Model Fiesta 43 – January 2025
Casey Rupley (webmaster)
About Casey Rupley (webmaster)
Posts by Casey Rupley:
Smithsonian Restores Model of Enterprise
The Smithsonian recently published an article about restoring a model of U.S.S. Enterprise last modified in the Star Trek (TOS) for the “Trouble with Tribbles” episode. See the full article here, but an excerpt and pictures are provided below.
On Star Trek, a TV series that aired in the late 1960s, more than 400 crew members explored the galaxy aboard the USS Enterprise, which had a length of 947 feet and weighed 190,000 tons. In actuality, the starship was an 11-foot-long model made of poplar wood and vacu-formed plastic.
Film of the model appeared in all 79 episode of the original series (broadcast from 1966–69), and the model was donated to the National Air and Space Museum by Paramount Studios in 1974. Forty years later, the Museum undertook a two-year project to restore the Enterprise to how it looked during the filming of the 1967 episode “The Trouble with Tribbles”—the last known modification of the ship during the show’s production. Today the Enterprise is displayed in the Museum’s location in DC.
New Kit – Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk.Va
Recently announced new kit from Kotare for a 1/32 Spitfire Mk. Va. Pre-order now available. See full details on Kotare’s website here.
Excerpt from Kotare announcement:
PRE-ORDER due to popular demand K32002 Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk.Va is now available to pre-order from 10 June 2024. Shipping expected from September 2024 (subject to worldwide trade difficulties). Pre-order deposit payment in full (100% refund available on request up to the actual shipping date).
All pre-orders placed through www.kotare-models.com will receive 32P001 Kotare 1/32 Spitfire Mk.Ia (Mid/Late), Mk.Va/Vb (Early) 3Dprint exhaust (value US$12.99) and an exclusive free beautiful Darryl Legg box art print suitable for framing (only while stocks last).
142 high-quality injection moulded plastic parts – 35cm wingspan – 40 all new tooled parts include windscreen with de-icing, hood with Martin-Baker jettison system, fireproof bulkhead, dual-height rudder pedals, instrument panel with rectangle & curved blind flying panels, elevator trimming wheel, ice/snow guard, engine driven undercarriage controls, composite pilot’s seat with and without Sutton Type K harness detail, IFF Mk.II, port wing fillets with electrical connection door – Mk.V oil cooler fairings – station keeping lamps – Optional Supermarine & CBAF undercarriage doors and top cowlings, open & closed cockpit doors – DeHavilland & Rotol propellers – Wheels with weighted tyres featuring correct alignment- 32 page fully illustrated instruction manual – High quality Cartograf decals for 3 Spitfire Mk.Va including famous ace Douglas Bader.
OkieDokieCon – Bethany, OK – June 15
This year’s theme is:
Baby Boomers all subjects from 1946 – 1964 are eligible for theme awards
OkieDokieCon Event on June 15th from 9:00am to 4:00pm at
7903 NW 30th
Bethany Oklahoma
73008
“The Cube” North Church
Vendor – Raffles – Loads of models to see
Admission is free
Additional information, to include category list, registration forms, etc, can be found at OkieDokieCon 2024 (ipmsmetrookc.com)
May 2024 – Meeting Recap
Club Business
Attendance was approximately 38 people. Great turnout!
Tonight’s contest: “Snow White” points contest. The Sponsored Contest for best WWII Battleship did not have any entries.
Chuck Herrmann announced a model car contest the Albuquerque Model Car Club (AMCC) is hosting on September 28 at the UNM Continuing Education Center (same rooms we use). Details:
- 10am – 4pm
- 12 classes
- Non-drag, competition open wheel
- Non-drag, competition closed wheel
- Street
- Custom
- Commercial
- Motorcycles/misc/diorama
- Curbside and slammers
- Out of the box
- Military soft skins
- Lowriders
- Drag racing or straight line
- Juniors
- There will be 1st place for each of the 12 classes, plus a Peoples Choice and a Theme Award (60 years of the Ford Mustang)
- ASM is sponsoring the Theme award and Military Soft Skins
- Registration is 10-12:00, judging from 12-2:30, awards at 3:00
- Raffle tickets will be sold with drawings at 11:00, 12:00, and 2:30
Joe Lavender gave a presentation on the Battle of the North Cape (WWII), highlighting the demise of the German battleship Scharnhorst.
