The 2021 International Paper Modeler's Convention Visit in Pictures and Words

[THE DC]

"And life' is full of flaws,
Who knows the cause..."

Oh!


Yes!


Back to the thread!


The third room can be found at the very last part of the hallway, across the hall from the second room that I just reviewed. The display area i this area is the most diverse of the convention.

The third room contains regular exhibitors, displaying their craft, as in the other rooms that have been described. The room also offers a vendor displaying unbuilt kits for sale, and it also features a small table for craftsmen who have not paid for the cost of an entire table, to display their work. This section permits space for builders to share their kits at $5 per each kit displayed, on the table. Some new exhibitors can be found at this table.

In years past, a table for a demonstrator/mentor was also in this room. This exhibit was not present this year. When this exhibit is provided, the craftsman shares some basic build tutorial and offers demonstrations for those seeking to immerse themselves in the craft or to learn the basics.



Before plunging into the exhibitors visited in this room, I'd like to offer a moment of recognition. I should note that the person I am about to share commendations of does not know that I am going to share this, nor would probably want me to, due to his humility, but I think it is appropriate to recognize the dealer of the kits who has demonstrated a real heart; Peter Heesch.

"Pete" sets up at the IPMC every year with a wide assortment of models from many sources. In the past I have seen Alan Rose kits, A.G. Smith kits, and a wide variety of European kits, not easily accessed here in the U.S. Kits with multiple languages, a variety of graphics and hand drawn artwork, and even laser-printed kits have been displayed. I have bought a couple of Hathaway airships from him in years past.

The table is not only worth visiting to find unusual and exotic kits, but also because Pete is a good man. Last year when Covid locked up hospitals, group Homes, and mental Health Centers, securing the residents in quarantine for weeks, Pete lent a hand. He's never asked for recognition.

Its hard to provide diversion for an emotionally-troubled youth who had been isolated from visits from friends and family. The early months of Covid were emotionally challenging and caretakers took very cautious approaches that provided emotional strain for residents of their facilities.

Pete stepped up and helped ship kits to help me to provide desperately needed diversion. Idle hands are problematic; idea hands in quarantine are volatile. These kits that he sent ASAP paved stability and founded projects to encourage healthy mental activity. Some kits of birds helped sooth fragile feelings when the youth couldn't be moved or taken anywhere; and the staff caring for them struggled with finding diversion. Other kits served to promote a state-wide project-competition to engage the youth in a structured activity that facilitated learning and mental acuity, while also burning hours that would have otherwise been frustrating and emotionally trying.

At the recent IMPC, Pete had some damaged kits that he offered for my work with the youth. I have a few satellite kits from this bundle that are planned for next summer's educational fair. I bought one kit from him at the IPMC at a good price that I intend to donate to one of the group home that I volunteer with; a lighthouse off the Outer banks, for the kids to build for a field trip planned in a few months. There's a lot of potential in these model kits to inspire young minds.

So next time you head to the IPMC, stop by the third room, say "hi" to Pete, and peruse his selection. And while there, thank him.

Little things, for young minds, can bring about a big changes, for a better tomorrow.

Pete acts to represent this social value.

Thanks Pete!

[THE DC]

A pair of tables were placed on the other side of the room from Pete's sales booth. Two exhibitors were situated there.

The first of the exhibitors was a genial fellow with a smart top hat and a welcoming manner. Jack Collins is well known around the IPMC circles, as he's not only an accomplished exhibitor but also acts as the auctioneer of the model kits that raise funds to pay for the convention. I was advised that its worth going to the auction to enjoy his antics, whether you intend to buy anything or not.

It is insufficient to say that Jack is friendly; he is a perfected ambassador for both the convention and the craft of paper modeling. His skill is clearly evident in the kits that he presented and my pics do not do his work justice.

Mr. Collin's kits were as varied in nature as they were well-built. His center-piece, Buzz Lightyear, was crafted so well it could have been a toy; about the size of one of the old 70's era G.I. Joes. Beside the figure was a cleanly built Nazi flying wing. To the other side was an airship (the lost R-100), moored at mast. Behind the figure was a small, cleanly-completed Enterprise "pizza hull;" the nature of the kit as whimsical as Collin's manner when you meet him [see pic 1].

Beyond this cluster of kits was another assortment of well built items, again of a varied nature [see pic 2]. A large, old style rocket dominated the group, with a small, Fiddler's Green Eole ship aside. This is an interesting speculative vessel that might be worth reading about. A comical steam-punk ship was next to that, with a very cleanly built alien ship near as well. The alien ship had two outstretched hull-arms, within its central space a casually placed biplane. A german Nazi rocket-bomb remained at the edge of the table.

Another Fiddler's Green kit, a Lockheed XFV-1 Salmon VTOL, with a passenger aircraft sitting near that one, at the rear corner of the table. These kits were all clean, with no visible gaps, not white cutting, nor any glue deformations.

On the other side of the main cluster, next to the Nazi flying wing, was another series of kits of different types. The main aircraft appeared to be a Junkers G-38 [see pic 3]. On one side of the airplane was a German rocket, while on the other side was a rocket engine nozzle. A small building was behind this.

