Model Expo 2022

Model Expo returned with a vengeance last weekend. With no expo since 2019 (due to the pandemic) and many people at home building models (due to the pandemic), this was probably the largest Australian Model Expo there has been in this country – certainly, it was the largest I have been to!

The Australian Model Car Club reports there were 902 competition models entered for judging (Expo is also the Australian Open Plastic Scale Model Championships) plus around another 500 models making up the various club displays.

The event was held at Sandown Park Raceway in Melbourne across three days, June 17 to 19 The photo gallery below is a very small selection of what was on display.

My local club’s display (Pakenham Modellers’ Group) at Expo 2022. The display theme was “Firing On All Cylinders” with models arranged in order of the number of cylinders, commencing with a single cylinder motorbike. It meant our display had much larger variety of subjects than what many of the other club displays had.
With such a wide variety of models, topics and techniques, I could never select a definitive ‘best in show’. However, this ’37 Ford Coupe would be my pick for best car at Expo – and it’s not even a race car! Paint was perfect, the added detail so crisp and clean. It started as a Revell kit, so the builder has done a LOT of extra work here!
One of the better race cars of the show – 1/12 scale Ferrari 312 T4 from Tamiya, with lots of extra detail
I was impressed with the weathering on this truck
I can’t say I have a desire to enter the competition side of Expo, but if I’d entered this category with one of my 43rd scale builds, I reckon I would have pulled a trophy!
Nice effort on this AMT Indycar kit, which is known to be not such a great kit.
Australia’s Evel Knievel? I remember heading to the Royal Melbourne Show as a kid to see this guy perform, only to hear on the radio he’d shot himself in a motel room in North Melbourne. RIP Dale Buggins.
Under attack! Bit hard to see in the pic, but there are planes in the sky dropping bombs
I build race cars, but if I was to ever tackle a plane, it would probably be a commercial jet (or a pylon racer!)
Some of the military dioramas were brilliant
Jet plane assembly workshop
Trade support appeared strong with lots of kits, accessories and tools available to purchase. While there was plenty of “xx% Off” signage from some of the vendors, and there were probably bargains to be had, the stuff that I was interested in was still rather over priced. I hear, however, there were some decent value pickups from Sunday’s Swap & Sell event.
First time I’ve seen the 1:20 scale Brabham BT52 BMW from Beemax. Looks decent.
Swift to Destroy? I’m all for preserving history, but perhaps a better title for the modern day could have been used here.
I like unique – this diorama appears as if it’s been cropped with the ends sliced off, showing inside the models.
I thought this was clever – a whole bunch of movies are represented here, with miniatures of iconic scenes from each. What can you identify?
Good to see the censorship police didn’t cover up representation of history. (As most people realise, hiding history doesn’t mean it didn’t happen; but hiding history might prevent future generations from learning from it…)

Things not going so well in the field here… but a nice build.
Some of the Wixy500 models on show.
A quiet moment on Friday afternoon at Expo

1 thought on “Model Expo 2022”

  1. WOW, Thank you for your great message for my 1/350 YAMATO and cinema georama. I am Japanese artist.
    Also, I would like to know How do I connect business with georama artist. I used to work to master new car etc.
    ( I live in Melbourne)
    Taka

    Reply

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