1/32 SPITFIRE V TEST SHOT REVIEW:

Introduction:
By 1940 the 1st two Spitfire marks have  proved their mettle over England by halting the Luftwaffe and Nazi invasion.  As in any war, room for improvement was on the way.  The first to get at it where the luftwaffe with the introduction of the Me-109F which was better in many respects  to high altitude performance than earlier spitfire marks.  Also, the bombing raids still continued and the RAF realized that the 8 set 0.303 inch Browning Machine guns were not enough to bring down the bombers.  They need a bigger gun and better engine.  The gun of course would be the 20mm Hispano Cannons complemented by the Brownings, but more importantly, the introduction of the Merlin XX engine with a marked improvement in the performance of the aircraft.  This would come out as the Spitfire Mark V, the most produced spitfire variant.

REVIEW:
At the moment, there is only one kit for the Mark V in 32nd scale and that’s the Hasegawa.  Trumpeter has now released a new tool Mark V, in the usual soft grey plastic.  Now remember these are test shots so they are not complete or have some short shots.  Let’s get down and look at the kit.

WINGS & FLAPS SPRUE
The wing of course has the elliptical shape which made the spitfire both recognizable and amazing. It include the bays and port for the Hispano and the brownings with separate panels so you can build them open.  Wheel bays look OK too.  Flaps are separate also and rudders and elevators included here.  A thing I saw also is you can cut the wing tips to produced a clipped version of the mark V

FUSELAGE AND COCKPIT SPRUE
As typical of Trumpeter, the kit is built to show the engine as the image would show.  Panels are also separate so you can show these areas easily.  At this point, it appears that some sprues are missing especially the engine and the cockpit, but I included an image of the instrument panel to give an idea of the amazing details on it.

CLEAR SPRUES
The windshield, canopy looks OK in my eye, also do note that the front windshield armor is separate.  Included here also are clear sprues for formation and landing light.  It also includes the covering panels for the guns.

MISCELLANEOUS:
We have here of course the propeller and cover, we also have a slipper tank.  Included in the sprues are the tropical filters, and the various filter used.  Another set included the armamements, the ammo chutes and links, the landing gear.

At this point, I’ll leave to the experts the other details here.  Now on to the build.!

A Sprue contains the fuselage halves from intake lips to just aft of the elevator pivots, cockpit floor, rear bulkhead,control column, ejection seat frame,rudder pedals,  exhaust heat shields, afterburner can, fan and side consoles. The gun ports and beaver tail were not molded into these halves indicating that optional parts for early and late versions may be offered.  The panel lines are accurate and finely engraved while only access panel fasteners and NOT rivets are present. Inside, an aft bulkhead is present that will assure the exhaust depicts the correct thrust –line  of the Demon.

Though suitably busy, the side consoles lack prominent levers and the throttle.
B Sprue contains the wing and elevator halves. The leading edge slats are molded to these halves but the flaps and ailerons are not. Again, panel lines are fine  while fasteners outline the access panels. Accuracy suffers slightly because the demon’s ailerons are mounted on piano hinges above while the flaps are mounted on piano hinges below the wing and neither wing halves reflects this.

A peek at the inner surface reveals a deep engraving set in a thinned strip of molding, flanked by high ridges that should serve as a cutting guide to separate the outer wing panels.  The hinge/mountings for the wing spoilers are molded but are not of the proper piano hinge type again. Aft of these, there should be recesses for the spoilers’ actuators and their absence will limit modelers to mounting the spoilers shut  whether  they are injection-molded or photo-etched.

C Sprue was inadvertently left out so I cannot comment on the quality of its contents. Though I will speculate (and hope) as to its content based on other modellers’ experience with the Grand Phoenix and AZ Models kits.
D Sprue contains the forward fuselage halves , bulkhead, rudder, cockpit sidewall inserts, ejection seat and backrest, instrument panel and coaming, refuelling probe and fairing, radome, baffles and intake scoops. The forward fuselage halves have vertical tabs that should fit into slots in the forward fuselage halves. While ensuring proper alignment, their vertical orientation blocks off a big portion of the intake.   Subsequent dry-fitting showed that the tabs  will be visible but more importantly, the provided bulkhead together with the baffles,  can provide all the alignment duties alone.

E Sprue contains the landing gear assemblies and pylons.

Though the nose gear’s 3-part torque link is oversized, the rest of the parts assemble into accurate replicas of the Demon’s complex gear design.  Because the gear assemblies fit so well to their respective gear bays, I used them as assembly jigs before installing them between the wing halves. Just rotate the main gear struts in their mounts so that the axles are parellel to the front-most wall of the wheel bay before you attach any of the retraction and torque links, drag struts and gear doors…let the glue dry properly and pop the assembly  out and put it aside for future painting and installation! It sure beats doing all that work after the model is  complete!  The door edges are very sharply molded and the transition between “skin” and “structure” are so well-defined that painting the standard red edges should prove a cinch. The only parts I couldn’t find in the available sprues are the lights for the nose gear and the brakes for the outboard side of the main wheels which should be a lot deeper to accommodate them. The leading edges of the pylons are way  too sharp.

