SPA Modeler

Well Saturday was Model Mania 2021 here in Houston. I entered three and didn't place with them. I was expecting to considering there were a ton a builds (so much so that some tables were in the vendors area) and most people had a lot more time than I did to work on them. Here's my three that I entered and a link to the pics I took.

Here's the link to the show album.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVzyuPw

Well, you do very nice work Mike, so if those didn’t even place I imagine that the competition was pretty tough. And I’m sure most every model show for the next year or more is going to be more of the same with all the lockdown builds finally able to be brought out for contests.
I’m not a fan of egg planes or toon tanks, but the other two look damn good to me! Well done, no matter what the judges said.

Thanks Stik! The competition was very tough and I think the lock down didn't help me any. I'm not complaining at all cause I was beat by a long shot.

My only complaint is the "misc" category. That's the "dump it here" category. So things like tractors, egg planes and anything else that has no where to go. There was a super dirty bulldozer (VERY well done) in the same category as my Osprey eggplane. I can't compete with that!!

Well they couldn’t put that tractor with the shiny auto guys...

Seriously, with as popular as those egg planes and toon tanks appear to be, a “humor” or “caricature” category should be created or added to include those, should be standard for that sort of build. They should not be lumped with something like the tractor or similar real life item.

Personally the tractor should have been with the auto guys. And it depends on what show you go to. I think it's IPMS-National rules that have a "misc aircraft" and a "humor" categories.

Yes, I agree about the tractor being in the auto category. It is a civil motor vehicle. But whoever the judges were who decided that it had to go elsewhere probably thought that since it wasn’t a shiny street or race track vehicle, that it didn’t belong.

Yeah I've never been a fan of our IPMS chapter and the way they judge. The guy that is the head judge for the aircraft categories is a former USAF flight surgeon/engineer. Unless it's absolutely perfect, you don't have a chance. Now I know I sound bitter but I'm not. I have always been humble about not placing and I know that most of the time my build was not nearly as good as the others. I get beat fair and square.

Well.... under IPMS rules somebody has to place 1st, 2nd, and 3rd... so if a lot of stuff doesn’t get entered into that given category...

Sorry you didn't place mike, sounds like a ton of competition.