AugustAAuugugusstt 201622001166 BRINGING HISTORY TO LIFE See pages 24-26! Victory! Victory over Japan Day is the day on which Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect ending the war. The term has been applied to both of the days on which the initial announcement of Japan’s surrender was made – to the afternoon of August 15, 1945, in Japan, and, because of time zone differences, to August 14, 1945. AmericanAmerican servicemenservicemen andand womenwomen gathergather inin frontfront ofof “Rainbow“Rainbow Corner”Corner” RedRed CrossCross clubclub inin ParisParis toto celebratecelebrate thethe unconditionalunconditional surrendersurrender ofof thethe Japanese.Japanese. 1515 AugustAugust 19451945 Over 200 NEW & RESTOCK Items Inside These Pages! • PLASTICPPLAASSSTTIIC MODELM KITS • MODEL ACCESSORIES • BOOKS & MAGAZINES • PAINTS & TOOLS • GIFTS & COLLECTIBLES See back cover for full details. Order Today at WWW.SQUADRON.COM or call 1-877-414-0434 August Cover Version 1.indd 1 7/7/2016 1:02:36 PM Dear Friends One of the most important model shows this year is taking place in Columbia, South Carolina in August…The IPMS Nationals. SQUADRON As always, the team from Squadron will be there to meet you. We look forward to this event because it gives us a chance to PRODUCTS talk to you all in person. It is the perfect time to hear any sugges- tions you might have so we can serve you even better. If you are at the Nationals, please stop by our booth to say hello. We can’t wait to meet you and hear all about your hobby experi- ences. On top of that, you’ll receive a Squadron shopping bag NEW with goodies! Our booth number is 819. On the home front we’ve got lots of great things going on! We took in a couple new lines this month (Merit & HK Models) and container loads are arriving at out dock doors numerous times a week! You will find loads of new kits in this flyer from Eduard, Special Hobby, Kinetic, ICM and more. In this flyer, you will see many new products we are looking forward to sharing with you. In our Heroes and Warriors line, we’re releasing a new 1/35th set of figures; Waffen SS Sniper Team - WAH35515 (p. 30) and Squadron Products expands its offerings with SQ10822 - Drill Bit Assortment 1.05-2mm to compli- NEW Drill Bit Assortment 1.05-2mm ment the Drill Bit Index with larger sized bits. Precision drill bit assortment containing Hot from the press is the new Squadron Signal - Me. Bf 109 In Action book written the finest quality steel HSS drill bits. 15 by Hans Heiri Stapfer. This book tells the story of the most prolific German fighter piece set with sizes ranging from 1.05mm of World War II, documented with lots of rare photos and interesting editorial. to 2mm in .05mm increments up to 1.5 Don’t forget to check our website at www.Squadron.com for updates and deals and our Helpdesk for any model related issues. It is always open and a great re- mm then .1mm increments to 2mm. source for your modelling needs. Be sure to take a look at our video library we have Used for all micro drilling projects in developed to help you learn new tips and tricks to make your models take flight! wood, plastics and soft metals. Will fit in See you all soon! most rotary tools or hand held pin vises. Cheers! Sizes: 1.05, 1.1, 1.15, 1.2, 1.25, 1.3, 1.35, Jef Verswyvel 1.4, 1.45, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2mm Chief Modeler at Squadron SQ10822 $14.99 $13.49 NEW Messerschmitt Bf 109 In Action Stapfer. By the time the Third Reich collapsed in 1945, the Messerschmitt firm had produced some 34,000 examples of the legendary Bf 109, making it the most prolific aircraft of the era. Key to this tre- mendous output and to the plane’s longevity was a simple design that allowed rapid production – even by unskilled Zwangsarbeiter (forced laborers) – and gave Messerschmitt an advantage over the Focke Wulf Fw 190. Packed with 200 vintage photos, line drawings, and color profiles, the Messerschmitt Bf NEW 109 in Action covers the entire career of the Bf 109 in all its versions and variations. 