Nick Filippone

Gil, That looks great and a nice way to recall one of my favorite childhood TV shows. Do you know if anyone does those markings in 1/72 scale? I would like to do the the KP kit in that scheme. Nick

In fact, the number of judges who could recall from memory were and how lights and inspection panels were arranged on each P-40 variant can be counted on the fingers of one elbow. This is one of the main reasons why we are exhorted NOT to use such accuracy issues as a criteria in evaluating entries. Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge

How about when you bought most of you kits at the hardware store or drugstore? Or, in order to make flat paint, you had to decant the solvent off a bottle of Pactra flat brown, then decant the solvent off the top of some other gloss colour, and replace it with the Pactra flat solvent? (Yes, it actually worked! ) Or worse, to make paint flat, just add Talcum Powder. Yuck. Nick

Linden Hill Decals lists a couple of sheets in 1/72 scale.

Hobbylinc.com has the rigging-set for $13.20. Nick

If you go on Google Earth, you can see the relationship of the Convention venue to the parking lot, the nearby hotels and downtown Madison. Nick

The best way to understand the judging process - and improve your modeling skills- is to become a judge. Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge

I have attended 35 out of the last 36 Nationals. So I am as experienced as anyone in the acquisition and interpretation of show information- especially hotel reservations. Jeff and his team are not at all to blame for the idiotic behaviour of IPMS members. The amount of info they have released is perfectly appropriate and in keeping with that of previous National host chapters. The tradition has been to provide few details until after the current show is over. This is as it should be- to keep the spotlight on this year’s National. Host chapters contract with hotels every year. That is not news or too much information. It is Standard Operating Procedure! The fact is, other than knowing where the Convention is next year, the 2024 hosts have told us nothing that anyone with a modicum of intelligence, a little common sense, assiduity, and some experience making hotel reservations could not have figured out for themselves. And, again, appropriately, as previous hosts, they have not gone onto any more detail while the current show is being planned or underway. It would not matter how much or how little information was released or when it was released, a certain fixed percentage of the membership will behave this way every single year. The fact is, my friend, ‘ the fault is not in Jeff Herne and his 2024 stars, but in ourselves! ‘ Nick

It is again the issue of “apples and oranges.” The fundamental principle of category creation and placement has been to try to keep similar entries competing against each other. There is, in fact, a BIG difference between a horse and a motorcycle and a BIG difference in the skill set required to competently and competitively complete each. That is not to say that the same modeler could not possess both skill sets. But these Uber modelers are few and far between. Most of us mere mortal “ object” modelers are unable to be even mediocre figure modelers while the quality of the work of those who model human and animal forms often borders on true art. Check out the figure work sometimes placed with ordinary tank or aircraft entries, and, when you stop laughing, you ask yourself why the modeler tainted a good Sherman or P-51 with crude, by comparison, figures. I always marvel at the regularity with which, each year, as the Nationals approach, there appears just such a conundrum of category placement, proposed by a modeler who, likely with tongue firmly implanted in cheek and, feigning ignorance of a competition in which he or she has participated for years, bedazzles and befuddles the membership with a virtual Gordian’s Knot of entangled rules. 😼😉 Have a nice day. Nick

Ron, I applaud your effort to be diplomatic. But, of course, none of the examples of the term “ mounted” that you provide are remotely related to figure modeling. Context often mandates how a word is meant to be defined and understood in a particular situation.This is especially true of the English Language, in which many identically spelled words have radically different meanings. I do not think it fair to once again importune the Contest Committee by asking them to clarify their usage of a word that everyone with a firm grasp of the English Language (except, apparently, IPMS USA members) clearly understands a priori. Nick

“Mounted” - “seated or riding on a horse or other animal.” Dictionary.com Nick

“Mounted” (definition) : “ riding a horse or involving people riding a horse.” Cambridge English Dictionary. Nick

Assuming you are not putting us on, I believe, traditionally ( and based, also, on my personal observations of entries in figure categories for many years), mounted figures refer to humans mounted on an animal of some kind. This is usually a horse although I suppose a camel or an elephant strictly speaking would likewise qualify. I guess even rodeo figures on a bull might be considered a mounted figure. But in each case the figure is mounted on a living creature. If a person on a motorcycle is a “ mounted figure,” then how about a figure sitting in a car, an aircraft cockpit or a speedboat? How about a kid on a bike or a skateboard? What about an old person sitting in a rocking chair? A logical extrapolation or “ Reduction ad absurdam?” Nick

The Czech Prototype books are available from the Publisher- Jakab in the Czech Republic. Nick

In addition, I recommend (and you would need to seek these out on EBay) “Aircam #30- Czech Aircraft 1918-1970” (English text, lots of photos and many colour profiles) and “ Czechoslovak Prototypes 1938”by Patel Kucera. Two volumes. Czech and English text- photos, 3- views and colour 3-views. Nick

Keith, Check ( no pun intended) out ViZi Models in the Czech Republic.They are doing pre-war Czech aircraft in 1/144, 1/72 and 1/48 scale. They are 3D printed resin and are very nice. They are friendly and easy to do business with. Nick

I have this model completed years ago. Do you still need it? Nick Filippone

I apologize if my alert has offended anyone. I was simply alerting my fellow members should one of us even briefly be caught unawares. I guess we all cannot be shrewd, savvy cyber jockeys.I will take care not to ever again request any advice or assistance from our administration in such matters. Nick

This morning I received an email from “accounting@prolineds.com” asking me to confirm my membership suspension by opening and downloading something to sign-which obviously I did not. It was signed by “Assistant of Administration.” Has anyone else seen this and is our REAL website administrator aware of this? Should some warning be posted here on the Forum. Thanks. Nick

That Frog Sea Fury was a favorite of mine also, and one of their best. I also loved the Fokker D-21. Their subject selection was adventurous and I much preferred their restrained raised panel lines to Airfix’s riot of rivets. But I still loved Airfix, too! Nick

Most likely Airfix. I have seen (and still have) some Frog kits packaged as you describe. But I have many more by Airfix and I saw these much more frequently. This packaging method was adopted by Airfix as a cost saving measure very early in their marketing history. Most of the Frog kits I purchased as a kid here in the Colonies -even the earliest ones- were under the Airlines label and boxed. It probably depended on what distributor was supplying the retail stores we shopped at. While I did purchase many bagged British sourced early Airfix kits at a large hobby store such as Polk’s in New York City, many stores closer to my home in Albany carried Airfix kits released under the Craftmaster label in boxes. But this was admittedly later in the ‘60’s. Most importantly, however, ANY of those early Airfix and Frog kits were so esoteric compared to what the American kit manufacturers were offering that I would have purchased them if they came wrapped in old newspaper- like Fish and Chips: also very British! 🤗 Nick

No! Dirt is always bad! Did you see any dirt on that Picasso or that Rembrandt? And more points off for that carelessly applied number decal on the tyre. 🤪Nick

At the risk of being too legalistic, the way the rules read (in the currently posted National Contest Rules on IPMS website), the inclusion of photo-etched parts in the box would render the kit ineligible for BKB. As presently written, an exception is apparently not offered just because the other media parts are not used. Has this rule been modified since the 2022 Nationals? Or, are we to interpret the rule to simply bar inclusion of the non-plastic parts on the finished model? Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge

Like everything else in life, if you Google “Looks Like Glass,” many sources will appear including, of course, Amazon.

Deluxe, the company that makes “Perfect Plastic Putty,” also makes a product called “Looks Like Glass” for clear plastic. It works great, in my experience. Nick