Club Event

Model Expo 2019 Report

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Model Expo is the biggest model show and competition in Australia with over 800 competition models, a large number of traders as well as the famous Swap&Sell. It was held on the Queens Birthday long weekend – 8th – 10th June at the Sandown Racecourse.  Warbirds have contributed to this even since we have been a club and is marked very high on our calendar.

At this years Model Expo, Warbirds presented a club display with the theme of ‘Jets’ featuring member builds of jet aircraft from WW2 to the present day. It was also the 75th year anniversary of the first jet flight (German ME262), and as such this display featured several beautifully built examples.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Wingnut Wings, Warbirds also put  together a display of Wingnut kits with each model representing each year of their successful journey. To top it off Richard Alexander (who could not be at this years show) kindly sent us test shots of the massive Lancaster and Handley Page bombers to display to the public. Overall the response was huge with countless people coming by to see these personally, and to see first hand the high level of detail that can be expected from the final production release, later this year.

For Warbirds this Expo was a huge success as we met many people and got to talk all things modelling regarding our club and for Wingnut Wings. So whats on for next years Model Expo – mmmmm – we will have to get back to you on that one but I am sure it will be fun.

Click here to view photos of the club display and the Wingnut Wings 10th Anniversary display

Click here to see a selection of photos taken at Model Expo 2019

 

Warbirds Build Weekend 2018

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Over the weekend of 25th and 26th August the club enjoyed a weekend away for a modelling retreat at San Remo, located just before Phillip Island. This was to be the first of many trips where we get to forget about the rat race and to focus purely on building models. The only real rules was to bring enough kits to work through plus all the necessary tools and paints. Also a mandatory item was a sense of humor, basic cooking skills and an ability to enjoy yourself and have very little sleep!

The venue itself was a beach house that I was lucky enough to score a few months before for a family weekend away. Now, you may do this yourself and especially when going shopping with the wife,  but I tend to look for modelling opportunities and this house made a perfect boys get away. At this point I would like to thank Carol for allowing our group to take advantage of her beach house located in these beautiful surroundings.

I came with a small stash of kits (9 in all) to ensure I didn’t get bogged down on one kit, and to provide a selection to flip between as the mood decided. My productivity was unheard of for myself and I managed to put away at least a month of building over the few days. Most of us did the same or at leased covered off those kits that had been long term shelf queens or in much needed attention. Its often a great environment to knock over the more tedious tasks like tank wheels and tracks or complex and time consuming scribing and filling etc.

We all had a great time and really got to know each other very well, as you do in a group situation. I will say that its a great way to see how others tackle their builds and what tools they use to do certain tasks. Its all running live before our eyes and takes us away from the solitary existence that we are all used to. Food and supplies was no issue as the shops were a short walk down the road, as was the local pub for dinner on the Saturday night.

On the Sunday we packed up our kits, cleaned up and headed down to the Vietnam Veterans Museum on the Island. This is a must and contains a great selection of Vietnam related collections and displays. This outing brought our weekend to a close and was kind of sad to end such a  great time. Anyway there will be more trips to come, so cant wait for the next one.

Model Expo 2018 Review

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Click here for Warbirds Expo 2018 Club Display images

The Queens birthday long weekend Model Expo is over and now its time to brush off the dust and think about what just happened…….

As usual it was a great show and I’m completely exhausted but have managed to catch up on some sleep. I managed to spend a bit of cash and pick up some lovely goodies in the form of a TAKOM Panther A Late with the full interior, a few 1/35 resin figures, some airbrush replacement parts, 1/48 British figures, 1/32 Bf109G-6 and an airbrush cleaning pot – mmmmm. I also got involved with the Saturday night judging which is always a great learning experience and got to see things from the dark side – lol.

The event itself saw a near record number of kits at around 770 from 200 odd entrants which was great to see, especially for the organisers. The competition was right up there on quality with a highlight for me being the large number of well done figures and busts. Most of the local clubs put on a club display with the winner this year going to IPMS with their very cute Teddy Bear display.

A special thank you goes out to the event organisers, supporting staff, traders and clubs, who commit time and resources to provide us with a world class show and modelling competition!

Here are some photos of the show.

 

Next Meeting Sunday 4th March

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Yippee – we are back again this Sunday and it will be our reverse 2017 end of Year party. Ok, this sounds weird but as we dont have an end of year party as such, we decided to bring it into the new year.  There will be pizzas and drinks so please come along for the fun!

There has been a bit of activity over new releases and pending model shows and swap meets, and all this prior to the big one –  Model Expo 2018. I know I’m excited and I bet you are to………….

