Event Report from IPMS in Telford, UK #4

Good afternoon to all of our SWS fans.

The IPMS Telford event made a profound impression on the Zoukei-mura team, providing us with an endless amount of motivation. My event report has finally reached its final installment.

Today, I will be showing you the smiles of all of our wonderful fans who were able to purchase SWS items in the event hall. In addition to the models competing in the contests, I will be showing you some magnificent works by IPMS members from all over the world.

When speaking of the regularly scheduled, annual event known as IPMS Telford, I wonder how many people have arrived at the event site harboring the following hope:

"If I go to the event, maybe I'll be able to get that one kit that I really, really want?!"

And I wonder how many people happened to come across that kit, and the degree of their happiness when they were really able to purchase it!

As a collector myself, I can sympathize with that joy and excitement to a painful degree.

And somehow, this year, Zoukei-mura came all the way from Japan to participate in that event!

And with the Shinden available for fans of Japanese planes, the Ta152 available for fans of German planes, and fans of US planes finally being able to get their hands on a 1/32 Skyraider kit, I'm sure that this year's event was more exciting than usual for the fans of each different kind of airplane.

Of course, when speaking of an IPMS regular meeting, one mustn't forget the renowned modeling contests! For they were truly amazing!!
So amazing that perhaps, only those who were there at the event can truly comprehend the degree of it!??

However, I went ahead and took pictures, so as to try and convey even a part of how fantastic it all was. Please enjoy them, and I hope that they foster in you the desire to attend an IPMS event.

There, displayed in a grand exhibit in the the enormous event hall, were astonishingly magnificent works from IPMS clubs hailing from every corner of the UK, as well as from all over Europe.

There were a great many vendor's booths that were so large one could easily assume that entire retail shops had simply moved into the event hall.

Booths specializing in tools, in supplies and materials, in books, in decals, and in aftermarket resin kits in addition to all kinds of plastic model kits, resulting in mountains of merchandise sufficient to induce sighs from any scale modeler.

Moreover, from when the event opened in the morning to just before it closed in the evening, the place was absolutely overflowing with people.

For a long time, there have been several aircraft museums that I have wanted to go to should I ever visit the UK.
One of them was the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford. That's right, because it's possible that that airplane might be there!!
My heart beat faster just at the thought, because if they have that plane, maybe they might also have this one!!

Of course, I knew that my beloved Mitsubishi Ki-46 would be there. Furthermore, I had heard that it was being kept in nearly perfect condition. Just thinking that I would finally be able to see that beautiful, streamlined fuselage with my own eyes made the speed of my steps automatically increase from happiness!

At any rate, no matter where they're located, aircraft museums are always huge and spacious, aren't they~~!!

At last, we were finally admitted into the indoor exhibition hall!
"It's here, it's here, it's here~~~! The Ki-46!!"

Wh-wh-what??????.......??? It's so small!??

As a twin-engine plane, I had always thought it would be rather large, but it was an unexpectedly small aircraft, or rather, it had a very slender physique.

But even so, it possessed a beautiful fuselage line appropriate for a Japanese plane, and was overflowing with atmosphere. Transported all the way here to the distant UK, I'm sure that it will pass its remaining years very quietly. Reflexively, the words of gratitude, "Thank you for all your hard work," welled up from within my heart.

With this, the fourth and final part of my "IPMS Telford Event Report" comes to a close. Thank you so much for staying with me to the end.

To the IPMS members who welcomed us event newbies of Zoukei-mura so warmly; Mr. Paul Regan, the President of IPMS UK, Mr. Richard Kent and Mr. Gary Wenko ; to the fans who stood in line early in the morning in order to purchase SWS kits; to Jim; to Mark, who produced our package art; and finally, to the great many people who continue to support the further development of the SWS, thank you ever so very much.

We will continue to do our best, so as to be able to attend this IPMS event next year, bringing with us the aircraft that we are currently conducting an identification quiz for on this very blog!!

Until then, I will send prayers into these distant Japanese skies that you all please stay healthy and continue to fully enjoy a wonderful hobby life.

Truly, I thank each and every one of you so very much.

Hideyuki Shigeta
The Old Man of Zoukei-mura

SWS#6 "What is the next airplane?" Quiz

Quiz
The Guardian God of the Jet-Black Night Sky
"○○ in the middle of the night. ○○○○○ ○e○○○ ○─○─"

Now, fill out the katakana, kanji and alphabetic letters in the ○ spaces to guess perfectly which airplane SWS #6 is. We will give away brand-new SWS #6 kit sets as a prize to three people out of those who get the correct answer.

Deadline

Until the end of January 2012

Winner Announcement

Winners will be announced here on the Zoukei-Mura Web Site.

Prize Presentation

As their prize, the winners will receive kits before anyone else.