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2025 Plastic Surgeons Meetings and Other Fun!

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Skywave's 1/700 scale control tower. I think it needs an ASR-11 Radar antenna. It looks a lot like an AN/SPS-49 like the Perry-class frigates carried.
:hmm:
 
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Look at all the preetie chrome! Alclad chrome over Tamiya gloss white.
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Frank's intake casting order is filled. Just in time to Meet The Millers in Monticello!
Yay!
 
Francisco Melendez (his parents are still alive, don't worry!) has finished his Special Hobby 1/48 Saab JA-37 Viggen (Vigan? Vegan?) build.
His pictures chronicle the coolest camo job in history.
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I have encouraged Francisco to enter his finished models in contests. He hungers not for accolades or awards. I contend that build like this one might inspire other model builders, or start the "How did you do that?!" conversation. Francisco will not be swayed.
I'm told a ski team of buxom blonde women deliver an order of meatballs, a cabinet you have to assemble. "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia" play in the background.
I couldn't leave this guy out!
 
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I chide Francisco a little. He's Borinquen, so he's been pronouncing his Saab jet's name "Vigen".
Vegan? Vergin? VIG-jina?
I've been naughty.
 
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Now, from way down Florida way, Plastic Surgeons founder Greg Metge has been doing his customary Maestro Model making.
Gentlemen, I give you Tiger I ace Michael Wittman at Villers Bocage in 1/35th scale.
Greg tells us " MiniArt vacuform building. Tamiya Cromwell with Tankworkshop burnt road wheels. DML Tiger 1 donated by Harlan (Feintich) because it has individual track links and my own atak zimmerit. DML figures with Hornet heads."
It looks to me like Wittman's 88mm smashed Mr. Cromwell. He was burning when he crashed into the building.
Absolutely Outstanding, Greg!
 
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Now, from way down Florida way, Plastic Surgeons founder Greg Metge has been doing his customary Maestro Model making.
Gentlemen, I give you Tiger I ace Michael Wittman at Villers Bocage in 1/35th scale.
Greg tells us " MiniArt vacuform building. Tamiya Cromwell with Tankworkshop burnt road wheels. DML Tiger 1 donated by Harlan (Feintich) because it has individual track links and my own atak zimmerit. DML figures with Hornet heads."
It looks to me like Wittman's 88mm smashed Mr. Cromwell. He was burning when he crashed into the building.
Absolutely Outstanding, Greg!
There is a tank (or two) in there?
 
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Pictures of Francisco's 1/48 Special Hobby Saab AJ-37 Viggen are pretty good, but to see it in person is extraordinary. Francisco seems pleased with his build of the former 1/48 Tarangulus kit. Only this version of the Viggen is included in this kit.
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"Hey Bob" Haag brings cars. Of note, Shawna Robinson's NASCAR Polaroid Lumina. Shawna is the daughter of Lefty Robinson. A local Des Moines racecar driver of note. A Kyle Petty and Darrel Waltrip scale racers were also assembled many moons ago.
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Mike has a build of the Atlantis re-issue of the 1971 Aurora 1/13 Sabre-tooth Tiger kit going on. The model's head is hollow and it displays no male cat organs. A few of the smart-alecks in our group deduce this model must be a female of the species for these reasons.

Carlton Burger built the Atlantis reverse-engineered Monogram Boeing SST model kit. It was a striking little model, swinging wings and everything, but I neglected my camera while I admired Carlton's model. The stated scale is 1/400. No way.

Joe is building a Hobbyboss 1/350 German type 212 Submarine kit. We asked about how many parts are in the kit, and it is more than Nein! (12 actually!) He also has a Meng 1/35 T-62 and a Cadillac-Gage V-100 with 90mm Cockrill gun turret going, but my camera was loafing again.

Little D had a Revell 1/72 Ju-88G-10 Night fighter, an Italeri JU-86 bomber and the old Revel 1/426 USS Arizona, and a I/72 Tu-144 Concorde-ski airliner. D is building with great speed and enthusiasm! He's not painting or decaling much so far.
How many of us remember the fun rushing up our models so we could play with our more complex toys?
I was D when I was 9 years old, so I get it.
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This was a new thing for a club meeting Show n' Tell.
Loren Pike brings his models and awards from the last two contests he entered.
Heller 1/72 SBC-4 Helldiver, Dragon 1/200 B-52 with Pegasus missile, Skywave 1/700 Fletcher class DD USS Kidd, Old Hasegawa 1/72 F-105D Thunderchief and F4-E Phantom II, Esci 1/72 Kings Tiger and I think the Bradley is the Dragon 1/72 kit.
No one else in our club has ever brought their awarded models and awards to share at a meeting. I wonder what that black half-circle award was?

Loren was a founding member of IPMS Alexander Lippisch. Maybe they do this at their monthly club meetings?
I find myself curious about how recently these models were constructed. I hope his arm isn't too sore.

Loren had 3 "Supporting Ukraine" models he bought from Hannant's with him tonight. Very spendy freight to the US.
He seemed surprised to hear he could buy Ukrainian and eastern European model kits direct, with much less shipping costs by visiting
The Plastic Model Store in Kyiv to make purchases. If you are supporting Ukraine, spend the money in Ukraine, right?

The Fleacon Raffle Turd Heller 1/72 Dassault Mirage F1c made her meeting debut this evening. Or did it? Was it even real?
D admired my unconventional camo scheme.

Some funny Fleacon stories were related, How Joe happened to be standing right there when he won the "Best Armor" award he sponsored.
We chuckled about judging, or the lack there of in Monticello. Our club is not perfect either, so I won't comment much more on that.
We like the people and we enjoy the car-ride, but I tire of dated...................Nope. Not going there.

The Fleacon 21 "Best Japanese" award came home tonight. Thanks Mr. President.

Well, thanks for looking in again!
So Long!
 
The next region 14 contest is at Trekfest 40. June 26-28th in Riverside, Iowa.
Any Star Trek fan worth his salt, knows Riverside is the birthplace of James Tiberius Kirk.


I looked over the previous year's Trekfest pictures and thought this looked more like a Sci-Fi convention, than a model contest.
Good ol' Doug Kolkman provides a little input.

"Trekfest is a town celebration that has been going on for a long time. But, since the organization of the IPMS charter model club, has turned out to be a very successful model contest. The model contest has just recently been added to Trekfest Saturday’s events. So, yes, there is a Star Trek focus Friday-Saturday with an added model show.

Doug Kolkman, IPMS Region 14 Coordinator"
Perhaps Captain Picard will help judge the model show.
 
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