F Sprue contains the flaps, ailerons, airbrakes and recesses, tail hook and its bay, canopy rear decking, fuel vents, pitot head, tie-downs, tail skid and wing-fold ribs. The hinge lines of the wing halves did not have piano hinges molded into them as mentioned above and neither do the leading edges of the flaps and ailerons which are also too blunt making extra work necessary to pose them deflected. When posed neutral, the aileron balances will benefit from filing to airfoil shape to improve their appearance.The air brakes have very thin plastic between the frames and are smaller than their aft fuselage openings indicating that perforated PE will represent their outer surfaces. The  end of the arresting gear  does not quite capture the mass nor shape of the hook itself.

G Sprue contains Sidewinders, Sparrows and drop tanks. The missile fins and wings are very finely molded…the ‘winder’s  wedge-shaped airfoils are accurately portrayed and even their rollerons have teeth molded to their circumferences. I’m sure Hobby Boss will adjust injection pressures to correct the incomplete moldings and the lack of mounting holes in the tanks.

GP Sprue contains the windshield, canopy and position lights. The canopy frame stands too proud off the transparent surface but I’m sure futher polishing of the mold to improve clarity will bring them flush to each other.
SOME BUILD NOTES
After using the excellent Walkaround photos of the Demon by Don Hinton (THANK YOU SIR) in Phil’s Aeronautical Stuff to compare to the test shot for accuracy, I realized that the coverage was extensive enough to stand in for an instruction sheet!

The cockpit tub actually snapped together without any glue and dry-fitting it into the forward fuselage only revealed that the forward ends of the side consoles interfered slightly with the fit of the instrument panel. The coaming does not depict the forward canvass boot and I couldn’t find a gunsight in any of the sprues available. The ejection seat does not resemble the Martin Baker Mk.5 that was fitted to late Demons and retrofitted to the earlier models and just to emphasize the need to replace it, I must have assembled it incorrectly too as it would not fit between the consoles.
The tabs along the edges of the canopy decking fit into grooves in the canopy frames. To pose the canopy open, simply slice them off.
This picture also shows that the bracket holds the refuelling probe too far from the fuselage. Photos show that the receptacle almost rests against the windshield and that the bracket should mount right on the flange surrounding the fairing itself.

Otherwise, the nose area compares well to photos. The separate radome will facilitate adding nose weight and although it is not separated  along a natural panel line, it is accurately shaped. Be careful comparing it to the actual, black-painted radome—the slanted  paint demarcation line makes it look like the radome has a deeper curve below. Replace that ginormous pitot head too!

The next picture shows the landing gear assemblies before and after I used the gear bays as assembly jigs. The kit parts are so precise that pre-assembling these without the benefit of a complete airframe to help alignment did not produce a lopsided model later.

The wings assemble well. Personally though, since Hobby Boss has ably demonstrated their ability to mold extremely thin parts, I would prefer that they mold the wing fences and barrier snags directly on the wing surfaces instead of providing them as separate photoetched parts. I wouldn’t mind if they were slightly thicker because PE would be hard to attach and would have square edges anyway.

Attachment to the fuselage via 2 tabs that fit into slots in the fuselage produces a gap along the upper wing root while the bottom fits perfectly.  Two of the  3 front view drawings I found on the internet indicate anhedral with the bottom surfaces forming a straight, horizontal line. The built-up test-shot shows this albeit with that gap along the upper wing root. I built a spar into this assembly but only to relieve any stress on the fuselage joints as IPMS Philippines –Bert Anido travels a lot! I have included data for this spar for those who want to use it. As for the gap,  there is a flange on the real Demon that is visible in Don Hinton photos that I will make out of thin sheet styrene to close the gap. The width and length of this flange is indicated by engraving on the fuselage sides. It is about 1mm wide and extends from  just aft of the leading edge slat to the flap hinge line. I chose the front wall of the main gear bay as position for the spar because it is perpendicular to the centerline and a the wing is relatively deep at this point. I used 1mm thick styrene for the spar and cut appropriate slots into the wing roots and fuselage 2mm ahead of the wheel bay. The spar spans the distance between the outer pylons and the gear bays only. This is a sufficient span and avoids the need to compensate for the inner surface curvature nearing the leading edges. The spar is 114mm wide with a constant height of 7mm across the middle 34mm and tapers to 3mm high at the tips.

The elevators have spigots that mount into holes in the fuselage tail. But back when one-piece, all-flying elevators were new, engineers relied on hefty carry-through structures as elevator pivots. Of course, their size opened up holes of all shapes and sizes where they mounted to the fuselage and aerodynamicists insisted that these holes be sealed. The solution was to attach blanking plates to the elevator roots which covered the holes no matter how the elevators were deflected. Take a look at Harrier, Skyhawk, Phantom and even later aircraft like the Frogfoot.  A lot of kit designers have simplified their kits by molding these blanking plates as raised surfaces on the fuselage skin including Hobby Boss and the Demon.  If you want to pose your elevators at any angle other than neutral, trace the outline of the shapes from the fuselage sides as you would the body number on your car.

