The last physical shows I went to were in September 2019 and October 2019. Those shows happened back when the world made a lot more sense. Back when we freely breathed in each other’s faces. Back when we gleefully touched every surface before eating. Back when our skin didn’t crawl at the sight of more than a handful of people. Ahh those were the days.
Well… they may just be coming back!
Now, I’m not saying this is the fast track back to un-sanitation. This process is likely to be that of baby steps as arms get punctured and viruses get conquered. One of those baby steps is the IPMS Roscoe Turner show on April 17, 2021. Very unfortunately I could not attend but there are some pictures available here. Jeff over at the Inch High Guy was in attendance and has provided a show summary here. Also on location was the Plastic Model Mojo podcast crew. I know Mike and Dave were very much looking forward to this in person contest and I am looking forward to their next episode.
Its like I need my model show fix.
IPMS Mexico: XXVI Convencion Virtual
I got a little help with that fix when I entered the 2021 Virtual Contest held by IPMS Mexico. This is the second virtual contest I have entered since March 2020 (the first one being hosted by the Wright Scale Modelers). With over 3000 models entered it was certainly the most ambitious. But more on that later, I am getting ahead of myself.
Formed in the ’70s and getting their official IPMS charter soon after, IPMS Mexico is almost as old as I am. The club holds an annual contest every spring in Mexico City. The last “in-person” contest was their 35th and was held in the spring of 2019. From the website pictures, it looks like there is a bunch of talent down there and a well organized crew hosting the show. Just like everything else, the show was cancelled in 2020. It seems they did not want to cancel the show again in 2021. So, they changed a few things, went virtual and opened the contest up to all modelers on the planet!
When I got the digital flyer for the show I wondered “How in the world would they be able to pull that off?” Well, they did and they certainly had it well thought out. With over 3000 models entered they allowed themselves a long judging period and I believe they employed an AMPS like system where each category could have numerous Golds, Silvers and Bronzes. There are a ton of pictures available on the site including these big award winners. Here is a video is a slide show of the special award winners. Best aircraft is a fully rigged biplane in Argentine markings. It was beautifully rigged, weathered and faded. I do not know what a Caudron G.3 is but that model was perfection. If you scroll down those award winners you will also see the best WW2 airplane was a gorgeous P-39 in Soviet markings.
I entered a bunch of my 2020 builds and one 2021 build. I did not do too badly:
Last thing
I know this virus has touched a lot of people and has affected some very negatively. My comments above were only written to try to bring some levity to these tough times which I really hope we see the end of soon.
For whatever reason, seeing something as simple as pictures from an in-person show actually raised my spirits. I’m not sure why that is except that perhaps in a sea of bad news and constant negative reporting, a little beacon of ‘normalcy’ is something to hope for. It could also be that I just miss wandering around a sea of well built models.
Lastly, I want to give out a big ‘gracias!’ to the organizers of the IPMS Mexico Virtual show. What a great idea and what a great bunch of models. Maybe someday I can attend one of these shows in person.
Wouldn’t that be great?
Model Airplane Maker 
Get to a live show as soon as you can. Roscoe Turner show was fan-frickin-tastic. Super buzzed by it two days later. It was almost electric.
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I’d love to! I need to get punctured and this lockdown needs to end.
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Congratulations Chris, that is a very impressive, but nonetheless unsurprising, haul of awards!
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Beautiful work Chris, congratulations on the awards! Indy was overwhelming in every respect, I’d almost forgotten how much fun the shows were.
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I hope this comment isn’t seen as political. If it is, please don’t post it.
I tend to stay under my rock (largely because I’m too fried to find my way back if I leave it) though every so often something somewhere aligns with something else somewhere else and I go to a show. With an exception or two, I generally enjoy myself. It’s nice being in a room where my brand of insanity is common. As with so many things, though, I find the problem now is people.
At 71, the pandemic has raised my caution levels. Or course, every so often I do have to emerge and acquire something or do something. When I do, I’m appalled by what I see. People who don’t wear masks. “My body, my choice” seems to be a new rallying cry. Yeah…it’s their body and their choice. However, their rights end where my butt begins. And then there are the noses hanging over masks because evidently their nose is also a viral filter, right? In either case, those levels of hard-of-thinking are something I prefer not to risk my AGING health dealing with. And I can’t EVEN get into the antivaxxers… I was vaccinated because it works, as evidenced by the rarity of both polio and smallpox. Will that be enough to halt the pandemic? Dunno. It’s all I can do so I did it. I recognize that my rights end where someone else’s butt begins.
As you, I look forward to when things settle into what the new “normal” is going to be because I don’t see it returning to our previous state of ignorant “security.” Having had plenty of time to consider this presently-hypothetical new “normal,” I have decided that one thing *won’t* change. Even once restrictions are removed, I will continue to wear a mask in public. I cannot trust that some short-sighted, inconsiderate, righteous jerk is aware that they are NOT the only person in the world. Having said all that, I don’t think it’s very likely I’ll be attending any public gatherings until the Covid spread has become statistically insignificant.
At 71, I hope I live that long.
Love your site. Keep it up.
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Good info. Lucky me I discovered your blog by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later!
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You’ve made some really good points there. I looked on the web for additional information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this website.
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