2011 IPMS USA National Convention Report by Al Magnus
email:
one72guy(at)hotmail(dot)com
WOW! - all I can say is that my first IPMS USA National Convention was eye opening. The convention/contest was hosted by the IPMS Omaha chapter IPMS Ft. Crook from August 3 through August 6, 2011. I found the contest was smoothly run, well attended and very impressive. The vendor rooms were packed, not only with vendors, but also with modellers. Small scale armour selection was a bit limited and as a result most of my purchases went towards books and a few accessories - the most impressive being a fairly new line of resin items produced by Armand P. Bayardi, of which I purchased a couple of his absolutely gorgeous metal pail & drum sets.

As for the contest, and specifically the small scale armour, the models on the table were impressive. Without a doubt small scale armour is doing quite fine and the models on the table showed how well a small armour piece can be built. At one point before registration closed, I counted at least 145 entries. Needless to say, once judging started a few of the categories were split.



Bill Powers
Krupp Protze

Dave Flitton
H35

Dave Flitton
Haubitze 2000

Dave Flitton
HMMWV IDF

Ed St. Denis
Ba-64

Ed St. Denis
Famo And Stug (trailer)

Ed St. Denis
Famo And Stug (Famo)

Ed St. Denis
H39

Ed St. Denis
Kugelblitz

Ed St. Denis
M7 Priest

Ed St. Denis
M16 Workshop Truck

Ed St. Denis
M113A1 Israeli

Ed St. Denis
SdKfz251/9 Ausf.C

George Mohr
Opel Blitz with FlaK 38

Jim Mesko
Char 1B

Joe Lotz
M1126 - OOB

John Bonanni
M4A1

John Bonanni
Tiger I

John Shimek
M4A1 76mm

John Shimek
M48A3 Vietnam

Kevin Suddarty
M60A3 Dozer

Matt Bittner
T-26 model 1933

Mike Fleckenstein
My Mates Will Sort It Out

Philip Hui
Cromwell Mk.IV - OOB

Philip Hui
M12

Philip Hui
M50 Super Sherman

Rob Folden
AAVR7

Rob Folden
M4A3E8 Sherman Korea

Rob Folden
M47 Korea

T-34

Kingtiger

John Shimek
LVT(A)-4 Iwo Jima

T-34/85

John Shimek
USMC M4A2 Iwo Jima - OOB

Steven Macey
LVT(A)-1

Sturmgeschütz IV

Sturmgeschütz IV

Jagdtiger

KV-2

Panther Ausf.G

Bill Powers
Deacon

Willys Jeep

Mack AC "Bulldog"

Sd Kfz 251/10

M26 Dragon Wagon & Sherman

Opel Blitz

M5 High Speed Tractor

Tiger I


IS-3

Kingtiger

M3A3 Stuart

PzKpfw. 38(t)

Kingtiger

PzKpfw. III


Kingtiger

Bradly IFV

John Shimek
AAV7A1 USMC Desert Storm

Bradley IFV


Ronald Bell
PzKpfw. IV

T-34

Mk.IV male

LVT(A)-1

Phillip Perry
Kingtiger

SU-76

Elefant

M4 Sherman

John Shimek
LVT(A)-1

Bill Krueger
LVT(A)-1

Hummel

John Shimek
USMC M4A2 'Colorado' Tarawa - OOB

M4A1(76)W Sherman

Sturmgeschütz IV

T-34

Kingtiger

Mike Fleckenstein
French Observation Balloon Lorry

M113

Kingtiger

Sturmgeschütz III

Andrew Falcher
Mack AC Type EHC 1

Dale Owens
Willys Jeep

SdKfz. 222

AB-41

SdKfz. 234/2

Dave Flitton
White M3 Scout Car

BA-1

Mack AC "Bulldog"

Dave Flitton
Panhard AML-90

SdKfz. 234/2

Rob Folden
SdKfz. 223 - OOB

BA-6

BA-20M

BTR-152

M4 Sherman

Jagdpanzer IV

Sherman Firefly

Hummel

Jagdpanther

Steven Hustad
Tiger II 501st SS Abtl. Ardennes

Timothy Burke
LeClerc

Al Magnus
AB-41

Al Magnus
Humber Mk.II

Al Magnus
M8 Greyhound

Al Magnus
SdKfz.223

Al Magnus
Staghound Mk.II

Al Magnus
Whippet

Austin Kennedy
M1126 with Slat Armour

Bill Powers
Daimler Mk.II

Bill Powers
Ford CMT with Italian Breda 20mm gun

Bill Powers
Let's Go Boys

Dave Flitton
M8 Greyhound

Fellow small scale armour modeller Bill Powers and myself coordinated a get together which was held on Saturday afternoon. We had 16 attendees. The contest venue graciously provided us with free cookies and drinks. I passed around an attendance sheet for everyone to sign their names and write down what items they brought. The rest of the meeting was informal and relaxed and all too quickly our original hour and a half time slot passed.

