Eligible for contests?

[tanksalot2u]

I have been out of modeling for some years now and haven't entered any of the contests. I wish to jump back into the hobby again and slowly but surely enter into some of the contests. I like to do Armor. I was wondering if any of the Tamiya 1/48 kits are acceptable for the contests since some/many use a metal base/bottom? I would appreciate your input. Thanks!

[Schmitz]

David,

 

The requirement that models be completely (or mostly) plastic to enter the "IPMS National Contest" was dropped a while ago. As long as you did all the paint and prep work yourself there shouldn't be any problems even if the entire model is metal.

 

That said, local IPMS contests mostly follow the "National" rules, but they are free to tweak the rules however they want, so its always a good idea to check with the local head-judge if you're in doubt. These days almost every show flyer will have an email address listed for questions.

 

Don

[Mark Aldrich]

David,

Welcome back to the fold! Always good to have another TreadHead on board!!!! If you enter any contests in the Great NorthWest, you won't have any issues with 1/48 Tamiya Armor!

[ghodges]

David: you may have ONE issue with 1/48 armor...and that is WHAT category to put it in! Except for the largest shows, almost all armor categories are broken into 1/35 and 1/72. 1/48 armor MIGHT be broken out into a separate category IF enough pieces show up, but otherwise you'll need to check with the chief judge at the show you attend to see if that will happen, or which category they'll be thrown into. As always, read all of the rules and categories of the show you plan to attend, and then ask whatever questions are not answered by the info as soon as you arrive at the show.

 

Those Tamiya 1/48 armor kits are nice! Enjoy the build and the contest!

 

GIL

[JohnRatzenberger]

Gil makes a good point, but many of us, even small shows, have adopted an AMPS-like category breakdown to make our contests attractive to those modelers and thus include a 1/48 armor category -- it usually includes 1/36 to 1/71, that is everything smaller than 1/35 and larger than 1/72.

 

There is usually not enough 1/48 wheeled vehicle or arty to justify a separate class - in smaller shows, they might be all scales.

 

Gil's "check the contest rules and categories" is, of course, the first thing everyone should always do -- can't say that enough.

[Highlander]

As stated above, 1/48 armor is now accepted in IPMS contests....the metal is not an issue. Also, as stated above, the category for that scale will vary from contest to contest ... by itself, with 1/35, with 1/72, or in a combined armor category. Check out the category list for the contest before you arrive at it to determine where you can expect to place your 1/48 kit.

[Ron Bell]

1/48 armor is a bit of a quandary. When it first came out (the old Bandai kits), there wasn't all that much of it to make a separate category. Then there was a big surge in it (Tamiya, Hobbyboss) and it seemed it would be here to stay. Now it has slowed and new releases are coming fewer and farther between. This is a perfect example of why, at the national level, they wait at least three years to change a category. At the nationals, one year we had enough to make a separate category and the next not. Hard to predict, so best to follow Gil's advice.