2024/2025 Group Build Season - Call for ideas

[NARSES2]

2024/2025 GB Season - Call for Ideas

Right here we are, this is the place to submit your ideas which will then go forward for voting to determine the subjects of the 2024/2025 GB Season.

Now this year we will only be choosing 2 Group Builds as it has already been decided that the first of the season will be the In Memoriam GB.

Now please, please think about your ideas before submitting them and try and ensure that they are at least practical in terms of building them as well as asking yourself if you would take part in that GB if your idea was  chosen.

Can I also remind you that subjects from the previous 2 GB Seasons are not eligible. Thus : The 50's, Logistics, Lightning/Hunter/Canberra, Re-engine it, Buccaneer/Hunter/Jaguar and the 60's are not eligible as subjects for this season's GB's.

I will aim to run any necessary preliminary poll round about the 21st March and the final round of voting will take place on or around 1st April.

Thank you

Chris

[seadude]

Since drone technology and A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) seems to be circulating in the news quite a lot, I'd suggest a group build on those subjects. Not a seperate group build for each, but just title it "The Drone/A.I. Group Build".

[McColm]

BAe Hawk, Panavia Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Different whiffs of each of them including real or concepts models, different air or naval forces.

Air ambulances.
Helicopters, fixed wing or combinations.

The Metro.
Not the car but underground or overground trains The track doesn't have to be on the ground.

The 1970s
Any vehicle produced or launched on the 1st January 1970 to the 31st December 1979. Including concepts or artwork for existing models that were used during this period.

Three wheelers
Any vehicle with three wheels touching the surface for stability in a forwards or backwards motion, including trikes, motorcycles with sidecars, bubble cars, micro cars or trailers.

Atomic powered transport
Trains, planes, ships, submarines, cars, trucks or spaceships. Concepts, real world, featured in TV shows or films or pure whiffs.

Pure fantasy
Any whiff based on a book, TV show or film.

Kitbash delight
Any model finished or part built, part started must be combined with two or more models to produce something completely different to the models used. Can be a combination of kits but must not resemble anything that has been built before on this site.

[Rheged]

Madame R and I respectfully offer the following title  "Flapping, whirling and churning"   It's wide open to the imaginations of members.    Ornithopters, paddle steamers, autogiros, girt hefty tracks, reciprocating steam engines etc.   We have tried to make it as wide open as possible, but perhaps it's a bit too open!

[kitbasher]

Since drone technology and A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) seems to be circulating in the news quite a lot, I'd suggest a group build on those subjects. Not a seperate group build for each, but just title it "The Drone/A.I. Group Build".

Beat me to it, matey, although my thoughts were more 'The Uncrewed GB'.  That should cover everything that doesn't have a human 'driving' it from within.  Can be something pre-programmed, 'driven' remotely or autonomous (e.g. using A.I.) - in the air, on the ground, on or under the sea, and indeed in space.

And McColm also beat me to it with 'The 70s GB'.

As far as McColm's 'Kitbash' idea is concerned, okay but maybe a 'Styrene Junkyard GB' would be a better description?  We've run them before, they're pretty self-explanatory with a very wide scope and I'm sure it'd capture McColm's suggestion.

My own suggestion: 'The Nocturnal GB'.  My original idea was for a night fighter GB, stemming from my aircraft-focused modelling.  But too narrow in scope, I'd say.  'Nocturnal' covers anything from any era - land, sea, air, extraterrestrial, military and civilian - used/operated (or living) by night.

Finally, Chris, does the plan to hold an 'In Memoriam GB' still stand?

[Steel Penguin]

from the depths....     so submarines, deep space craft, Sharks, Orca, Godzilla etc   

[Mossie]

Two from me:

Century Series.  Taking the idea for groups of British aircraft across the pond.

Target GB.  Basically anything military, ground or sea based. To make a change from aircraft heavy GB's.

[sandiego89]

- Icon.  Subject must be a widely recognized icon of its country of origin for its time period.  (Spitfire/UK, Ferrari/Italy, Conestoga Wagon/USA, Yugo/Yugoslavia, Rolls Royce/UK, Lada/Russia, Zero/Japan, P-51/USA.....)

- Bad idea.  Something that seemed like a good idea of the time, but wasn't fully thought through.....

[kerick]

Atomic powered transport!
A nuclear USS Iowa sounds great!

[zenrat]

My 2024 list reads thus;

Phantom GB (Kerrick suggestion).

Jet Packs & Flying Cars GB - stuff we were supposed to get in the 21st Century, but didn't.

Technicals GB.

Tophe GB.

Floating Things GB.

Trainers GB (including display team aircraft, driving school vehicles, and whiffed running shoes).

Prototypes and mockups GB (Leading Observer suggestion).

Anything but Grey GB.

[Leading Observer]

  it was suggested I post this here! No RAF, so the RNAS and RFC continue to develop independently, possibly with the Royal Marines getting their own Air Corp

[Weaver]

I'm going to suggest it again, 'cos I still think it's a good idea:

The James Bond GB: build a what-if vehicle or gadget from a Bond movie.

This gives scope for just about all types of modeller to participate, since it covers aircraft, spacecraft, military vehicles, cars, all kinds of boats/ships, submarines and even 1:1 scale props (just don't build an _actual_ poison-dart-shooting pen though...). The build could either be an altenative vehicle/gadget for a real Bond movie (i.e. a Jag E-Type instead of an Aston Martin DB5), a spoof Bond-ish movie, a what-if Bond movie that you made up, or even a what-if spoof Bond movie!

Air ambulances.
Helicopters, fixed wing or combinations.

You could expand that to Life Savers: emergency vehicles of all types:
Air Ambulances
Land Ambulances
Lifeboats
Fire engines
Fire-fighting aircraft
Fire-fighting ships
Rescue spacecraft of some sort
Basically anything that's designed to save lives, not take them.

- Bad idea.  Something that seemed like a good idea of the time, but wasn't fully thought through.....

I've suggested the Really Bad Ideas GB on and off for ages, so I'd second that.

[Gondor]

- Bad idea.  Something that seemed like a good idea of the time, but wasn't fully thought through.....

I like it, but how to you model evolution? 

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Finally, Chris, does the plan to hold an 'In Memoriam GB' still stand?

Yes, it will be the first GB of the season. Apologies if me simply referring to it as the Tophe Memorial GB in my pre-amble misled people. I'll change it.

[NARSES2]

from the depths....    so submarines, deep space craft, Sharks, Orca, Godzilla etc 

The Great Orrca/Great White War having seen the footage over the weekend