Dakimbrell

Should figures included with the kit be judged for the quality of workmanship? A Tamiya armor kit with three figures included in the kit is entered in out of the box. How does this all interact with the diorama rules? Dak

I've been puttering with this off and on for several years. Finally decided to finish it off. The figure is from Coree modified to fit the Tamiya Hayabusa. Dak

!/12th Tamiya Yoshimura Hayabusa X-1 motorcycle with the Coree figure modified to fit. Dak

If you look closely, you can see bullet hole on the starboard side of the engine and oil leaks streaking on both sides.

Actually, I think the flakfierling was too heavy for the M3 half-track. The Maultiers could only carry the single 20mm. One of the 15mm drillings would work. Dak

Work in progress. Eduard Bf-109 E4 "yellow 10" crash landed on Sept 28, 1940 near East Langdon, Kent. More figures will be added. Eduard 1/32nd kit with civilians from various sources. Figures are a little glossy because they have not been dull coated yet. Dak

The Tori Factory track link is slightly over size compared to the real thing. Dak

This is a mid-production Hummel of the 4th Panzer division abandoned on the retreat in to Courland peninsula in the spring of 1945. The DML kit with for Stalingrad and one Alpine figures. There is an interior in the lower hull which has a splendid horror story behind it. But for that you will have to read the Journal article whenever it comes out. Dak

For those interested in how it came out.... Dak

Working on a diorama based around a forklift. The Aoshima kit with the MiniArt hand truck. The propane tank is also from the MiniArt set. The bumper stickers came from Gofer racing Decals. They are a little big, but I think they add to the model. Dak

Thanks.

The Takom kit in 1/35th with four figures from Model Cellar and two from Sovereign (I think). Dak

My friend Mark had Chinese for lunch and got this in the fortune cookie. Dak

The 1/35th AFVCLUB Centurion Mk 3 in in the winter of 1950 Figures are from Miniart. Stowage is Squadron, cooking gear Miniart. Fire pit scratch work. Snow is spackling powder. Dak

With the national called off, I got busy doing some figure painting. The busts are from Nuts Planet, and Youngs miniatures. The girls with the goggles is Honey Bee and I have no idea what company made her (she was a gift). I cheat and use Archer eyes and some other decals on parts of the figures. I did paint the leopard skins on the Hussars free hand. I do make my own bases. The armor I did with Alclad. The rest is oils over enamels. The Opalinski brothers are real people that are also characters in some books by Eric Flint. Dak

Look at MiniArt sets, too. Dak

Just a bunch of weenies! Just because of a pandemic and people dying all around is no reason to cancel! A zombie apocalypse would never stop us! Civil War would stop us ! Well all put on hazmat suits and make it work!!!! Take to the streets and burn a few cars! Who’s with me? Oh wait. My wife says no. Oh darn. Good luck and stay safe. Dak

As long as dioramas get judged well. They are the only really important categories. Dak

The Covid19 virus is particularly insidious because the symptoms come on slow and doesn’t effect everyone the same way. This has bred complacency in both political and non-political areas. Dak

I have always said keep people informed. Even when you know nothing and have no information, tell people that. It really does calm things. Silence begets rumors. Rumors create fear. If the various parties are waiting for Texas or the local community to make decisions, then say so. They could also put a clear plan out in case it all does work out for us. Let everyone know what to expect as an attendee or vendor. Masks, tracking list, limited numbers in the model room, maybe taking temps, etc. Silence only breeds uncertainty. Uncertainty destroys confidence. Dak

It’s all moot until we know what the State of Texas will be doing in a month. A secondary aspect is if they get enough to register for the event My bet is they will end up in a new lock down prohibiting large gatherings because they failed to set stringent guidelines for reopening. If the convention comes off, it will mean things like wearing masks, and limited numbers in the model and vendor’s rooms at one time. The banquet would need more space to achieve adequate social distancing. Dak

The name is Kimbrell, not Kimball. It is not the number of models which is important, but those who attend and pay the fees. My information says they need at least 400. Dak

The eternal optimist, I'm waiting a couple more weeks before I cancel any reservations. Personally, I blame the French. I'm sure this is all a plot by them to destroy the Texas wine industry for remarks by a Texan about the quality of French wine during WWII. They have only waited this long to put off suspicion. Dak

I’ve already decided to reduce the number of my entries to one or two, if it comes off. I have come to accept the National probably won’t happen this year because the Texas government can’t get their act together to deal with a pandemic. I’m sorry to be with the negative waves like Moriarty, but I’m not seeing a good ending for this. Dak

Is this a new requirement or the one that expires on July 20th? And what exemptions are there? Of course, they could come out and mandate masks everywhere all the time in public. I’m betting on that because they don’t want a shut down. Dak