Australian Model Expo 2022 - 17-19 June 2022

[zenrat]

...which is next weekend.  At Sandown in Melbourne.

https://www.modelexpo.com.au

This year we are being allowed to decide for ourselves which class our models go in.  Which, given there is no What If class, is going to be fun 

Competition entries Thursday 16th, Friday 17th.
Swamp & Smell Sunday 19th.

I'll drop my entries off Thursday night or Friday Morning and spend all day Sunday there if anyone wants to meet up.

[comrade harps]

l'm there Sunday. Meet up after the buy, swap and sell?

[zenrat]

l'm there Sunday. Meet up after the buy, swap and sell?

Roger that.
No What If class to meet at.  How about, unless we bump into each other before that we meet at the Helicopters at 1300?

[comrade harps]

It's a plan.

[zenrat]

Having suddenly had a full day's work sprung on me (curse real life) I have just typed my entrance forms and put together all my Reference Material packs.  A chore I was going to do tomorrow morning before driving up to enter everything tomorrow evening after work.
I say Reference material.  Lies, half truths and whiffed back stories would be more accurate.  Accompanied by the instructions when I could find them.
I take the concept of "References" as seriously as I do the building of an accurate representation of an actual vehicle...



See you Sunday Comrade.

[comrade harps]

Be on the lookout for my Karl Marx beard!

[zenrat]

Like this?

[zenrat]

Well that's over for another year.

I met up with Comrade Harps and we put the world to rights while sniffing out whiffs amongst the models on display.  Didn't see Buzzbomb today but i'm sure he was there somewhere.

It was a good day out although it might have been nice to have had a large, easilly read sign* next to the ticket queue saying BUY SWAP AND SELL TICKETS HERE TO AVOID WALKING ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER END OF THE FACILITY** ONLY TO BE TOLD YOU SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT A TICKET HERE***.
Apparently it wasn't possible to have such a large, easilly read sign because there had only been six months to organise it.

*Unlike the actual sign which was small, barely visible and just read "expo and swap and sell tickets available here".
**About 26 miles.  Doubly annoying as I had parked down that end and already walked all the way up to the entrance once already.
***Unlike every other year where you could buy a ticket on the door of the swamp and smell room.

OK whinge over.  After I recovered from the unexpected triple marathon I had a good day.  No wins (didn't expect them having seen the competition) but I did get a Commended for the Pirate Tank.
Here is a selection of stuff.

This won first in its class.  Impressive given it's a Matchbox ki.
Model Expo 2022 - 5 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Shadow base works exceptionally well given Sandown's crappy lighting is never going to cast competing shadows.
Model Expo 2022 - 9 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

We met the bloke who built this.  It's the 1946 Schneider Trophy entry.  He also built the whiffed Gladiator and battleships in the rest of the photos.
Model Expo 2022 - 28 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Some models were not Kit safe.
Model Expo 2022 - 36 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

This is a scratchbuilt Boeing 727 production line in (i'm guessing here) 1/200.  It won people's choice.
Model Expo 2022 - 42 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Model Expo 2022 - 43 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

More pictures, including all the other whiffs we found, here;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/156376527@N06/albums/72177720299910610

[NARSES2]

Glad you had a good time mate and thanks for the photos 

[Old Wombat]

Thanks for the photo's, Fred!

[PR19_Kit]

Must be something of a fad for show organisers, walking miles I mean. It was just the same at the Coventry show, we the exhibitors, had to park MILES away from our SIG stand, and it got even worse when trying to leave before the official end as even the 'official entrance' was closed! 

Well done on the commendation Fred. 

That Privateer looks good, an aircraft I've always liked.

And as for models of INSECTS! YEUK!

[zenrat]

Oh I was prepared for a walk - the carpark layout at Sandown means you'll get one unless you arrive early - it was just that a lot of my walking could have been avoided.
With two dog walks a day and spending all day standing up at work I don't really need extra exercise.