Madison NATS 2024
Here are some highlights from the 2024 NATS…what a great show. As can be expected, there were some spectacular models on display, more like looking at works of art. The Vendor room was massive and full of all kinds of things I don’t need…but bought anyways :). Eduard, Squadron, Andy’s Hobby HQ, Tamiya, ICM, and many many more were well represented. I spent most of my time gravitating in and out of the Eduard "store". There was a nice discount offered so I picked up the new boxing of the P-51B and another set of overtrees. All the Brassin bits were on sale as well so I picked up the engine and gun bays for the P-51B. By Saturday afternoon they were pretty well cleaned out of overtrees and the new 1/72nd P-51s seemed to be picked over pretty well. Most vendors were packing up by noon on Saturday...which didn't bother me, I was spending wayyy too much...but I did hear some grumblings. I took photos of just about everything. The pictures tell the story better than I can. The lighting wasn’t the best…but it’s a hotel…
Thanks for sharing the pictures, Jim, looks like it was a great show.
👍👍
Few more… :). I apologize for double posting some of them…lots of photos on the phone
47 attached images. Click to enlarge.
One more…
48 attached images. Click to enlarge.
Remarkable works. Photos awesome. Thank you.
Great googly moogly! There is a lot of good stuff there. I have some trouble discerning the scale of some of the entries, but then it’s my fault for not attending. Sometimes you can glean telltale information from partial views of entry forms like the Coral Sea SBD, S-3. It is a 1/48 Monogram - wait, whaaat? A kit from 1959! Maybe I should focus on my golf game for a while.
And thank you for posting all of these great entries.
I should have paid more attention to including the documentation cards...most of the photos are 1/48 and 1/32 selections. 1/72 is too small for my fat fingers...although...the quality was no less astounding.
Looks like a great show! Hanks for,posting!
Thank you for posting them! Very nice works,
Thanks for posting all of these cool photos, Jim (@jimh). NATS are always a fun time. I always have a ton of trouble getting my photos to upload, you apparently have the magic touch to get this many to upload. Well done.
you bet! It took a couple tries...this was my first NATS...won't be the last. Would be fun to organize a group build. The Doolittle Raiders was the theme this year...maybe brainstorm that a bit. Spent a lot of time with the Model Geeks podcasters...drank some beer, and enjoyed the camaraderie.
Definetely looking forward to next year. It's going to be in Hampton Virginia, which is just up the road from Jerry Yagen's Military Aviation Museum. For those that don't know, Jerry has ammased a vast collection of warbirds and basically replicated the layout that Kermit Weeks pioneered in Florida...except everything flies. You name it and Jerry probably has 1. He also bought and transported an original Luftwaffe hangar from Cottbus Germany and the Control Tower from Goxhill England. Goxhill was home to various 8th and 9th AF fighter groups including the 1st, 52nd, 78th, 353rd, 356th, and the 358th...all at various times during the war. Worth a google search and a visit during the NATS show.
Thanks Jim! Good stuff.
Thanks for all these photos. What an awesome collection of inspiring entries. Outstanding overall.
Been drooling over the videos of the event. Just wow.
Seeing that yellow on the P-38 'Bat Out of Hell' pretty much convinces me it has to be a lighting trick on the photo itself. That is too bright.
I wish I could have gone just to see all those B-25Bs lined up like that. Anything Doolittle I'm in. Was fortunate to meet Dick Cole one more time before his passing and had him sign the wing of my Accurate Miniatures' B-25B.
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
The B-25 display was really impressive…and massive. It was a real highlight. Glad you got to meet Cole, he was a real gem and was flying B-25s (right seat) nearly to the end.
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Thanks for the extra photos. I am simply in awe of so many very nice looking B-25s.
Thanks for sharing. I love that United DC-3. Also, is the P-38 with yellow leading edges legit?
There are some photos…found these on Britmodeler…and a couple on Google. I didn’t deep dive how they determined the yellow bits. It was based in Tunisia. The DC-3 was stunning. Always wanted to do an Eastern 3…this was great inspiration
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"Bat Out of Hell" was real. First photo showing the whole airplane even appears in one issue of Squadron/Signal's P-38 in Action book.
Eduard has even made a decal sheet for 1/48 P-38F/G kits # D48047 that has "Bat Out of Hell" Sardinia 1943 with red wing tips and red prop hubs.
Thanks for all the eye candy!
Not really. I have a review of a more correct version of Bat Outta Hell using the Tamiya P-38F kit. The yellow leading edges was more a trick of lighting than yellow. This info I got indirectly from the son of the pilot. The only yellow was the prop hubs. It doesn't detract from the quality of the model in question.
I kinda wished that Bat Outta Hell actually did have yellow leading edges because it looks cooler.
Definitely cooler looking, but with all that yellow I need sunglasses. This s not to detract from the great build itself. Just this plane is a markings rabbit hole.
Jim, thanks for sharing. Looks like a good turn out, with a lot of very nice models. I've always had a good time at the Nationals.
...thank you so very much...these are super...
Thanks a lot for sharing, Jim @jimh
Lots of wonderful builds.
Lots of wonderful pics of wonderful models, Jim!
Thanks for sharing!