Chappie Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 Awesome job Darren! How did you research the markings for that mission? Is that the actual load out for the mission? Sorry, I'm a weapons guy..I gotta ask! Chappie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted August 7, 2006 Share Posted August 7, 2006 I have to admit, this tomcat is absolutely the BEST Darren has EVER built. I sure hope he got something for it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kstater94 Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 I have to admit, this tomcat is absolutely the BEST Darren has EVER built. I sure hope he got something for it. The answer to that Brian is NOTHING Darren got nothing at all with that model I thought it was gorgeous Darren touched upon the following in another part of ARC but I will bring it up again here The judges must have been smoking something as kits that I thought were not impressive and certainly not "in the running" did indeed place and people like Darren and this Tomcat got nothing at all. nuff said Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 What's the complaint? "Too realistic"??? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 That is simply sad. <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kstater94 Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Yes, Colin it truly is amazing that Darren's wonderful Tomcat didn't place I dunno Andrew, your guess is as good as mine as to what these guys were thinking. Darren said that it took only a couple of hours for the judges to look at over 2,000 models. Now, that tells me that either they had quite a few judging teams that were able to give the models the good looks that they deserve OR they ran through so quick that they judged from the hip. I'm leaning towards the later. I usually help judge the KC contests. They get half that many models and it usually takes our teams TWICE as long... I feel that this was truly a shoddy job of judging on behalf of the Nats judges. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel_B Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 (edited) ATTN: Friends and families of the judges, on your way out, please pick one of these up in the lobby: <_< What's the complaint? "Too realistic"??? Judges were probably all Hornet freaks. Even the Big Fighter's impending retirement hasn't done much to curb their feelings of inferiority... Edited August 8, 2006 by AP_Hancock Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kstater94 Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Well put AP! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shadowy_one Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 ALL together now after 3 1......2.......3 RIGGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Cursed be thy name, o judge, and be condemned to building Starfix alone, now and evermore. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zactoman Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Well...I wasn't there and I haven't had much time lately to keep up with ARC, but I've been looking at the pics people have been submitting from the Nats. This Tomcat is one of the models that I kept going back to look at again and again. I don't know what the competition was like or what might have been on the judges minds. I can't imagine it was the paint work that dissuaded them... I hope Darren was able to find out why he didn't fare better and uses this knowledge for his next build and that not winning didn't spoil his time in KC... Congratulations on a beautiful build Darren :D Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Still one of the most beautiful builds I've seen ... Who cares what some stinkin' judges DON'T think anyway ??? Time to bring ol Ronnie's saying up again: "Well ... You can run but you can't hide !" Gregg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Randy Wise Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Darren, please accept these kind words from all who have posted here. Your Tomcat build is truly exceptional. I was a contest judge for 8 years. What got me out of it you ask? The other judges I had to work with. In all honesty, half of them were pretty decent and knew what a good build was. But the other half were dips. I could have stood for it if two - maybe three were a%$holes, but a dozen or more. Forget it! I used to chastise those idiots with their tiny mirrors, magnifying glasses and penlights. After the first time I saw that I refused to judge any catagory with someone who had to use any means other than their own two eyes to view a model. The final straw was when we were judging "Judges Favorite" and this one clown picked up a model that wasn't his and turned it over. Nuff said. The NATS judges be damned, you did fine work and the kudos form your peers here speak volumes for the work you've done. The guys here know good work when they see it. Most contest judges don't. Randy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parche Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Absolutely beautiful...I love the Sluggers markings...amazing work Darren. Cheers, Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foxtwo Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 looks like we've got the same problem with the quality of IPMS judges....all around the world.... wished to be there to take a look at your cat Darren, it looks like a great model in picture, the Slugger scheme is a great choice as we are overwhelmed by some more bright scheme ! all the details and the yellow colored adds make it an eyes catching ! i really have to be there next year. pat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 I hadn't checked in on this thread