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.

742x512 JPEG (65K)
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.

640x419 JPEG (43K)
Mike Mackowski's DC-X
While this wasn't entered in the competition, I liked it enuff to
shoot it.

374x518 JPEG (23K)
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.

736x518 JPEG (43K)
Gemini 7
Darryl Epperson built this pretty good replica of the Gemini 7
spacecraft that set the space endurance record in December 1965.

650x462 JPEG (44K)
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...

736x506 JPEG (44K)
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.

736x368 JPEG (36K)
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.

456x794 JPEG (43K)
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.)

345x640 JPEG (36K)
Mercury-Atlas
This is another beautifully scratch-built 1/48 scale model by David
Weeks, although he claimed it had some flaws. Yeah, right.

380x892 JPEG (40K)
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.

640x334 JPEG (37K)
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.

356x886 JPEG (42K)
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.

640x442 JPEG (66K)
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."

640x419 JPEG (42K)
Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar
This 1/72 scale X-20 took second place in the Space and SF Vehicles category for Chuck Holte.

640x386 JPEG (23K)
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.

432x640 JPEG (51K)
Last Minute Fix
This won first place in the SF diorama category. It was built by Ed Sveum.

640x426 JPEG (48K)
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.

700x324 JPEG (32K)
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.

640x461 JPEG (46K)
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.

640x426 JPEG (26K)
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.

640x426 JPEG (41K)
Sleepytime Gal
Nobody failed to recognize Rodney Williams's P51B Sleepytime Gal...
Particularly if they'd been reading the IPMS Journal.

640x426 JPEG (44K)
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?

640x474 JPEG (38K)
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.

640x429 JPEG (47K)
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.

640x429 JPEG (42K)
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.

640x426 JPEG (44K)
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...

640x443 JPEG (54K)
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.

640x426 JPEG (44K)
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...

640x471 JPEG (36K)
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.

640x480 JPEG (44K)
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

640x414 JPEG (33K)
"That's one small step..."
David Weeks entered this wonderfully detailed 1/48 scale Apollo 11 lunar
module. He even detailed the interior!

612x592 JPEG (61K)
Sven Knudson sven@ninfinger.org