This meeting will be our usual format with a focus on modelling fun including discussions about the wonders of the plastic world, and the sharing of useful tips and inspirations.

See you all on Sunday!

Michael

Club President

SAPMA Show Report

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Our third visit to the SAPMA Expo over the weekend of October 14 / 15 proved to be as enjoyable as the previous two. The SAPMA team really know how to put on a great show combining an excellent competition with a wonderful array of displays from traditional modelling subjects to the ever growing Gundam genre to Lego!

A big thank you to the members who contributed to our display, The Flying Seaman – A Naval Aviation Retrospective. With a final tally of 31 models on display from 10 members, we were able to mount a display that won first place as the “Best SIG Theme” for the show as voted by the contestants.

In addition, members Michael Tabone, Stephen Portelli, Rene de Koning and David Couche went home with an impressive haul of trophies across a range of categories.

The organisers reported a successful event with good figures in visitors, entrants and general profitability. Well stocked traders provide an opportunity for the modeller to go home with a range of kits, tools and modelling accessories. Regular workshops in separate rooms offered the opportunity learn without distraction.

The hobby is alive and well in South Australia.

Many Thanks go to SAPMA for making us feel so welcome, we look forward to returning in 2018. I highly recommend a visit to the SAPMA Expo, a well run event by a friendly, accommodating and enthusiastic crew ensures a great time.

Click here for images of this event.

Regards

Martin Reid

President

SA Model Expo

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Several members, including myself will be taking off on a road trip to South Australia, to take part in this event with our club display – “The Flying Seamen”.

No doubt there will be lots of man time along the way, thinking why did I choose to confine myself to a small car with two weird dudes on such a long trip!

Anyway it is what it is…………..it will be a fun outing and we cant wait to take part in this well established show, and catch up with some of our distant members.

Once we are back there will be a full report with lots of pics and I’m sure a bag full of goodies.

Point Cook Museum Visit in Review: 2017

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Martin our illustrious club president arranged a club visit to the RAAF Museum at Point Cook. The day began with 7 club members meeting at Michels Patisserie just a few minutes up the road from the museum. The weather was perfect with a sunny 23 degrees and after a Banana Smoothie and an Aussie meat pie we were off for a fun day.

After parking the car our first sighting of an aircraft was that of an outdoor display of a DHC- 4 Caribou, with a nicely weathered exterior and perhaps a future modeling project in the making. The entry to the museum was via the front entry (funny that) which was actually the gift shop. We were greeted by a gentleman who took us through the visitors guide and pointed us in the right direction to being our experience.

Our first stop was an area that covered the RAAF early history with exhibits enclosed in glass cabinets with some terrific memorabilia and artifacts. As we moved through the exhibits we next came to areas covering the major wars, and after that it was onto the main display hangers.

The first hanger otherwise known as the ‘Training Hanger’ included the following:

  • Maurice Farman Shorthorn (20)
  • Avro 504K
  • DH82a Tiger Moth
  • Macchi MB 326H
  • de Havilland Vampire T Mk35
  • CAC Winjeel
  • CT4A Airtrainer

Then onto the ‘Technology Hanger’ which included:

  • SE 5a
  • BE2a
  • Supermarine Seagull V/Walrus
  • de Havilland Vampire F-30
  • Bell UH-1B Iroquois
  • Douglas A-20C Boston
  • Mirage III0
  • Various missiles and armaments

The next hanger was called ‘Display Hanger 180’ and included:

  • Hawker Demon
  • Avro 643 MkII Cadet
  • CAC CA26 Avon Sabre
  • GAF Pika
  • GAF Jindivik
  • Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina – hull
  • De Havilland DH-84 Dragon
  • CAC CA-12 Bomerang
  • Cessna O-1G Bird Dog
  • Fire Appliances
  • Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly
  • Dell UH-1H Iroquois

The next hanger was ‘Strike / Recce Hanger 178’ which included:

  • McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom
  • General Dynamics F-111G
  • GAF Canberra MK20

The final hanger was the ‘Restoration Hanger 187’ where we could see a few projects on the go including:

  • De Havilland Mosquito
  • P51

We all had such a great day and can highly recommend going along for a visit or even for a club field trip. From the moment you access the base and enter the hangers, I can guarantee that you will be impressed and satisfied that you took the time to make the trip. The layout and display hangers are real quality and have been put together with the visitors in mind. There is something for everyone, and as I have visited some of the best military museums in Australia and NZ, I can honestly say that this one is right up there with them – highly recommended.

Click here to view images of the day.