I’m posting this from Phoenix while at the IPMS Nationals. Even though it is hot in Phoenix, things are a bit cool in the convention center. Several vendors have canceled leaving a far number of empty tables in the vendor room.

Not very many models fill the tables of the contest room but this is just the first day…a partial one at that. Hopefully more entrants will arrive with their contest entries tomorrow and Friday.

I toured the model room to find a large exhibit by some of my fellow members of What If Modeling. Always good to others who aren’t confined to the kits instruction sheet and references who build.

Today I met up with some old friends and met a few new ones too. My bedtime reading material got a new addition from Tommy Thomason, his new book about the Vought F8U-3 Crusader III…aka Super Crusader. Tommy’s books are always a good read, the two I picked up last year were fantastic.

Spotted a couple of long out of production kits that I’d love to build again. These kits have a price tag that is far out of my modeling budget. Oh well, I can always hope for a rerelease in the near future.

Tomorrow we’re  going to get up early to hit the road for a side trip to Tucson to visit the Pima Air Museum and AMARC. Then buzz back here for more of the convention.

New kit! Minicraft has in the works a new 1:144 KC-135E, which will blaze the path for future releases of other -135 variants! GOOD NEWS INDEED! They are also working on a series of Convair twin series too…T-29/C-131 and the civilian counterparts.