For me this was the highlight of the contest. Finally I was able to put faces to names I'd seen in posts on the missing-lynx braille forum. And best of all was the much anticipated, for me at least, rendezvous with On the Way! founder Doug Chaltry.

pictured left, moving from left to right:

front row, seated: Ed St. Denis, Doug Chaltry, Bill Powers
second row, immediately behind the chairs: Thomas Ivancso, John Shimek, Austin Kennedy, James Bond
third row: Dave Flitton, Carl McLaughlin, Wayne Cassell, Dave Sepos, John Bonanni, Rob Folden
back row (ex-NBA players standing head & shoulders above the rest!): Al Magnus, Tim Treadway, Dan Rosecrans

Contest Results - Small Scale Armor categories (from IPMS USA website)

211 Armored half-tracks and armored cars, 1/49 and Smaller
1st Place - Spahpanzer 2A2, Ken Guntin, Marietta, GA
2nd Place - SdKfz. 234/2 Puma, Doug Chaltry, New Berlin, WI
3rd Place - AB-41, Allan Magnus, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

217 Soft Skinned Miliary Vehicles, 1/49 and Smaller
1st Place - Opel Blitz w/Pak 40, George Mohr, Pontotoc, MS
2nd Place - Jeep, Dale Owens, Cedar Rapids, IA
3rd Place - Protze, Bill Powers, Birmingham, AL

225-A Fully tracked, 1/49 and Smaller, Through Korea (1953) US
1st Place - LVT (A)-1 Steven Macey, Woodbury, MN
2nd Place - M-12 Philip Hui, Alpharetta, GA
3rd Place - M4A1 John Bonanni, Dayton, OH

225-B Fully tracked, 1/49 and Smaller, Through Korea (1953) Other
1st Place - Whippet, Allan Magnus, Regina, Saskatchawan, Canada
2nd Place - Char 1B, Jim Mesko, Akron, OH
3rd Place - T-26 Model 1933, Matt Bittner, Omaha, NE

226 Fully tracked, 1/49 and Smaller, Post Korea (post-1953)
1st Place - Leopard 2-A-5, Ken Guntin, Marietta, GA
2nd Place - M60 A3 Dozer, Kevin Suddarty, Colorado Springs, CO
3rd Place - LeClerc, Timothy Burke, Scotia, NY

228 Conversions, 1/49 and Smaller
1st Place - Panzer IV Ausf. D, Ronald Bell, Columbus, OH
2nd Place - Ford CMT w/Italian Breda 20mm, Bill Powers Birmingham, AL
3rd Place - M-50 Super Sherman, Philip Hui, Alpharetta, GA

234 Scratch Built, 1/49 and Smaller
1st Place - Deacon, Bill Powers, Birmingham, AL
2nd Place - WWI Observation Balloon, Mike Fleckenstein, Fredericksburg, VA

256-A Out-of-the-Box Armored Tracked and Half-tracks, 1/51 and Smaller Axis
1st Place - Kingtiger, Joe Lotz, Nevada, IA
2nd Place - Kingtiger, Philip Perry, Pinecrest, FL
3rd Place - Pz.IV, Frank Randall, Albuquerque, NM

256-B Out-of-the-Box Armored Tracked and Half-tracks, 1/51 and Smaller Allied
1st Place - Cromwell Mk.IV, Philip Hui, Alpharetta, GA
2nd Place - M4A2 Sherman, John Shimek, Canton, OH
3rd Place - LVT-(A)1, Bill Krueger, Cedar Rapids, IA

257 Out-of-the-Box Armored Wheeled and Soft Skinned, 1/51 and Smaller
1st Place - Mack AC Bulldog EHC, Andrew Falcher, Morehead City, NC
2nd Place - SdKfz. 223, Robert Folden, Ankeny, IA
3rd Place - M1126 Stryker, Joe Lotz, Nevada, IA

724 Armor Dioramas and Vignettes, 1/49 and Smaller
1st Place - Tiger II 501st SS Abtl Ardennes, Steven Hustad, Eden Prairie, MN
2nd Place - M1126 Stryker with Slat Armor, Austin Kennedy, Arlington Heights, IL
3rd Place - My Mates Will Sort It Out, Mike Fleckenstein, Fredericksburg, VA

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