since Nats ended. Thanks for your kind words and support. I'm really not upset about it. I talked with one of the judges (he also happens to frequent this site) about the judging. I had a couple of panel lines that went to "no where" (I had overlooked highlighting the entire line, and it looked like it disappeared). This didn't take me out of the running, though. I was in the top group and it came down to subjectivity at that point. However, he did say that one of the judges said the model was too heavy on the "wear and tear". I had a good chuckle at that one, as this is the closest I've ever gotten to simulating what a weathered Tomcat looks like. There were a couple of other categories that I scratched my head at. I must not have seen what they saw. Will this stop me from entering contests? Probably not. What it does do is to reinforce the fact that I build for myself. If the judges like it, all the better. If they don't, it really doesn't matter. I was happy to find out that my collection of Navy planes took 2nd in the Collection category. It's funny how that works. The model I thought had a chance didn't do anything, and the ones I stuck in just because I thought they looked cool actually placed. The best part about the whole thing was meeting everybody from ARC. It was a total blast. If you can ever make a Nats, even if you have nothing to enter, it is well worth it. I know a large group are planning on getting together at the '08 Nats in VA Beach. If you can make it, plan on coming! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I'm sorry Darren, but that's just plain BS. Over weathered?? Obviously none of the clowns who did the judging have never seen an F-14 up close, or even in a book for that matter. The pannel line issue should have been overlooked due to the entire quality of the build. Personally, this is why I don't enter contests. The person who may be judging your model may not know the first thing about the a/c you've built and may not give you an accurate judging. I realize IPMS rules are generally in place, i.e.,"judge what's represented" and the rules of seams being filled, smooth finish, alignment, etc, are a given in judging, but to say a model is "over weathered" is just BS. How the hell would they know if a model was over weathered? Are they a former aircrew, maintainer, MMCO? I guess it's going to boil down that we start bringing photographic proof of what we build. But, if we do that, the judges may knock a few points off if we don't weather the model "exactly" like it was in the photo.. Rant off....now I'm off to Staples and the post office. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kent Tomlinson Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Darren, I've been viewing your Sluggers Tomcat since your initial build postings. It looks fantastic even from 500 miles away here in Denver! I spoke with a friend who was at the show and he had nothing but great comments on your weathering and execution. I think one thing that makes your Tomcat so interesting is the markings. We don't see Slugger markings from the mid 80s anywhere. I remember Paul Boyer's article in FSM in the mid 80s where he did the shadow-box "Got Em;" building the four F-14s in various scales escorting the 737 airliner. Those are great markings. Any chance of your new up and coming decal company doing these markings? Major hint, hint! Keep up the great work! Kent Tomlinson Parker, Colorado Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mungo1974 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Any chance of your new up and coming decal company doing these markings? Major hint, hint! Thats a great idea,It would be nice to have a pre-Jolly Rogers VF-103 Heritage sheet. Hint,Hint... I know they didn't have the best looking markings in the fleet,but a sheet with the mid 80's scheme you did. Desert Storm markings(the Jones/Slade Clubleaf 212 jet that was lost maybe?) Post DS markings Final pre JR markings(i know Aeromaster did "Flircat" the VF-103 Lantirn test jet..but this is hard to find thesedays) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel_B Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Thats a great idea,It would be nice to have a pre-Jolly Rogers VF-103 Heritage sheet. Hint,Hint... ^^ What they said. ^^ And if you don't think a Sluggers history sheet would sell well enough to make it worth it, maybe just pick one a/c (I vote Achille Lauro) and put it on a sheet with markings for something that would expect to be a popular seller? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kent Tomlinson Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Ditto to Mr. Hancock. The Achille Lauro markings plus a low-viz VF-1 off of the USS Ranger! Food for thought. Kent Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mungo1974 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 a low-viz VF-1 off of the USS Ranger! Which one?...EagleStrike(i think) did the overall Grey with dark grey markings. I'd like to see this one myself from VF-1's first cruise on the USS Ranger in 1980 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Man, you kids are impatient! Just when I start to get a pile of VF-1 material coming in, you go and ask the other parent! :blink: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TomcatFanatic123 Posted August 11, 2006 Share Posted August 11, 2006 Very nice...especially the helmets and the weathering job. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 (edited) Okay, yes, I know where my emotional loyalties lie, but YES I do enjoy the Sluggers birds up through DS, pre-JR. Edited August 12, 2006 by Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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