Points Contest - Bests of Show
Points Contest - Full Results
Masters - Aircraft
1st
Dave Tingley
He219 A-7
2nd
Scott Jaworski
Fairey Swordfish Mk. I
3rd
Brian Peck
Spitfire
Masters - Armor
1st
Dave Tingley
Panther A
2nd
Victor Maestas
M1A2 Abrams
Masters - Automotive
1st
Chuck Herrmann
Lotus Honda 99T
2nd
Bob Henderson
1934 Street Rod
Masters - Figures
1st
James Barrett
Artic Fox
2nd
Chuck Herrmann
Ed Big Daddy Roth
Masters - Science/Fantasy
1st
Steve Brodeur
Aries Lunar Shuttle
Masters - Diorama
1st
John Tate
Final Countdown 1945
Masters - Ships
1st
John Tate
Turret from Scharnhorst
2nd
Bob Henderson
German Search Cruiser
Intermediate - Aircraft
1st
Stan Johnson
Lagg-3
2nd
Adrian Montano
MiG-3
Intermediate - Automotive
1st
Don Smith
2014 Corvette Stingray
Intermediate - Science/Fantasy
1st
Don Smith
Mercury Atlas Rocket
2nd
Don Smith
MS-06F-2
Basic - Aircraft
Gold
Gary Sinning
T-2 Buckeye
Basic - Figures
Gold
Aleya Montano
Stormtrooper
Complete Meeting Gallery
US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft
(excerpt from article posted on Business Insider – click here for full story)
The US has acquired 81 obsolete Soviet-era combat aircraft from Kazakhstan, a report from the Kyiv Post says.
Kazakhstan, which is upgrading its air fleet, auctioned off 117 Soviet-era fighter and bomber aircraft, including MiG-31 interceptors, MiG-27 fighter bombers, MiG-29 fighters, and Su-24 bombers from the 1970s and 1980s.
The Kyiv Post reported that the declared sale value was one billion Kazakhstani tenge, or $2.26 million, equalling an average value for each plane of $19,300.
The outlet cited reports from the Ukrainian Telegram channel Insider UA and the Russian news site Reporter saying the US purchased 81 of the aged, unusable warplanes.
ScaleFest – Grapevine, TX – May 25
(from IPMS email distribution)
As a reminder, Scalefest 2024 will be held Saturday, May 25th from 9am to 5pm at the Grapevine Convention Center located at 1209 S. Main Street in Grapevine TX. 76051.
Also the IPMS-NCT Website has been updated for Scalefest 2024 including applicable forms for preparation before the show.
Again the theme award is “RED”. Any model with at least 50% red qualifies.
Plenty of vendor tables are available at the moment but they do tend to sell out by the day of the event. Vendor forms are attached and payments can be made by check or Paypal. For Paypal, reply to this email and ask for instructions.
See the attached brochure for a $2 coupon for entrance into the show.
Look forward to seeing everyone in May!
Randy Spurr
ABQ Journal Article: Ford Tri-Motor at Double Eagle
Here’s an excerpt from a recent ABQ Journal article covering the visiting Ford Tri-Motor at Double Eagle airport. The article, a front-page story, features ASM member, and Chairman of the Cavalcade of Wings, Michael Howell.
The full article can be found here: https://www.abqjournal.com/history-on-the-fly-cavalcade-of-wings-dedicated-to-preserving-and-pursuing-story-of-new/article_b2e63f8a-f2aa-11ee-a519-8fe6584e1728.html
Prop wash from the Ford Tri-Motor rumbling to life at Double Eagle II Airport blustered its way into the hangar, threatening to topple the model planes Michael Howell and Fred DeGuio were arranging on a table on a recent day.
Both men hovered protectively over scale models of seven Ford Tri-Motor aircraft and five Fokker Tri-Motors until the real tri-motor plane taxied away.
Howell is board chairman of Cavalcade of Wings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to documenting and displaying the aviation history of New Mexico, and DeGuio is one of Cavalcade’s board members. Their model exhibit detailed the history of Ford and Fokker tri-motor planes and the roles those planes played in New Mexico.
Both Fokker and Ford tri-motors flew into the state during the pioneer days of commercial air travel.
Fokker, a Dutch company, made about 250 tri-motor aircraft in two models, the F-7 and F-10, in the 1920s. Ford turned out 199 tri-motor planes in two variations, the 4-AT and the 5-AT, from the mid 1920s to the early 1930s.
“The Fokkers didn’t survive,” Howell, 67, says. “They had wooden components and were made out of cloth. There are zero Fokker Tri-Motors flying today.
“The Fords were made out of metal. The plane was nicknamed the Tin Goose. Being an all-metal plane makes a big difference. As of 2011, there were 18 Ford Tri-Motors in existence, and eight of them were flying. I don’t know how many are flying today.”
Well, the 1929 Ford 4-AT that came close to blowing the models away for one.
That plane, owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association, took paying passengers up for rides Thursday, Friday and Sunday at Double Eagle II on Albuquerque’s West Side.
