratchbuilt plants.
Michael Roy, Iroquois, Ontario, Canada
To build a Royal Canadian Air Force ambulance, Michael applied CanMilAir decals to Matchbox’s 1/72 scale Noorduyn Norseman. He replaced the kit’s main gear with scratchbuilt parts and painted the high-visibility scheme with GSI Creos colors.
Bill Schroeter, Ocean, New Jersey
After adding Eduard photo-etch to the fighting compartment of Academy’s 1/35 scale M7 Priest, Bill scratchbuilt wiring and a bore-cleaning rod. He sprayed the self-propelled gun with Rust-Oleum primer, then camouflaged it with Testors Model Master enamel olive drab and weathered it with pastels.
Al Kamrad, Fort Myers, Florida
Basing his scene on a painting, Al scratchbuilt the capture of German submarine U-505 by the U.S. Navy, on June 4, 1944. The diorama dates to the 1960s, but Al’s been touching it up ever since. The real U-boat was donated to Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry in 1954 and remains on display there.
Scott Bregi, Newport News, Virginia
Mimicking the record-breaking speed of the full-size airplane, Scott built SBS Resin’s 1/72 scale de Havilland DH.88 out of the box in eight days. The Comet’s glossy finish wasn’t a challenge for Scott, who normally models cars; he decanted Tamiya spray-can lacquers for airbrushing.
Rod Millard, Greenville, Michigan
The base kit is an old Pyro 3rd century Roman merchant ship, but Rod made a lot of improvements, including wood planks on the deck and cabin, aftermarket deadeyes, and turned-dowel masts. After priming the ship with Testors Model Master Acryl wood, he applied wood stains and artist’s oils to wooden areas. The sea is acrylic gel medium over Tamiya dark blue acrylic with dry-brushed white oil paint for the wave crests.
Sam Morgan, Spencer, North Carolina
At the heart of Sam’s 1/72 scale Saab J29E Tunnan is the 50-year-old Heller kit. “The few parts I used from the kit were scribed and modified,” he says. “Everything else was scratchbuilt, including the cockpit, wheel wells, fuel tanks, landing gear, and more.” He airbrushed Alclad II aluminum, then masked panels to spray other metallic shades and markings with Pactra, Humbrol, and Floquil enamels.
Rick Troutman, Lynchburg, Virginia
Rick built Tamiya’s 1/48 scale Skyraider mostly out of the box, using old Superscale decals to model a Douglas AD-6 from VA-196. The only modifications were Eduard seat belts and resin outer-wing pylons from True Details.
Hugh Alcock, Lillian, Alabama
Hugh captured an Fw 190D-9 in American markings at the end of World War II by painting Tamiya’s 1/72 scale Focke-Wulf with Testors Model Master enamels. Index cards cut to shape masked the camouflage and painted-out Luftwaffe insignia.
Mark Alkass, Winter Haven, Florida
Mark supplemented the photo-etch detail on Dragon’s 1/350 scale USS Laffey with parts from his spares box to improve the destroyer. He painted the dazzle camouflage with Tamiya acrylics.
Dave Pross, Weston, Connecticut
Dave built a British tank in Soviet service with AFV Club’s 1/35 scale kit and markings from Archer Fine Transfers. He sprayed Tamiya green and flat white with a layer of hairspray between. Isopropyl alcohol and a stiff brush distressed the white to create worn winter camouflage.
Bruce Simard, Chester, West Virginia
A U.S. Marine Crusader sits ready for another mission over Vietnam, thanks to Bruce, who modeled Academy’s 1/72 scale F-8E with a resin seat, Microscale decals, and Testors Model Master enamels.
Dave Corvino, Summerville, South Carolina
Dave reshaped the bones of Palmer’s 1950s-vintage Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to give it a walking pose to match the dinosaur in the 2006 movie Night at the Museum. Over a base coat of black, he dry-brushed Citadel bone acrylic and weathered it with artist’s oils. The floor is printed paper; the ropes are yarn with plastic ends.
Héctor Nazario, Tamarac, Florida
Héctor was happy with MPC’s 1/48 scale Space: 1999 Eagle transporter kit, but he wanted more. So he scratchbuilt an upper booster and a base. The ship is painted with Testors Model master acrylics and weathered with Mig pigments and pastels. “I would definitely build a few more to do the whole series,” he says.
John Loner, Mooresville, North Carolina
John built Tamiya’s 1/48 scale Me 262 out of the box and painted it with Testors Model Master enamels and Floquil lacquers.
Ken Niles, Fayetteville, Georgia
Ken built Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.VIII out of the box and painted the Mediterranean camouflage with Testors Model Master enamels, masking with poster putty and tape. Artist’s oils, pastels, and colored pencils weathered the fighter.
