Contest and Meeting Schedule – Albuquerque Scale Modelers

Contests are open to all ASM members in all skill levels. Non-members are allowed to enter a points contest once. Contest schedule subject to change. Review Contest Guidelines here.

2026 Schedule

Last updated 12/23/2025

1/2/2026

Special Contest #1

REAL SPACE/SCIENCE/SCI-FI/FANTASY
Contest open to any subject, any scale, within theme. Examples include a Mercury space capsule, dinosaurs, X-Wing Fighter or fantasy figures. Be creative!

2/6/2026

No Contest

ASM Swap Meet
Bring your surplus kits to sell or swap!

3/6/2026

Points Contest #1

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

4/3/2026

Special Contest #2

“Not the Big 5”
No American, British, German, Japanese, or Russian subjects.

5/1/2026

Points Contest #2

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

“Pearl Harbor”
Sponsored by John Tate

12/4/2026

Model of the Year

MODEL OF THE YEAR
Competition amongst the Best of Show winners from all 2024 Points and Special Contests. Awards in all 4 Skill Levels (Juniors, Basic, Intermediate, and Masters). And the Year’s end “People’s Choice” awarding in all 4 Skill Levels.

2025 Schedule

1/3/2025

Special Contest #1

Sponsored Contest

REAL SPACE/SCIENCE/SCI-FI/FANTASY
Contest open to any subject, any scale, within theme. Examples include a Mercury space capsule, dinosaurs, X-Wing Fighter or fantasy figures. Be creative!

“Star Trek”
Sponsored by John Tate.

2/7/2025

No Contest

ASM Swap Meet
Bring your surplus kits to sell or swap!

3/7/2025

Points Contest #1

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

4/11/2025

Special Contest #2

Sponsored Contest

“Italian”
Any kit, any markings, any scale, but subject must be in theme. Small 1/72, Med 1/48, & Large 1/32 splits possible if enough entries are present.

“Best Fieseler Fi-156 Storch Model”
Hosted by Stan Johnson.

Guest Speaker
Charlie Palmer on the Storch.

5/2/2025

Points Contest #2

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

“BIG”
1/32 aircraft, 1/25 armor, 1/20 auto, 1/16 figure, 1/350 ship or larger of each. Exceptions can be made for anything that has large physical dimensions (e.g. 1/48 B-36), but ask Brian beforehand.
Hosted by Brian Peck

6/6/2025

Points Contest #3

Sponsored Contest

“The Zoo”
Open to any kit, any scale, and any subject named after wildlife, i.e. Tigers, Mustangs, Dolphins, Pintos, and Ospreys, to name a few.

“Small”
Examples: 1/100 aircraft, 1/72 armor, 1/43 auto, 1/48 figure, 1/1000 ship or SMALLER of each.
Sponsored by Frank Randall

Guest Speaker
Mike Blohm on the “Petting Zoo” outdoor display at Nellis AFB, NV.

7/11/2025

Points Contest #4

Sponsored Contest

“Atomic Age”
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale in theme.

“Best MechA subject”
Gundams and other mechanical robots operated by a pilot, and related fantasy war machines.
Hosted by Mike and Matt Blohm

8/1/2025

No Contest

ASM Swap Meet
Bring your surplus kits to sell or swap!

9/5/2025

Special Contest #2

“Century Series”
Any kit, any version, any scale of an F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106, F-107, or F-108.

10/3/2025

Points Contest #5

Sponsored Contest

“Modern Military Vehicles”
1946 – Present.

“Best WWII Allied Truck”
Sponsored by Harvey Chace

Guest Speaker
Harvey Chace on the Red Ball Express.

11/14/2025

Points Contest #6

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

12/5/2025

Model of the Year

MODEL OF THE YEAR
Competition amongst the Best of Show winners from all 2024 Points and Special Contests. Awards in all 4 Skill Levels (Juniors, Basic, Intermediate, and Masters). And the Year’s end “People’s Choice” awarding in all 4 Skill Levels.

2024 Schedule

1/5/2024

Special Contest #1

Sponsored Contest

REAL SPACE/SCIENCE/SCI-FI/FANTASY
Contest open to any subject, any scale, within theme. Examples include a Mercury space capsule, dinosaurs, X-Wing Fighter or fantasy figures. Be creative!