80 pages. SS10243 $19.95 $17.99 WWW.SQUADRON.COM 2 TOLL FREE: 1-877-414-0434 Inside Cover.indd 1 7/7/2016 10:06:48 AM To Win or Not to Win • By Jef Verswyvel OOver the weekend, as I was puttering around the house, I couldn’t help but pause every little bit to gaze with a smile on the many dioramas and individual models I have completed over the years. Each one recalls a story for me; the challenges I had building; theth techniques I tried in finishing, and the fun I have had sharing these stories – as well as the history of these models with others. As IIl look k ahead h dt toward d attending tt the IPMS Nationals 2016, it brings me joy to know I will soon have the chance to see the work of so many fellow modelers as well. To witness the many contenders bringing their artwork to the show, transported in Tupperware containers and protected with toilet paper, reminds me of how special this hobby has been for so many. I used to be a big competitor at model shows when I was a lot younger. I would go above and beyond and most of the time to the extreme, to try to win the coveted 1st prize – which would usually be a $3.75 award with an engraved plaque that announced in a burnished manner that you were the King for a Day. As I grew older and when competition became a lot more aggressive, I started to look at it differently and realized that winning is not all that important. It actually never was. Agreed, it is a great feeling to completely finish a project and to show the outside world that you are capable of retelling history with your own expression of creativity; to build a model kit that will keep people captivated for more than 3 seconds when they undertake the effort to walk over and look at it. But competition also has a down side. I can’t remember the exact number of times when some modeler told me that he would never bring his project to a show out of fear to embarrass himself when he had to put it on the table next to possible “winners”. Although he wanted to put his work on display, he sadly felt like he only would besmirch the tablecloth and not be worthy to put his model next to someone who spent $50 to install the “correct” rudder pedals in his Messerschmitt! What a shame! What everyone needs to keep in mind is winning a model contest is not all that important when you think about it. While it is nice to be recognized and take home the prize – the true fun comes from competing and challenging yourself to become a better modeler. Now don’t get me wrong here. There is nothing off beam or sinful to compete and as I mentioned at the beginning, I was deep into it. I once bought a $100 (back then) 1/32nd Tamiya F-14 for the canopy, two Blue Thunder helicopters for the helmets and a Revell F-4 for its drop-tank so I could finish a conversion! Crazy! Was it worth it? Hell yes! I won everything there was to win and more and I loved every minute of being in the spotlight! Since then I became a little bit more conservative, realizing that showing my model, without the anxiety of being judged by your peers, is just as exciting. More so, it is inviting. Sharing tricks I learned in the building and finishing process with other modeler….and more importantly – hearing ideas from others who saw my work was a real treat. I am sure there would be a lot more models on the table if there were more opportunities to show this work devoid of competitive pressure and the relief that theyhey are not trying to be the Quasimodo in the room. But all in all, we modelers are passionatee about our hobhobby,by, which sometimes leads to funny situations. Anecdotes we can all laugh about when we reminisce at the Convention-onvention- hotel bar. And that is also a big piece of thehe hobby. Chill out, enjoy your model and have a beereer with friends! So the moral of the story is this; love yourr work and don’t be afraid to share it with others. Enjoynjoy telling the stories that come from enjoying the hobbyby and don’t Come and worry about the competition. Focus on thehe ffun!un! Visit Us at If you are at the Nationals, be sure to comeme and see us at our booth (819)! Bring pictures of your pprojectsrojects to share the IPMS with us and most of all…..keep on modeling!eling! Nationals! Cheers! Jef Verswyvel tO wIN.indd 1 7/7/2016 12:47:36 PM Vallejo Acrylic Paints/Weathering Model Air ‘Air War Color Series’ Paint Sets Weathering Effects Mud Effects 40ml Bottle Engine Effects 40ml Bottle European Splash Mud 40ml bottle. Oil Stains 40ml bottle. VJ73801 $5.99 VJ73813 $5.99 Russian Splash Mud 40ml bottle. Fuel Stains 40ml bottle. RAF Colors Bomber & Training Air RAF Day Fighters Pre-War to 1941 VJ73802 $5.99 VJ73814 $5.99 Command 1939-1945 (8) Model Air (8) Model Air airbrushable acrylic colors in Engine Grime 40ml bottle.