And make new blanking plates from the thinnest styrene sheet you have, drill a hole through it and attach it to the elevator roots.

Sand off the original blanking plates on the fuselage and attach the elevators at the desired deflection angle. After I attached my elevators, I noticed that they mount too high on the fuselage when viewed from the side. I intend to lower the mounting hole on the fuselage sides by about 1 millimeter. Note also that I filed the upper rudder balance’ leading edge to an airfoil shape like the aileron balances.

This shot also shows the excellent ventral detail. Even the skid actuator is present there in its own little housing. The afterburner can is also as good as injection molding can get. The speed brake actuators are provided in the kit as are inserts that provide more lightening holes in the recesses.
This frontal shot shows the forward fuselage cross-sections, anhedral and landing gear geometry.

I angled the next shot based on a photograph provided by a concerned modeler in one of the popular forums. It illustrates one of the things we should watch out for  in any new Demon kit…that of the dorsal fillet’s accuracy. The kit’s rendition is too thick and should curve into the fuselage gently.

CONCLUSION
A little more research could have avoided some mistakes like the ommission of the later ejection seat, throttle, gunsight, brakes, the ommission of any provision to raise the wing spoilers,the oversized pitot head, wrong cross-sections to the flaps and ailerons’ leading edges, wrongly-shaped hook,  and wrongly-molded elevator blanking plates.
Despite missing  the C Sprue (which should contain the forward ventral fuselage, optional gun ports, missile launch rails and presumably, 2 beaver tails), I can say that this test-shot had excellent fit except for the upper wing roots.
Although the wing-fold ribs are featureless, modelers will still have an easier job of cutting the wings apart and the blank ribs will offer suitable bases for any detail a modeller wishes to add (btw, as of “press time”, I had yet to find any useful pictures of the wing-fold…maybe neither has Hobby Boss…).
All in all, having a well-detailed, good-fitting main-stream injection-molded kit of the Demon in 1/48 scale has revived my interest in early jets and will fill any gap in any naval aviation collections. Its ease of construction will also attract younger modellers to that era of aviation. I  can only shriek at the prospect of Banshees, Phantoms  and more Furies coming soon.
My sincerest thanks Hobby Boss for providing the Test Shot…and my apologies for the parts left over…

…aren’t you glad I’m not your mechanic?           Mel A. Silvestre IPMS Philippines-Bert Anido

If you’re looking for a detailed review, with precise measurements, angles, correct number of bolts and all that, then please stop reading. I’ll leave that to the experts. This is simply a “first look build review”, if there ever was such a thing, by a less than average modeler who happened to be at the wrong place at the right time(I was treated to lunch). I will simply convey to you what I experienced in building the kit, with some comments that I could make considering the kind of modeler I am. Having laid down all the firewalls against inevitable criticism against me, let us begin.

The kit is a BT-7, a Russian tank of World War II. At first, I thought this was a re-box of an Italeri kit, which Tamiya has been doing for some time now, and are presently doing with Fine Molds kits as well. But then I realized that the Italeri kit was that of a BT-5. As I opened the sample kit, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was indeed a new kit, and one that Tamiya engineered themselves. Knowing the quality of Tamiya kits, having grown up with them all my life, I was more than eager to start building it. And since this is just a build review, I didn’t have to worry about painting and weathering, which have always been my problem in modeling. Molded in the usual olive drab, the parts were flash-free. I did notice the tracks but I’ll mention that later. The gates for the parts were delicate, needing only the slightest clean-up once the parts were removed from the sprues. Kit will include photo-etch parts but were not included in the sample. No decals either. In fact, even the instructions that came with the sample was not complete in the sense that almost all of the parts were not labeled. But because of Tamiya’s expected excellence in their rendering of diagrams, it was not hard at all locating the parts needed as they were called out in the instructions. Clear parts are provided for the driver’s vision block and headlight lenses. It will also include two figures which were provided in the sample.

Lower hull, running gear
Similar to the BT-5, the BT-7 also utilizes the very innovative Christie-type suspension and running gear. The system allows the tank to continue running even if the tracks are removed or damaged during a battle. The last road wheels provide the propulsion, while the first road wheels are for steering! I’d like to see an Abrams or a Challenger do that! This  makes for a very fast tank for its time. Videos showing the BT-7 in motion attest to its quickness and agility. And seeing the tank run without tracks is truly amazing! Building the lower hull and lower gear went along without a hitch. All parts fell into place perfectly. I couldn’t find any place that required filling or adjusting. Clearly shown is the gearbox housing that connects the rear drive sprocket to the last road wheel. And the “tie rods” that steer the two front road wheels were intricately rendered. Able modelers can pose the tank with the front wheels turned at an angle with ease. A jig is also provided so you can line up all the suspension arms so as not to have those floating road wheels we see on some Metro Manila trucks.