The detail on the rocket nozzle was remarkable. No visible seems and no gaps nor poor fitting pieces were visible [see pic 4]. The kit was about the size of a grapefruit and could have been used in an engineering class for instruction.

his was a large assortment fo completed kits, and as you can judge, reflected a variety of subjects that interested Mr. Collins. If asked, he is quick to share a tale or two about each.

Mr. Collins is well worth visiting He's free with advise and encouragement and offers build tips and suggestions with an open, welcoming manner. Be sure to visit him next year and take some time to ask him about how to build kits with detail and precision. He's easy to talk to and very open in manner.

[T haf]

Jack had some other really cool models on display. He even had some kind of electrical motor thing to spin some of them. Here are some of my pics, some of what seemed to have been taken down before you had the chance to snap some pics for yourself. Jack had quite a unique range of models.

Edit: Jack, you recommended I go out and find some of that Micro Kristal Klear. I did, I've had a few chances to use it on some clear canopy/window settings and I must stay, Thank you. Thank you for the recommendation. It's been a game changer when it comes to clear plastic and avoiding crazing. I used it for clear plastic parts, and I'm looking for a reason to make dyed lenses with it. It is really quite a wonderful material.

[Peter Ansoff]

Originally Posted by THE DC

Mr. Collin's kits were as varied in nature as they were well-built. His center-piece, Buzz Lightyear, was crafted so well it could have been a toy; about the size of one of the old 70's era G.I. Joes. Beside the figure was a cleanly built Nazi flying wing. To the other side was an airship (the lost R-100), moored at mast. Behind the figure was a small, cleanly-completed Enterprise "pizza hull;" the nature of the kit as whimsical as Collin's manner when you meet him [see pic 1].

Two minor corrections: Jack's last name is actually Colin, and the R-100 was not "lost." The R-101 was the British airship that crashed in France. R-100 made a successful round-trip voyage to Canada in 1930 and was scrapped in 1932.

[THE DC]

Originally Posted by T haf

Jack had some other really cool models on display. He even had some kind of electrical motor thing to spin some of them. Here are some of my pics, some of what seemed to have been taken down before you had the chance to snap some pics for yourself. Jack had quite a unique range of models.

Edit: Jack, you recommended I go out and find some of that Micro Kristal Klear. I did, I've had a few chances to use it on some clear canopy/window settings and I must stay, Thank you. Thank you for the recommendation. It's been a game changer when it comes to clear plastic and avoiding crazing. I used it for clear plastic parts, and I'm looking for a reason to make dyed lenses with it. It is really quite a wonderful material.

Thanks for adding to the thread. Nice pics!


I'd love to see a build thread on the use of Kristal Klear.?

[THE DC]

The last traditional exhibition table, of a long time exhibitor, belonged to Jim Baker. Mr. Baker is a pleasant man with considerable skill and an open manner; quick to answer questions and share build tips. His taste in model type is varied and diverse.

In the center of Mr. Baker's exhibition are a series of well-crafted buildings. Dominating the area above his name-plate is a cathedral, while antique buildings, a lighthouse, and even a Japanese pagoda surround the area [see pic 1]. An elegantly completed bird was constructed, perched upon a single branch. To the left of the cathedral is a selection of vehicles; a tank, and old truck, a steam vehicle, and an old roadster [see pic 2]. The roadster is so detailed that it even has an open jump seat. Notice how cleanly these are built, with no open gaps, no seems and no white edges to distract from the illusion of miniaturization.

To the right of the buildings was displayed a excellent selection of detailed aircraft [see pic 3]. In front of these is a large scale, modern warship with a copter pad, complete with resting helicopter. Behind it was a selection of WWII aircraft, a missile, and a private prop plane. The detail and cleanness of these is difficult to describe and my pictures do not do the finished work justice. Beside a WWII Nazi prop plane were a collection of very clean, smaller scale WWI aircraft [see pic 4]. Beyond the WWI planes were a small collection of aircraft; another private prop plane, another WWII fighter, and in the front, a very detailed British aircraft with the nose open to expose where the engine would typically rest [see pic 5]. Exposed wires and a detailed interior fuselage provide a convincing suggestion of a craft being maintained. Near the British craft, an engine hangs from a hoist, complete with a small chain. The finished kit is both detailed and carefully completed and more than attractive; it appears accurate enough to use as a teaching tool.

[THE DC]

The British fighter was impressive; detailed, cleanly built, and accurate in rendering. It could qualify for a museum piece. It was not alone in that regard.

The gray Nazi plane, near it, was equally detailed [see pic 1]. The wings had an exceptionally believable weathering effect and the canopy looked as if plucked from a real aircraft an miniaturized. Mr. Baker shared that he accentuated some of his aircraft with vacuformed-clear canopies, but also gave a build tip; that he would take clear plastic pieces and make canopies from them from scratch. He explained that he would curve the flat plastic pieces and then affix them together to form the copy shape. He then shared that he used pieces of appropriately colored paper to fit the pieces in shape and to close the gaps, to appear like metal framing about it; to give the impression of the metal bracing found around military aircraft canopies of the period.

