1995 IPMS National Convention

Here are some fotos I shot of models in the contest room at the 1995 IPMS National Convention in Albuqueuque. I don't know the names of most of the modelers who built these. If anyone recognizes their models, let me know and I'll credit you. I don't know which of these won which awards, since I took no notes. I pretty much shot those models that appealed to me: whether or not they won anything is immaterial.

Please realize that these photos do little justice to the incredible work on most of these models. I apologize for the lack of detail in some of the pictures (my flash is hand-held, so sometimes I don't point it in the right direction). Attending an IPMS National always brings out conflicting feelings in me: I'm inspired yet intimidated by the entries. Maybe some day I'll actually finish a model and feel secure enough about it to enter it.

All of the photos I took at the convention are displayed on this page. Please enjoy and try to attend one of these conventions sometime.



Trinity Site Tour



The Awards

These were totally cool. The large framed award was the Judges' Grand Prize award. The regular awards looked like sand paintings, but were probably silk-screened sandpaper. Absolutely elegant.


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The Grand Prize Winner

Derek Brown (the modeler of this gorgeous Sea King) pretty much walked away with all the prizes. Everything was detailed on this beauty... too bad the photo does it absolutely no justice.


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Mike Mackowski's DC-X

While this wasn't entered in the competition, I liked it enuff to shoot it.


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The Modeler's Desk from the 50's

This was truly neat. Check out the color reproductions of the kit boxes. The only bad comment I heard was, "It's too neat." David Fischer built this prize winner.


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Gemini 7

Darryl Epperson built this pretty good replica of the Gemini 7 spacecraft that set the space endurance record in December 1965.


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Navy Patrol Flying Wing

This was a conversion of AMT's X/YB-35 kit into a Navy B2Y-2 Manta Ray patrol bomber. Modifications included side-by-side cockpit seating, a radome, plus some other stuff that I can't remember right now. I don't know who built it...


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RB-47E

My dad was the navigator/bombardier aboard a B-47 in the late 50's. It's still one of my favorite SAC bombers. This model was built by Carl Knable.


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V-2/WAC Corporal Bumper

This is a 1/72 scale model (built by Mike Idacavage) of the V-2/WAC Corporal rocket flown after World War II.


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Gemini-Titan 3

This is a beautifully scratch-built 1/48 scale model of Gemini-Titan 3, the first manned Gemini flight. David Weeks built this beauty, which won the Best Spacecraft and Best in Category awards. (His 1/48 scratch-built Mercury-Atlas is behind it.)


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Mercury-Atlas

This is another beautifully scratch-built 1/48 scale model by David Weeks, although he claimed it had some flaws. Yeah, right.


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1/100 scale Saturn 1B

Bill Engar built this model to represent the Apollo 7 Saturn 1B. It is based on the discontinued Estes flying scale model and won the "Best Out of the Box" award for spacecraft.


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1/70 scale Saturn 1B

This model also represents the Apollo 7 Saturn 1B. It is based on a much older, way more discontinued Estes flying scale model.


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Apollo 13

Mike Idacavage built this model which represents the Apollo 13 spacecraft after the explosion. I believe it is based on the Revell CSM and the Monogram LM.


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Wernher von Braun Ferry Rockets

IPMS Huntsville, Alabama, entered this pretty cute collection of the Glencoe Ferry Rockets done up in different markings, including "Nazis in Space."


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Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar

This 1/72 scale X-20 took second place in the Space and SF Vehicles category for Chuck Holte.


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Northrop X-4 Bantam

Here's a prize-winning 1/72 scale X-4. It started as a solid resin kit, but (as you can see) the flaps, cockpit and landing gear were all opened up and detailed. I don't think I've ever seen that particular paint scheme on the X-4, but it's pretty neat. Bill Devins built this prize-winner.


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Last Minute Fix

This won first place in the SF diorama category. It was built by Ed Sveum.


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Junkers Ju 287 V1

All right, I confess... I have a weakness for German WWII era jets and experimental designs. This was a forward swept wing aircraft. The model was built by John Roll using the Airmodel vacuform kit as the basis, supplemented with parts from an Italeri Ju 188 and a Lindberg Ar 234.


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Readying a Biber

This is a nice diorama of a WWII German minisub dock scene, built by Mike Colorio. It took first place in the Ships Diorama category.


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USS Arizona Memorial

This picture does no justice to this beautiful diorama, built by Kathy Meyers. It took second place in the Ships Diorama category.


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Boeing P-26 Peashooter

This is a 1/16 scale scratchbuilt model. Very impressive. It took first place in the scratchbuilt aircraft 1/32 and larger category. Arlo Schroeder is the modeler who built it.


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Sleepytime Gal

Nobody failed to recognize Rodney Williams's P51B Sleepytime Gal... Particularly if they'd been reading the IPMS Journal.


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Northrop XB-35 Flying Wing

Did I say before that I'm a Flying Wing nut? Or did I say I was a flying wingnut?


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Preparing for D-Day

This astounding diorama won the Most Popular Award, voted upon by everyone who bothered to cast a ballot. It also took first place in the Armor Dioramas & Vignettes 1/49 and smaller category. It's either 1/72 or HO scale, or maybe a bit of combination of both... who cares? Mike McFadden built it.


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DeHavilland DH 88 Comet

Pretty, ain't it? It garnered first place honors in the Aircraft-Civil, Sport, Racing & Airships 1/71 and larger category for modeler Don Alberts.


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The Choice of a New Generation

An amusing diorama using a Nitto SF3D (Nazis in Space) Super Armored Fighting Suit. The builder is Check Bevill.


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Bunches o'Boats

All of these flying boats from the '30s were carved from wood by David Straub: after all, plastic isn't the only modeling material...


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USS Pasteur

This is a scratchbuilt model of Dr. Crusher's starship from the last episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was built by Randy Rothhaar.


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Fantasy Pancake

This was entered in the hypothetical category for obvious reasons... W.T. Holowchuk received first place for the hypothetical category... not that the category itself was hypothetical...


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Buddies

You'll probably see a better picture of this nice diorama in a future issue of FineScale Modeler. It was built by Lynn D. Rowley and took second place in the Large Aircraft Composition Diorama category.


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Sea Gull's Nest

Kendall Brown built this first place winner in the Large Composition Aircraft Diorama category. From the front of the diorama (too washed out to read here):
Sea Gull's Nest
Curtiss SOC-3 Seagulls, VO-4
U.S.S. West Virgina, BB-48
1939


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"That's one small step..."

David Weeks entered this wonderfully detailed 1/48 scale Apollo 11 lunar module. He even detailed the interior!


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Sven Knudson sven@ninfinger.org