I mentioned that the manual lacked the parts being labeled. It also missed out a couple of steps. Since this was a sample kit, I guess Tamiya did that for security reasons. Left out was the step where the road wheels are attached to the suspension arms. But if you still can’t figure out how to attach poly cap-inserted Tamiya road wheels, then you may be in the wrong hobby. What was not provided was the step regarding the road wheel center caps. Apparently there is a difference between the two middle and the last road wheel center caps. This I could not discern from the drawings, so I guess this will be called out in the production-run kits. Also missing were the steps concerning the tracks. I mentioned earlier that I noticed something about the tracks. They consist of the length and link type. I’m not sure if the production-run kit will include vinyl tracks though. What I noticed was the obvious bow that a long length of track had. I thought this was warped. Since there wasn’t a step on the assembling of the tracks, it only occurred to me while assembling them that it was a molded-in sag of the top portion of the track! I was so pleased with this, and then recalled that Tamiya should have done the same thing on their equally superb T-55A which only provided vinyl ones. Adding aftermarket tracks to the BT-7 would be superfluous. The front fenders are beveled nicely to depict the thinness of these, which are easily dented and damaged in no time on the real thing.

The interior of the lower hull only includes a driver’s seat, which is visible from an open hatch up front. The aftermarket companies should have a ball with this kit. An interior for the driver’s area and a complete engine would totally finish off this already wonderful kit. The hatches of both compartments are large enough for you to actually see what’s inside, unlike most of the tanks out there where you “just know you super-detailed the interior”. Oh I left the headlight off because I really couldn’t tell the right from the left as they could work either way. I’ll wait for the complete instructions.

Upper Hull, turret
The upper hull, although very basic as it was for a tank of its time, still had very good pieces to assemble. The horn typical of Russian tanks comes in two parts. The engine hatch has a nice circular cooling vent that comes in no less than five parts! With an aftermarket engine installed, the hatch can be posed in the open position to show everything. It would have been nice if the sample kit included the photo-etch screen for the radiator grilles and exhaust grates. The kit comes with a jig for the modeler to be able to form the exhaust grate screen into the correct, complex shape. I would have loved to try that jig out. Don’t you just hate it when photo-etch parts have to be bent or formed into a certain way, that is almost impossible to do without fabricating some sort of jig or buying those expensive folding tools that a certain large modeler in our group has? Probably the only reason he won that trophy. But I digress. What also got my attention were the two exhaust tubes that look like hot rod exhaust pipes. Just way cool!

In my haste to build the turret, which to me is the highlight of every tank model, I was unable to drill out the holes on the sides for the superbly molded one-piece tube antenna that encircled a tank commander’s vehicle. The fact that it was also left out in the sample instructions did not help, although we all know great modelers do not read nor follow the instructions. I will find a way to drill out those holes. Mel?

The cannon is a one-piece deal, which was a relief as I tend to flatten out cannons when sanding seams. The co-axial machine gun is a jewel in itself, and once again the interior could use some aftermarket stuff that will be clearly seen when the two top hatches are left open, along with the rear hatch. The delicate lifting rings on the top turret are also nicely done.

Building this kit made me realize just how much I miss building models. It was straightforward, no hassle and very fulfilling. The only things missing would be the interior, but I guess Tamiya left that for the aftermarket people to fill. Corporate unselfishness, if I may say. I can’t wait for the production kit to fill the shelves of our favorite hobby shop, so I can finally enter something in the Nationals.

1. Eligibility. — The contest is open to all scale modelers. Models that have won either First, Second or Third Place honors in previous IPMS Philippines-Bert Anido national competitions are not permitted to enter. The organizers reserve the right to deny participation to any person for any violation of these rules.
2. Content requirements. — With the exception of dioramas, and unless specified under special categories, all entries must be made of at least Fifty percent (50%) styrene or resin content. Models predominantly made of die-cast, brass, stainless steel or other photo-etched metals are eligible to enter after the appropriate content screening. All pre-built and pre-painted models are absolutely prohibited. (n)
3. Screening and Classification Committee. — All entries will be screened by the Screening and Classification Committee, IPMS Philippines-Bert Anido, upon ingress. The Committee shall classify and group all entries in their appropriate categories after the termination of the Pre-registration period, which will be set at least two weeks before the intended contest date.The Screening and Classification Committee reserves the right to exclude any entry from a particular category or class or to altogether disqualify an entry for just grounds such as ineligibility, obscenity, excessive violence, and other unlawful or socially unacceptable themes. The Committee likewise reserves the right to require the removal of certain parts for content inspection as well as the removal of model bases, cases or model parts from any entry. The decision of the Committee shall be final.
4. Awards. — At least three (3) entries are required to open a category. In cases where there are at least three (3) entries, First Place honors will be awarded. Where there are at least five (5) entries, First and Second Place honors will be awarded. Where there are at least seven (7) entries, First, Second and Third Place honors will be awarded. The Organizers reserve the right to modify, drop, or create categories in the event of limited entries.There will be a Peoples’ Choice award given to the entry garnering the highest number of favorable votes as cast by all participants and spectators for the duration of the voting period as set by the Organizers. The Peoples’ Choice award shall be on top of any other honor/s received by the entry during the contest.
5. Contest Area. —
   1. In the appropriate Open and Modified Categories, write-ups and/or pictures, in the form prescribed by and issued by the Organizers, shall be allowed on the competition table. Otherwise, only name plates measuring up to 4 in x 2 in indicating the subject, scale and kit shall be allowed. In either case, the model builders’ and/or owners’ names are prohibited from appearing on such name plates. Any violation of this rule shall be a ground for automatic disqualification of the entry.
   2. Except for diorama entries, all special effects, such as moving or motorized parts, lights and similar contraptions must be turned off at all times until after the judging period. Any violation of this rule shall be a ground for disqualification of the entry.
   3. All participants are strictly not allowed inside the competition area during judging unless so permitted by the Organizers upon just and valid grounds. A violation of this rule shall be a ground for disqualification of all the offending participant’s entries. Individual entry scores will be posted after the judging period.
   4. The Organizers shall not be responsible for loss of, or damage to, the entries for causes not attributable to the latter’s fault. For the protection of the participants and their entries, the Organizers reserve the right to bar entry or cause the exclusion any person/s and their respective entries, if any, from the contest area for the entire duration of the event for such causes as unruly conduct, vandalism, mischief, etc. The Organizers likewise reserve the right to bar entry to any person/s and their respective entries if, in the discretion of the Organizer, the same would be in the greater interest of the participants and the competition.