A better pic demonstrates just how effective this technique works [see pic2]. The framing bears the weathering and wear that would be expected from a real, operating tool of war, after the abuse of the field. The effect is quite believable. Given that the model appears to be around 1/48-1/32 scale, this level of detail is clearly impressive.

Also notice the level of detail of the seat within the cockpit. The dark fabric seat, completed with a brown padding atop it, accentuated with light tan belts for the pilot, complete with silver buckles on the straps. Even a canopy release control was added to complete the realism of the build. I wish i could have sent a pic of the control panel, but there was no way without touching the model and moving it into the light.

Though hard to see in my pics, the machine guns in the wings are well crafted, realistically, within the wing structure. Again, as with the British fighter, this craft qualifies for museum display.

When I showed these pics to some of the youth that I mentor in paper modeling, they took much convincing to accept that the models were made of paper. It is easy to see why.

Mr. Baker also shared more tips about edging and other build-tips, but that information was lost during the transfer of my visit to this computer. If he shares these tips, I will post them below.

If you get a chance to visit the IPMC in the years to come, there is clear reason to visit his booth. I suggest discussing his builds with him. The well-deserved pride is only equaled by his openness; with encouraging build-tips and suggestions.

Mr. Baker is great resource, to further support paper modeling as a craft and art from.

[THE DC]

The last table in the convention was interesting; an amateur's table or "Common" table. The space was reserved for artists and builders who desired to share their work but didn't wish to spend the considerable sum for reserving an entire table for their work. This space was provided, where for $5 per kit, I was told, interested parties could display their work and label it with their names. That's a nice opportunity offered by the IPMC.

The space was well represented and the kits were anything but amateur or common! The quality of some of the builds was very impressive. Two kits particularly caught my attention and I'll spend some time sharing what details I could get from the builder.

One kit on the table was a Fairey Swordfish "Stringbag" build, a beautiful depiction that was as accurate as attractive [see pic 1} The build had amazing detail that my photos fail to capture. Note the quarter placed in the picture for size comparison! The biplane that was presented was constructed in a fashion allowing the wings to be positioned as if stored on the decks of one of the WWII ships, and it's shown in the next picture, where it had its wings folded in "rest" position [see pic 2]. Though the kit is attractive in itself, what was most impressive was that it was not built from a designed kit, but scratch built in form and detail [see pic 3]!

The kit was designed in a scratch build by a newly visiting artist, Tyler Halfly. Tyler's care extended to the interior cockpit, which I was unable to get pictures of, but was both accurate and detailed. The skin was ribbed and the guide-wires accurately placed. Tyler, a very approachable, and personable individual, was eager to share his work and answer questions. His skill and knowledge was quite worth exploring.

The Fairley Swordfish was a particular interest of mine for years, given its trigger-role in the end of the Bismark story, which was quite a series of events. The craft was designed in the 1930's as a torpedo bomber by the British Fairley Aviation Company. The craft was originally nicknamed the "Stringbag" somewhat derisively. It was a mighty, little aircraft, despite being somewhat archaic-appearing in the Second World War, having remained active to the end of the war and responsible for sinking more tonnage than any other Allied craft! Not bad for a string-bag! One of the most famous performances of the craft was crippling the Bismarck, damaging its rudder to an extent that forced the massive ship into an awaiting British fleet, where the big Nazi ship was sunk. I appreciated the choice of subject matter and have always been interested in this particular craft.

Tyler also had another kit, which will be described in the next section in greater detail, but I want to give him a chance to share any more photos or details of his work on the Swordfish, before proceeding to the next build that he had presented, an extremely detailed FA-18E Super Hornet!

[THE DC]

From Tyler:

"The swordfish was built with the intentions of making it as accurate as I could. I wanted to use a few more materials as well. This model was built using 3 view drawings as all of my models are. It started with the engine. I had built it a few months earlier just to see what how realistic I could make it. It sat around for a while. I then decided that I wanted to make a model around it. I researched aircraft that have the engine exposed and came across this one. The WWII story with this plane and the Bismark was pretty interesting as well. I'm not going to go into a full build summary, but rather describe some details about the model. Things I learned while building it and a few features about it.

This plane has 2 moving features. The prop spins as they do on all of my builds. The wings fold in for carrier storage as they would on the real plane. To close the wings you would lift the red levers near the wing roots and that will unlock the wings allowing them to pivot.

This plane is built with paper, wood dowels and some fabric I took from a t-shirt. You can see where there is paper and what is fabric. The paper is meant to replicate armor or metal body work and the fabric simulates where the plane used canvas. The empenage and wings are all fabric covered. The fuselage, fuel tank, and engine cowl is paper.

Weathering was fun. This was the first model I had ever really weathered. the majority of it was made up while some was referenced. I added dirt, worn down paint, and general weathering on the plane.

The interior features accurate gages, seats made to look like fabric by using a band aide. Seatbelts add a bit of realism to the build as well. The middle seat is for the navigator/radio operator. This station has an old radio set and a map with the route this plane flew on its mission to attack the Bismark.
The rear seat is meant for the rear gunner. he has a Lewis machine gun and 3 extra drums in storage compartments."

[T haf]

More Photos.