Fujimi 1/72 A-4G Skyhawk
One of two models I actually finished in time for IPMS Vancouver's "Big Mouth" contest. The rules are simple. Everyone builds the same kit out of the box. Aftermarket decals are fine but there can be no added detail - plastic, resin, photo etched or otherwise. The finished models were displayed in a local hobby shop and the general public (recently busted back to captain I understand) votes for the best one. The winner gets to be the "Big Mouth" who picks the kit for the next contest.
There was a clause in the rules catering to the clumsy people who broke bits off in that lost pieces could be replaced by scratchbuilt items. Some members, I think, took advantage of this clause. "Oops, I dropped the entire cockpit in my gerbil cage and they made a miniature La-Z-Boy out of it. Nevermind, I'll replace it with this scratchbuilt superdetailed cockpit - I'm allowed to under the "clumsy clause".
I didn't get to be the Big Mouth but in my defence the competition was pretty stiff. Ron Koropatnick won with his two seat A-4 and deservedly so - the man has inhuman powers when it comes to modelling. Many a junior member has been reduced to a quivering mass of jelly upon sight of Ron's superb models. No wait... that was me. I was the jelly. Probably caused by that dodgy sandwich I ate the day before.
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