JUDGING OF ENTRIES

1. The following criteria shall be utilized in the judging of entries:

AIRCRAFT, ARMOR, HELICOPTERS, SHIPS AND FIGURES:

Assembly/construction 25%

Paint job/overall finish 25%

Detail 25%

Authenticity 25%

MOTORCYLE AND AUTOMOBILE ENTRIES:

a) For Motorcycles/Modified Automobile entries:

Detailing 40%

Assembly/construction 30%

Paint job/overall finish 30%

b) For OOB Automobile entries:

Assembly/construction 50%

Paint job/overall finish 50%

SCI-FI AND FICTION ENTRIES:

Assembly/construction 25%

Paint job/overall finish 25%

Detailing 25%

Creativity 25%

DIORAMAS: (n)

Layout, composition & balance25%

Construction, detail & painting 25%

Authenticity/Creativity

(sci-fi & fiction) 25%

Impact 25%

2. Judging of categories shall be done by a panel of judges. The judges’ decision shall be final.

PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS 1. Out-of-the-Box (OOB) categories are subject to stricter construction rules, and with only a few restricted exemptions, must be built according to kit instruction specifications. Only those kit modifications/upgrades exempted per category are allowed; all other modifications will disqualify the entry from the OOB category and will instead be classified as a modified entry. In addition to Rules Common to each category, OOB entries shall be subjected to Additional Rules for OOB entries in their respective categories.

2. Modified categories provide no limits as to the amount of modifications/upgrades made on the entry. Bases, ground accessories and stands (except where allowed), and effects, however, are prohibited except for the diorama and vignette categories.

3. Categories without distinction between OOB and Modified entries shall be considered as Open, and shall not be subjected to restrictions on modifications other than those listed in their respective Rules.

RULES PER CATEGORY

RULES COMMON TO ALL FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT MODEL ENTRIES:

1. Figures limited to pilot and/or co-pilot and/or flight crew only, all of whom must be seated inside the aircraft. All other figures whether on or around the aircraft are not allowed.

2. Aircraft must stand up on its own gear struts or mounted on kit-provided stand; Provided, that flying boats and seaplanes shall be allowed to rest on display cradles; Provided further, that simple rods or similar simple devices intended to support tail-heavy entries shall likewise be allowed; Provided, finally, that mirror bases meant solely to allow a view of the undersides are allowed so long as they are proportionate in size to the entry.

3. Dollies, auxiliary power units (APUs), oxygen tanks, tow bars, wheel chocks and other equipment are prohibited. Boarding ladders must not touch the ground, and maintenance platforms and ladders are altogether prohibited.

4. Display bases of any sort are prohibited, except as provided in Rule 2 hereof. If the aircraft cannot be removed from the display base, or if the participant so elects, the model shall be entered in the diorama category.

5. All aircraft parts, weapons and accessories must be attached to, or placed on top of, the model. No aircraft part or accessory shall be allowed to be displayed beneath or around the model. Simulated gunfire, smoke, or missile/rocket launches are prohibited.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR OUT-OF-THE-BOX (OOB) FIXED-WING AIRCRAFT ENTRIES:

6. Kits must be built in accordance with the instructions. Absolutely no modifications other than those specified hereunder are allowed. Copies of the instruction sheet shall be attached to the participant’s registration form and submitted together with the said form during the pre-registration period.

7. Only the following modifications shall be allowed:

a) Drilling out gun barrels and exhaust tubes

b) Simple tape or decal seatbelts without metal, resin or other after-market buckles

c) Rigging and aerials

d) Changing of markings/decals

8. Entries with modifications not falling within the foregoing parameters shall be entered in the modified category.

RULES COMMON TO ALL HELICOPTERS/ROTARY WING MODEL ENTRIES:

1. Figures are limited to pilot, co-pilot and/or gunner/flight crew only, all of whom must be seated inside the aircraft. All other figures whether on or around the aircraft are not allowed.