“Terminated!”
Anything A.I., Cyborg, Android, Robotic, etc., (ie., Drones, Gundams, Cylons, Borg, or Steve Austin, etc.).
Sponsored by Patrick Dick.

2/2/2024

No Contest

ASM Swap Meet
Bring your surplus kits to sell or swap!

3/15/2024

Points Contest #1

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

“Victory Markings”
Sponsored by Mike and Matt Blohm.

4/5/2024

Special Contest #2

“Phabulous Phantoms”
Open to any kit, any markings, any scale, but MUST BE a new build. Small 1/72, Med 1/48, & Large 1/32 splits possible if enough entries are present.

Guest Speaker – Harvey Chace
IL-2

5/3/2024

Points Contest #2

Sponsored Contest

“Snow White”
Open to any kit, any markings, any scale…..that has a predominantly white paint scheme and MUST be a new build.

“Best WWII Battleship”
Any kit, any scale.
Sponsored by ASM E-Board.

Guest Speaker – Joe Lavender
Battle of the North Cape, the December 1943 naval surface battle that resulted in the Royal Navy sinking the German Scharnhorst battleship.

6/7/2024

Sponsored Contest

“Best Jet Bomber”
Any kit, any scale. Any bombing aircraft powered by jet engines, including turboprops. No fighter-bombers or any aircraft that also has a fighter mission in addition to its bombing role. Aircraft can be U.S. or foreign. Past builds acceptable. Small Air Force builds encouraged. Recognition plaques to be awarded based on turnout. Sponsored by John Tate.

Guest Speaker – Dave Straub
Albuquerque aviation history.

7/12/2024

Points Contest #3

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

(TBD)

Guest Speaker – Matt Blohm
Folds of Honor

8/2/2024

No Contest

Clinic Night
Assorted “how to’s” including how to build a glass display case.

Guest Speaker – Stan Johnson
Hobbies ‘n Stuff and other ABQ hobby stores throughout the years.

9/6/2024

Points Contest #4

Sponsored Contest

“Weather”
Open to any kit, any scale, and any subject related to or named after weather events, ie., “Typhoons”, “Tempests”, “Tornados”, “Thunderbolts” and “Lightnings”, to name a few. Open to any kit, any scale.

“BIG”
Aircraft 1/32 or larger; automotive 1/18 or larger; ships 1/200 or larger; figures 1/12 or larger; sci-fi anything over 2 feet long. Exceptions can be made for anything that has large physical dimensions (e.g. 1/48 B-36), but ask Brian beforehand.
Hosted by Brian Peck

Guest Speaker – Jerry Little
B-52 Stratofortress

10/4/2024

Points Contest #5

“Cobras”
Examples: Airacobras, Kingcobras, AH-1s, and anything snake related. Think F-16 Viper, Mustang Cobra, Don (the Snake) Prudhomme, G.I. Joe, USS Rattlesnake, and INCLUDES Snake/Viper related artwork on the subject, any scale.

Guest Speaker – Harvey Chace
Airacobras to Kingcobras

11/1/2024

Points Contest #6

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

“Best Armor”
Sponsored by Dave Epstein.

12/6/2024

Model of the Year

MODEL OF THE YEAR
Competition amongst the Best of Show winners from all 2024 Points and Special Contests. Awards in all 4 Skill Levels (Juniors, Basic, Intermediate, and Masters). And the Year’s end “People’s Choice” awarding in all 4 Skill Levels.

2023 Schedule

1/6/2023

Special Contest (non-points)

REAL SPACE/SCIENCE/SCI-FI/FANTASY
Contest open to any subject, any scale, within theme. Examples include a Mercury space capsule, dinosaurs, X-Wing Fighter or fantasy figures. Be creative!

2/3/2023

No Contest

ASM Swap Meet
Bring your surplus kits to sell or swap!

3/3/2023

Points Contest #1

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

“Best Kriegsmarine or Royal Navy”
Subject related to the Bismarck or her fateful final voyage. Any model, any scale in the them, new or old. Hosted by John Tate.

Guest Speaker #1 – Casey Rupley
The future of ASM’s digital and social media.

