Barry

Here is a link to further info, including an artist's impression of the last moments of Black 11. It seems to confirm the grey RLM 74/75/76 scheme. https://www.key.aero/article/did-you-know-about-bf-109-discovered-malta

Thanks for the endorsement, Gil. I have seen photos of the wreck and by all indications this 109 was in typical 74/75/76 camo. I will check further and confirm. Barry Numerick

What an epic build, Gil! Beautifully done.

Good Lord; how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? That being said, I view this change at this time as "ill-advised". People have built models with the intention of placing them in the OOB category at this year's Nats. They may not realize that the rules have been changed until they arrive at the convention. How difficult would it have been to continue with the old rules for this year and announce at the show (or banquet) that a major change will occur at the next convention. This mid-stream change will royally tick off a number of members. That is something this society does not need, now or ever. I have judged at the National for over 20 years. I have NEVER been swayed by the bells and whistles of a super-kit with resin, photo-etch, rubber wheels or whatever. Nor has anyone on any of the teams that I've had the joy of judging with. If you've judged you know this: the basics matter. Photo-etched seat belts, resin bits or added antenna mean nothing. On more than one occasion my team judged a category of 20+ models and find ourselves saying "please let the next one be straight". An aircraft without seat belts is inaccurate in the most basic way. Ditto for the antenna. Allowing these additions to an OOB entry enabled a very basic build to look acceptable from an accuracy standpoint. No brake lines or open canopies permitted - fine! But I will not build a WWII aircraft with closed canopy and not add belts, so I'm out for the BKB category. I'm curious what others think.

Prolific and quality. Well done, Mr. Dedig. I particularly like the NMF; flawless!

Looks fantastic, Bill, and just as good in person.

Gil, this is a beautiful tribute to a fine modeler, designer and human being. We've lost one of the old guard, and are poorer for it. Barry Numerick

There are some excellent proposals in this thread; I'll just throw in my 2 cents worth. It would be ideal to identify the winners earlier in the show, much as happens now in Telford. I do think there would be some propensity for those who didn't win to pack up their models. They might not leave, but there would probably be gaps on the tables. If that doesn't become a trend, it probably wouldn't matter. I personally enjoy the awards presentation. As an aircraft modeler I concentrate on those categories, but I also would like to know what won in other areas. During the usual hustle at the show, you may not get to every table. And probably 20% of the winners shown during the awards presentation prompt the expression "I didn't even see that"! However, the banquet has become too lengthy. We have added categories, specials and recognitions over the years and this now taxes the patience of many in attendance. Even with our proud graduates of the Evelyn Wood Speed Speaking Academy, Aris and Bill, there is a LOT of ground to cover, and they do it exceptionally well. The two-tiered system mentioned by Gil and Don is definitely something to consider. I like the idea of a speaker and recognitions being done on Friday and the final judging results on Saturday. The logistics of assembling so many people twice during the convention would have to be worked out. Some things, from my perspective, may not work. The Telford arrangement, where models are intermingled with vendors, is attractive. But these are SIG and club display tables. Their members are in attendance continually to talk about the models and the special interests they represent. The competition room is just about as far from the common area as possible. Since they judge during the day anything else would be a nightmare. Yes, the Nationals ain't broke. The numbers of attendees and their enthusiasm seem to increase every year. So the system doesn't necessarily need to be fixed, but as others have noted, it has evolved to get it where it is today. To think that we have achieved perfection and don't need to consider improvements or alternatives, is naïve at best. Barry Numerick