2. Aircraft must stand up on its own skids or gear struts or mounted on kit-provided stand; Provided, that simple rods or similar simple devices intended to support tail-heavy entries shall be allowed; Provided, further, that mirror bases meant solely to allow a view of the undersides are allowed so long as they are proportionate in size to the entry.

3. Dollies, auxiliary power units (APUs), oxygen tanks, tow bars, wheel chocks and other equipment are prohibited; Provided, that towing wheels attached to helicopters with skids are allowed. Maintenance platforms and ladders are altogether prohibited.

4. Display bases of any sort are prohibited. If the aircraft cannot be removed from the display base, or if the participant so elects, the model shall be entered in the diorama category.

5. All aircraft parts or accessories must be attached to, or placed on top of, the model. No aircraft part or accessory shall be allowed to be displayed beneath or around the model. Simulated gunfire, smoke, or missile/rocket launches are prohibited.

RULES COMMON TO ALL ARMOR MODEL ENTRIES:

1. Figures are allowed on the entry; Provided, that, the figures must constitute the vehicle’s primary crew and placed in their appropriate stations (hatches, seats, etc.); and Provided, further, that in no case shall the number of figures exceed four (4) on each entry. It is understood that the figures on the vehicle will not be included in the judging of the entry.

2. All tracked entries must have linked tracks (meaning forming a full loop around the road wheels), whether full vinyl, segmented, or individual track links. Vehicles with shed tracks are not allowed.

3. All vehicle parts and accessories must be attached to the entry; Provided, That accessories shall be subjected to further restrictions for OOB entries as provided below. No vehicle part or accessory shall be allowed to be displayed beneath or around the model. Simulated gunfire, smoke, or missile/rocket launches are prohibited.

4. Display bases of any sort are prohibited. If the vehicle cannot be removed, or if the participant so elects, the model shall be entered in the appropriate vignette or diorama category.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR OUT-OF-THE-BOX (OOB) ARMOR MODEL ENTRIES:

5. Kits must be built in accordance with the instructions. Only accessories such as stowage, bags, etc. provided in the kit are allowed. Absolutely no modifications other than those specified hereunder are allowed. Copies of the instruction sheet shall be attached to the participant’s registration form and submitted together with the said form during the pre-registration period.

6. Only the following modifications shall be allowed:

a) Drilling out gun barrels and exhaust tubes

b) Changing of markings/decals

c) Antennas

7. Entries with modifications not falling within the foregoing parameters shall be entered in the modified category.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR CREW-SERVED WEAPONS AND TOWED ARTILLERY

8. A crew-served weapon is defined as any weapon served by at least two individuals. Eligible for this categories are:

a. Crew-served man-portable weapons, provided that they are made of at least twelve (12) modeling parts.

b. Towed Artillery or anti-aircraft guns, without prime mover. However it may be displayed with its gun carriage, caisson or a beast of burden (e.g. horses), provided they are attached to the weapon.

c. SAMs and SAM launchers, without prime mover. However weapons may be displayed on its trailer or maintenance rack.

d. Military Artillery Rockets, without prime mover. However weapons may be displayed on trailers, launch pads or launcher.

e. Naval Guns or weapons displayed separate from a ship model, provided they are made if at least twelve (12) modeling parts.

f. Fixed land guns or rail guns displayed without ground work or tracks. Rail guns may not be displayed with their locomotive prime mover.

9. The following may not be entered in this category :

a. Self-propelled weapons. They shall be entered into the tracked or wheeled categories when possible.

b. Models of fortifications and pillboxes. They may be entered into the diorama category.

c. Knocked out vehicles used as fixed weapons.

10. All entries must be presented without base, ground work or rail. Figures and accessories (e.g. cleaning rods, ammunition, tools, crew gear) are not allowed, unless they are found or attached to the weapon.

RULES COMMON TO ALL SHIP MODEL ENTRIES:

1. No model base of any sort is allowed; Provided, that full-hulled entries shall be allowed to rest on appropriate cradles, whether kit-provided or otherwise. Waterline entries with simulated water base, pier or wharf shall be entered in the diorama category.

2. Simulated gunfire, smoke effects from funnels or hits are prohibited.

RULES COMMON TO ALL DIORAMA ENTRIES:

1. Lights, moving or motorized parts and other special effects may be turned on at any time by the participant; Provided, that the Organizers may require the participant concerned to turn off the special effects of unstable entries if the same will endanger other entries.

2. Dioramas and vignettes depicting obscene or other unlawful or socially unacceptable themes may be excluded at the discretion of the Organizers.

RULES COMMON TO ALL FIGURE ENTRIES:

1. Only one figure per entry is allowed. Several figures attached to a single two-dimensional base shall be considered and judged as separate entries. Figures on motorcycles, bicycles and animals are prohibited.

