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As stated in the National Contest Rules, II., 14. bases are allowed in all categories but will not be judged except in vignettes and dioramas. So, yes, you may place an OOB entry on a base. Just be sure, by consulting II., 15., that you have not made the base so elaborate with so many figures and ground details, that it becomes a vignette or diorama and would be moved to one of those categories. Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge.

I made this small diorama/vignette with figures from Master Box and sunflowers from Fredericus Rex. The figures are made right out of the box. I did add a Tamiya figure and an resin figure, those are the guys in the background deep in the sunflowers. The MB figures are very well cast with clean crisp detail. The sunflower kits are laser cut paper and are a bit tricky and time consuming, but I like the results. Each packet makes 14 flowers, I used three, I wanted the sunflower field dense like the reference photo. The base is a piece of foam board laminated to a thick styrene sheet covered with spackle and static grass and grass tufts. The figures and the flowers are painted with a mix of Tamiya, Vallejo model colors and a bit of artist gouache. Gouache is an opaque watercolor that dries with a super flat finish, it also mixes well with model acrylics and can really punch up the colors. The photo of the abandon BT-7 in the sunflower field was the inspiration for this project. Dennis

I was reading "Helmet for my Pillow" by Robert Leckie. In the book he mentions US Marines encountering the saltwater crocodiles in the creeks, inlets and streams during the campaign on Guadalcanal in 1942. That book inspired this little vignette. The figures are bashed together from the parts box. They are a mix of resin and plastic, Warriors, Airfix, DML, and Hornet heads. The crocodile is from the old Tamiya dinosaur set. The "crocodile" might actually be an alligator, but for this project, it works as a crocodile. The water is made of cut up thin clear plastic pieces and then covered and the waves built up with Liquitex clear modeling paste. The bamboo is made by JT scenics. Anyway, thank for looking.

There is no requirement levied, pro or con, in Rule III (and following) regarding bases. Nick addresses bases under II.14 [and II.15], which if you are not in compliance with, will move you out of the armor categories to vignette/diorama where there are no OOB awards. Under armor OOB specifically, you may block off a visual sight line through the bottom of an open sponson - and I would imagine by extension blocking under/through an engine grill. Add antennas, drill out guns. Use what came with the kit -- no aftermarket guns, stowage, or incidental details. Look what won previously in ShutterAce's link. In short, a basic base. Just ground cover, no extras -- you're cool Ed Grune; National Head Ship Judge

Bingo. What's that old saying? "You can never go home again." I left Ft. Lauderdale 20 years ago. I've been back, and all the signs say "Ft. Lauderdale", but it will never be the Ft. Lauderdale I knew as a younger man. It might say "Squadron" on the letterhead, but to many of us, the "real" Squadron died the day Jerry sold it and retired.

Here are some WIP photos.

I wish them well, but they are fighting years of neglect and disgruntled customers. They have a lot of proving to do!