Guest Speaker #2 – Joe Lavender
Battleship Bismarck

4/7/2023

Sponsored Contest

World War I (1914-1918)
Any subject, any scale, new or old builds, civilian or military, from that time period.

Guest Speaker – Don Gatewood
World War I Debrief

5/5/2023

Points Contest #2

“Wildlife”
Open to any kit, any scale, and any subject named after wildlife, ie., “Tigers”, “Mustangs”, “Dolphins”, “Pintos” and “Ospreys”, to name a few.

6/2/2023

No Contest

Clinic Night
How to…glue, filling-n-sanding, paint, decal.

7/7/2023

Points Contest #3

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

“Cold War, 1975-1990”
Hosted by Brian Peck.

8/11/2023

No Contest

ASM Swap Meet
Bring your surplus kits to sell or swap!

2023 IPMS/USA Nationals
Show-n-Tell, results, bragging rights.

9/8/2023

Points Contest #4

~~Sponsored Contest~~

Sponsored Contest

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

~~“Victory Markings”~~ (this contest has been postponed until 2024)
~~Any subject, any scale with victory/kill markings of any kind – aircraft, armor, AAA pieces, etc.~~
~~Hosted by Mike and Matt Blohm.~~

“Martin B-26”
Open to old builds and previous winners, any kit, any scale.
Sponsored by John Tate.

Guest Speaker – Harvey Chace, COL, USAF (Ret.)
The B-26, They Built It Anyway.

10/6/2023

Sponsored Contest

“Middle East Conflicts”
Contest open to any subject connected to wars in the Middle East, from 1945 to present (see map for qualifying countries). This includes the Arab-Israeli wars, the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and other conflicts. Old builds are welcome but per ASM contest guidelines, no prior IPMS Nationals-winning models.
Hosted by John Tate.

Guest Speakers – John Tate and Tony Humphries
50th Anniversary of Yom Kippur War.

Link

11/3/2023

Points Contest #5

Sponsored Contest

“Hasegawa vs Tamiya”
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale. Build one or the other to showcase that manufacture’s best qualities.

“P-51 Challenge Build”
Hosted by James Barrett. Any kit, any size, new or old. No Nationals winners.

Guest Speaker – Ken Liota
(subject TBD)

12/1/2023

Model of the Year

MODEL OF THE YEAR
Competition amongst the Best of Show winners from all 2023 Points and Special Contests. Awards in all 4 Skill Levels (Juniors, Basic, Intermediate, and Masters). And the Year’s end “People’s Choice” awarding in all 4 Skill Levels.

Guest Speaker – Dave Straub
Albuquerque’s Early Aviation History (19th Century to 1940s)

2022 Schedule

1/7/2022

Special Contest (non-points)

“Annual Moe Blalters” SCI-FI, REAL SPACE, SCIENCE & FANTASY.
In honor of our longtime ASM Sci-Fi & Fantasy enthusiasts, Joe Walters and Mike Blohm, for all of their voluntary support to ASM. Contest open to any subject, any scale, within theme. Examples include a Mercury space capsule, dinosaur, X-Wing Fighter or fantasy figure. Be creative!

1/7/2022

Sponsored Contest (non-points)

Patrick Dick’s “Gold Member”
Chosen from the previous “Best Frickin’ Laser Beams” award winners. Those previous winning models must be present on this night to be considered.

3/4/2022

Points Contest #1

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

5/6/2022

Points Contest #2

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

5/6/2022

Sponsored Contest (non-points)

The Ukraine War
Hosted by John Tate

7/8/2022

Points Contest #3

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

9/9/2022

Points Contest #4

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

9/9/2022

Sponsored Contest (non-points)

75th Anniversary of the USAF 1947-2022
Hosted by Mike and Matt Blohm. Anything in USAF markings 1947-2022. New builds.

10/7/2022

Special Contest (non-points)

Vietnam 1945-1975
Hosted by the ASM E-board. Any Vietnam War subject.

11/4/2022

Points Contest #5

OPEN CONTEST
Open to any kit, any subject, any scale.

12/2/2022

Model of the Year

Competition amongst the Best of Show winners from all 2022 Points Contests. Awards in each skill level with “People’s Choice.”