2. Simple, two-dimensional bases are allowed, so long as they are proportionate in size to the subject. Foliage, walls and excessive ground effects are prohibited, and will be entered in the diorama category. Smoke and simulated gunfire are prohibited.

RULES COMMON TO ALL MOTORCYCLE AND AUTO ENTRIES:

1. No figures are allowed on or near the entry. Entries with figures shall be entered in the diorama category if the same cannot be removed or if the participant so elects.

2. Display bases of any sort are prohibited; Provided, that simple bases as provided hereunder will be permitted:

a) Bases intended solely to support Motorcycle entries, which should be proportionate in size to the entry; and

b) For Modified Auto Entries, for purposes only of exhibiting exploded-view presentations (parts are disassembled to show interior details). Entries not built for exploded-view presentations will not be allowed to sport bases. Where allowed, the base should not be more than 2 inches from the edges of the entry. All removed parts must be placed on the base. Non-related items such as tools, oils and fuel, etc., are prohibited from the base.

If the vehicle cannot be removed, or if the participant so elects, the model shall be entered in the appropriate vignette or diorama category.

ADDITIONAL RULES FOR OUT-OF-THE-BOX (OOB) AUTO ENTRIES:

3. Kits must be built in accordance with the instructions. Absolutely no modifications other than those specified hereunder are allowed. Copies of the instruction sheet shall be attached to the participant’s registration form and submitted together with the said form during the pre-registration period.

4. Only the following modifications shall be allowed:

a) Drilling out exhaust pipes;

b) Changing of rims/magwheels;

c) Changing of paint scheme, markings/decals, or use of bare metal foil or carbon fibre decals.

5. Entries with modifications not falling within the foregoing parameters shall be entered in the modified category.

RULES COMMON TO ALL SCI-FICTION AND FICTION ENTRIES:

1. Only one figure per entry form is allowed. The Vehicles category shall include all types of space, air, water and ground craft except for all Piloted Mobile Suits with cockpits (Gundam, Mazinger Z, etc.) which shall fall under the Mecha category. Those Mobile Suits without cockpits (Tetsujin, Giant Robo, etc.) and other Fully Sentient Equipment (Transformers, SD Gundams, etc) shall be entered in the AI category. Fiction or fantasy figures and other resin and vinyl science fiction kits shall be entered in the Fiction Figures category. Entries with multiple phases like that of Macross shall be classified based on the entry’s final presentation as which category that phase shall fall into.

2. No figures, other than those provided in the kit itself and placed in their appropriate crew stations on board the vehicle, shall be allowed. Where allowed, figures shall be built and painted only on an OOB basis; no superdetailing shall be allowed. (n)

3. Participants are to provide a graphic of the original base kit, with an exception to the figures where this becomes an option, no matter how heavily modified the entry is along with the entry form. It does not necessarily mean that a scanned copy of the manual or the manual itself is to be submitted, but any material showing the original configuration will do. Model kits based on video games can use a screen capture of the game where the kit is being shown.

4. Simple bases and cradles shall be allowed provided that their purpose shall only be to support the entry and are proportionate in size. Entries with disproportionately large bases and those with excessive detail shall be entered in the diorama category.

CONTEST PRE-REGISTRATION RULES:

1. Pre-registration.

There will be a MANDATORY contest pre-registration starting on November 10,2009 until November 15,2009 at Lil’s Futaba, Lil’s Hobby Center, JMN’s Hobby Square, and Hobbies & Comics during store hours, during which participants will be required to submit prior to the contest the duplicate forms of their prospective entries, together with the participant’s contact number/s.

It is understood that the pre-registered entries will be completed and ready for viewing on or before the scheduled contest.

IMPORTANT: Entries not pre-registered according to these Rules at least three (3) days before the scheduled event SHALL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE in the competition.

2. Documentation.

Participants for Open and Modified categories are encouraged to submit, together with their forms, two (2) copies of an itemized documentation of the work they have done on each particular entry. Such documentation should be typewritten or printed legibly on not more than three (3) sheets of long white bond paper, and documentation for only one (1) entry is allowed to be typewritten or printed on each sheet/s. Photos which the participant desires to insert should be scanned or photocopied and made part of the same sheet/s.

The Organizers reserve the right to exclude or require the condensation of excessively long documentations. The names of the modeler/s and/or owner/s should not appear on such documentation. A violation of this rule will result in the exclusion of the documentation concerned.

Documentations will not be the sole basis for judging entries; entries will be judged on their own merits. Documentations will be strictly for judges’ use only, and will be kept confidential from the general public. Illegal and deliberate circulation of documentations within the contest area may be a ground for the disqualification of all the participant’s entries, upon the sole discretion of the Organizers.

