IPMS Scale Modelworld 2014

[major_clanger]

I've been a bit inactive in my occasional hobby of scale model aircraft making of late, in part because of being busy with work and other stuff but also because my current project hit some fiddly bits that I've been putting off doing. So it was perhaps rather in the spirit of trying to reignite my enthusiasm that I headed over to Telford today for the Scale Modelworld exhibition.

I'd not been to this before and I have to say I wasn't quite expecting such a spectacularly large event. This really is huge; if you were at Loncon 3, imagine the big dealer room / fan exhibits hall, triple it, and fill it with:

- dealer stands piled high with model kits from around the world (including a lot of obscure stuff)
- an equal number of stands selling third-party customisation or extra-detail add-on parts for kits
- still more dealers selling every sort of paint, glue, other construction material or tool you might want
- literally dozens of display tables either by regional clubs or special interest groups

It really was international; as well as the wide range of kits on offer, there were groups from all over the world, including the USA and eastern Europe. And those three display halls didn't include a separate hall for models entered into the various prize competitions.

I started in the competition area. There were some very nice models, both adapted from kits and scratch-built.

This diorama of Battlestar Galactica Viper IIs undergoing maintenance caught my eye; one of the things I liked about the reboot series was (as a former RAF engineer) the realistic depiction of aircraft (aerospacecraft?) maintenance.


[Model diorama, 3 Battlestar Galactica Viper IIs being serviced.

I squeeed a bit over this lovely scratch-built model - anyone else remember Gerry Anderson's foray into sf films, Journey to the Other Side of the Sun?


[Model of Sunprobe spacecraft from Journey to the Far Side of the Sun]

Talking of Galactica Vipers, there was this one in RAF markings that rather caught my fancy:


[Battlestar Galactica Viper II in RAF markings]

As for my TSR-2 project, if I ever finish it it will have good company. Spot the UK-marked F-111 at the back!




[TSR-2 models in 1:48, 1:72 and 1:144 scale, various conjectural marking schemes.]

It's the 50th anniversary of the Red Arrows this year, which led to this very nice display of Gnats and Hawks in every variation of the team colours over the years:



[1:72 Gnat and Hawk models showing the evolution of RAFAT colour schemes]

This display of conjectural and cancelled RAF bomber projects and proposals included one that should be familiar to autopope's readers...


[Proposed RAF jet bombers, including missile-armed Concorde]

Meanwhile, these are things the Soviet Union actually built!


[Models of various Soviet ekranoplan projects]

Another special interest group display was of models of various versions and marking schemes of the Tornado. And yes, that locomotive isn't completely random.


[Models of Panavia Tornado, plus the namesake locomotive]

There was even someone selling scale model cakes for dolls' houses. I have to admit that I had visions of dramatic dioramas of scenes from Great British Bake Off deemed unsuitable for broadcast television.


[Scale model cakes and cake slices]

Not every model was very small scale. I suspect these replicas of filming models for various Gerry Anderson series were as big as, or maybe bigger than, the originals:



[Large scale models from Stingray and UFO]

Minions! Including, at lower left, the truth about what's inside a Dalek...

[Assorted minions from the Despicable Me films.]

There were some excellent past, present and future space project models on display:

[Various space models, including Falcon 9, Dragon and Bigelow inflatable space station]

Although this example of a new kit from Revell was unfortunately topical:

[Revell kit of Virgin Galactic White Knight 2 / SpaceShipTwo]

Finally, a couple more maintenance dioramas. I really like these - after all, most of the time I saw aircraft in my previous career, it was like this.

[Scale model dioramas of maintenance on F-104 and Mirage III/V]

I rather surprised attimes_bracing by not coming back laden with new kits. I really need to get on with what I've got, and get back into what I actually find to be a pleasantly relaxing and diverting hobby once I get into it. However, this trip did get my enthusiasm up again and so with any luck I'll be posting pics of my own project before too long.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Ooh! There you are!

I'd been wondering where you'd got to! :o)

[benjeapes]

Do I see a TSR-2 with a dorsal gun turret from a Lancaster? Wrong, but wromantic.

[major_clanger]

You know, I didn't actually spot that when taking the pictures! I think that may have been a rather, uh, less-than-entirely-serious proposed configuration...

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Looks VERY impressive.

circa 1969-70 Century 21 did a display of models etc. at a department store where I was working after school. As I remember it, things that actually had to accommodate full-sized puppets (e.g. FAB 1) were very large, most of the other models were much smaller. E.g. Moonbase Alpha was about 4ft across. I think Skydiver was about 2ft long.

[gummitch.livejournal.com]

Some seriously impressive stuff there, thanks for the photos. Couldn't say which I liked best, but the Skydiver got the biggest 'Oooh!'.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

It was the single most visually arresting model for me, because of its sheer size. Bigger isn't always better (and can rather defeat the point of a scale model) but sometimes, as the saying goes, quantity has a quality all of its own.

There was one table display by a special interest group focussing on 1/144 scale models, which require a lot of fine work if you want to make them detailed.

They had a model of the R-33.

[hano.livejournal.com]

some great stuff there. Was that a VC-10 'Poffler' in with the various cancelled British projects? Great to see an Avro 731 done properly as well.

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Yes - I'm pretty sure it (and the missile-equipped Concorde) were these ones:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/57686-1144th-vickers-vc10-skybolt-poffler/

[hano.livejournal.com]

good stuff. And Im glad to see he credits Chris Gibson's excellent book on the subject. (get hold of it if you haven't already)

[whotheheckami.livejournal.com]

All fabulous stuff, but what fevered mind did the TSR2 conversion with, what looks like WWII turrets?

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

You know, I didn't actually spot that when taking the pictures! I think that may have been a rather, uh, less-than-entirely-serious proposed configuration...

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Belatedly I remark that this was a wonderful, wonderful post.