Joe Nejberger, Charlotte, North Carolina
“It’s a hypothetical marine creature,” Joe says, explaining Creative Lab Models hydrodon. He gouged out the resin model’s eyes and resculpted them with epoxy putty. After base-coating the monster with Golden acrylic tan and glazing the hide with raw umber, he hand-painted details. The seaweed is tissue paper and wire.
Jodie Peeler, Newberry, South Carolina
Modeling a Douglas DC-9-51 she flew on in 2012, Jodie applied F-DCAL Delta markings to Authentic Airliners’ 1/144 scale resin kit. A little weathering around the tail represents stains from the thrust reversers.
Yancey Christopher, Burlington, North Carolina
Going big for his first figure build, Yancey finished Industria Mechanika’s 1/8 scale Cosmonaut No. 2 with Floquil, Vallejo, and Alclad paints.
Ken Belisle, Jacksonville, Florida
During Operation Firewall, a McDonnell JF-101A set a closed-course speed record of 1,207 mph. Ken built the record-breaking Voodoo by removing the fuselage gun fairings and angle-of-attack sensors and adding Monogram F-101B afterburner cans. He airbrushed Alclad II polished aluminum over a gloss gull gray base coat to finish the fighter.
Bob Cicconi, West Chester, Pennsylvania
To model USS Illinois in 1901, Bob built Niko’s 1/700 scale kit out of the box. He painted the decks with Testors Model Master Army/Marine Corps sand and the hull Floquil reefer white. A coat of Floquil depot buff covers the turrets and superstructure.
Robert Bradford, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Estonia bought 12 Bristol Bulldogs in 1930. Robert detailed Airfix’s 1/72 scale kit with ascratchbuilt windscreen, gunsight, guns, pitot, and prop spinner, then added home made decals to represent one of the British exports.
Bill Roberts, Niceville, Florida
Bill backdated Revell’s 1/32 scale Bf 109 to an early G-10 with BarracudaCast wing inserts, wheels, prop, and spinner. Airbrushing Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics, he free-handed the camouflage except for the leading-edge scallops, which were masked with tape.
Stephen Vermilye, Cape Coral, Florida
Stephen’s wooly mammoth started life as a prefinished figurine from Schleich. Stephen covered its molded branding with sanding and epoxy putty, then hand-brushed layers of Liquitex and Polly Scale acrylics to deepen the fur. For the Ice Age setting, he covered a foam base with dirt, rocks, grass tufts, and Woodland Scenics snow.
Ray Lawson II, Raeford, North Carolina
Ray posed Moebius’ 1/8 scale War Machine in from of scratchbuilt Stark Industries crates that hide the batteries for LEDs inside the suit. He painted the model with Testors Model Master Metalizers and acrylics.
Gary Griffith, Williamsburg, Virginia
Working with an Iron Shipwrights 1/350 scale resin kit, Gary built PCE-872, a World War II patrol craft escort, as it appeared off Okinawa in 1945. He painted the 6" model with Testors Model Master enamels.
Scott Bricker, Haymarket, Virginia
After subbing resin for the kit seat and adding Eduard seat belts, Scott painted Revell’s 1/48 scale F-84E with Alclad II lacquers and Aeromaster acrylics. Oil washes emphasized panel lines; the markings are Aeromaster decals.
David Geldmacher, Homewood, Alabama
“My son serves in the Marines,” David says. “This was built in honor of his service.” David scratchbuilt a loud hailer and antennas for Fujimi’s 1/72 scale HH-46 Sea Knight, then painted the search-and-rescue chopper with Testors Model Master and Xtracolor enamels.
Tim Stormer, Falls Church, Virginia
Tim wove magic with Monsterpappa’s 1/3 scale Maleva, including a hand-made crown of hair and a new, clear crystal ball. He used no paint, only layers of pastels for the finish.
Jose Luis Crespo, Neuquen, Argentina
Jose built Wespe Models’ 1/87 scale Diamond T 969 wrecker out of the box and painted it with acrylics and artist’s oils.
Keith Scruton, Marietta, Georgia
South African low-cost carrier Kulula’s sense of fun is on full display with the Flying 101 livery on one of its 737-800. Keith improved Revell’s 1/144 scale kit with resin winglets and engines. After painting with GSI Creos and Azko Grip-Gard acrylic polyurethane, he applied Draw Decals markings.
John Kelly, Yorktown, Virginia
Despite being a flying boat, the single-seat Macchi M.5 was an agile fighter and a match for most of its contemporaries. John rigged Pegasus’ 1/72 scale model with nylon monofilament thread and stainless-steel wire. The monstrous scheme is hand-painted. John printed decals for the lettering.