CATEGORIES

I. Aircrafts and Helicopters-

A. Scale 1/145 or smaller (open)

B. Scale 1/100 and 1/144 (open) (May be merged with Category I.A.)

C. Scale 1/72 (standard size)

a. Props

a.1. OOB

a.2. Modified and S/B

b. Jet and Rocket Powered Aircraft (Non-Spacecraft)

b.1. OOB

b.2. Modified and S/B

c. Helicopters and Tilt Rotor

c.1. OOB

c.2. Modified and S/B

D. Scale 1/72 (Large-size) ( i.e. with a span or length 8.5 inches or larger, stowage or folded wings will be taken into account)

a. Props (Open)

b. Jet (Open)

c. Helicopters and Tilt Rotors (Open)

E. Scale 1/48

a. Props

a.1. OOB

a.2. Modified and S/B

b. Jet and Rocket Powered (Non-Spacecraft)

b.1. OOB

b.2. Modified and S/B

c. Helicopter and Tilt Rotor

c.1. OOB

c.2. Modified and S/B

F. Scale 1/48 (Large) (Span or length 17 inches or over, stowage or folded wings taken into account )

a. Props (Open)

b. Jets and Rocket Powered (Open)

c. Helo and Tilt wing (Open)

G. Scale 1/32 Jets and Props

a. Jets (Open)

b. Props (Open)

H. Scale 1/32- 1/35 Helicopters (Open)

I. Scale 1/24 Aircraft and Helicopters (open) (May be merged with Cat. I.G. or Cat 1.H.)

J. Scale 1/16 or larger aircraft and helicopters (open)

II. Military Vehicles-

a. Scale 1/144 or smaller (open)

b. Scale 1/72 – 1/76

a. Tracked Vehicles

a.1. OOB

a.2. Modified and S/B

b. Wheeled vehicles

b.1. OOB

b.2. Modified and S/B

c. Crew served weapons and towed artillery * (May be merged with Cat. II.B.b.) (Open)

C. Scale 1/48

a. Tracked (Open)

b. Wheeled vehicles (open)

c. Crew-served Weapons and towed artillery (May be merged with Cat. II.C.b)

D. Scale 1/35

a. Tracked

a.1. OOB

a.2. Modified and S/B

b. Wheeled (May be merged with cat. II.D.a)

b.1. OOB

b.2. Modified and S/B

c. Crew-served weapons and towed artillery (open)*

E. Scale 1/24 (open)

F. Scale 1/16 or larger (open)

III. Cars and Motorcycles

A. Scale 1/48 Cars

a. OOB

b. Modified or S/B

B. Scale 1/20, 1/24-1/25 Cars

a. OOB

b. Modified or S/B

C. Scale 1/16 Cars or larger

a. OOB

b. Modified or S/B

D. Motorcycles (open)

IV. Ships:

A. Scale 1/701 or smaller

B. Scale 1/700

C. Scale 1/350

D. Scale 1/144 or larger

E. Scale 1/35 Boats and Patrol Crafts

V. Sci-Fi and Mecha-

a.    MECHA (open)

b.    Vehicles (open)

c.    Artificial Intelligence (open)

d. Diorama (open)

VI. Anime (May be merged with Cat. V)

VII. Rockets and Real Space (Open scale)

VIII. Figures-

A. 1/144 or smaller

B. 1/72- 1/76th scale

C. 1/48 scale

D. 1/32 Scale

E. 1/16th scale

F. 1/12th scale or larger

G.    Dinosaurs, mythical creatures and monsters (open scale)

H.    Horror, and Fantasy  (open scale) (May be merged with Cat VIII.G)

IX. Dioramas and Vignettes (Open)

Queries and Updates

Please check out www.ipmsphilippines.com regularly for more information and news about the 2009 Nationals. Prospective participants may direct their queries on the contact numbers found on the site.

Important Notice:

As per SM Megamall policy, egress of entries are only allowed at the closing day of the contest after 9pm. Therefore, no contestant can bring their kits home before 9pm. No exceptions. IPMS Philippines Bert Anido is not liable for the loss and damages to the contestants’ kits/entries.

Japan’s newest 8 wheeled APC comes to 35 scale kit!

Testshot reveals there are 5 major plastic injection sprues, two identical sprues for the suspension, wheel hubs and lower hull details, one sprue for the upper hull and another for the details. One small clear sprue is provided for the various hull ballistic glass, lights and lenses, and 8 rubber wheels.

The suspension parts are a real work out, requiring small parts to be glued together, 4 front wheels don’t look like they are poseable, as with all testshots- no assembly instruction meant its quite hard to decipher which parts go together.

The lower hull has good underside detail, hull are loaded with holes to fit various grab handles, fittings and details. The rear ramp and its door are provided as separate details and can be posed in open position, no need to fill punch mark holes as there are non on those critical parts. All hull hatches are separate and posable, with subtle interior detail molded on, again- no punch marks! However, no interior parts are provided.

The commander’s hatch is a kit itself, all vision blocks are separate and looks very convincing when assembled. Being a multi-part, it shoud provide an accurate replica.

A hint of a photo-etched fret for the grills and small details is seen, as these details are not provided as plastic parts.

Rubber tires have deep thread patterns which will be enhanced with weathering.

Trumpeter’s kit should build up to mimic the boxy and *ram effect look* of the real thing and as with all testshots, final sprue layout and parts of the sprue can be changed and production kits may look a bit different.

Thanks to Trumpeter for providing the test shot.

IPMS Philippines Bert Anido