BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: December 23, 2025

Nine people attended. Bobby summarized December's in-person meeting. The British sci-fi theme contest had nearly thirty entries, and the number of Holiday Desserts was only slightly less. The Annual Awards were presented, and the last raffle of 2025 was held. Details and photos are available on the BPMS website or Facebook page.

 

June's theme contest is Vertical Flight. Details HERE. 

 

We learned that AAA Hobbies and Crafts in Magnolia, NJ will close in 2026. Subsequently, Frank C sent the group a link to the story.

 

We saw Vaughn's T-34/85 and F-102, Frank C's Mig-23 and Mirage 3C J,  Gil's Lady of the Lake, and Russ' Mk2 Dalek.

 

Some guys couldn't wait for Santa and acquired Fairey Firefly Mk-7, F-14 D, SAAB B-18, and F-84 kits. 

 

This week's tool was a silicone tipped mascara applicator Gil found in the Dollar Store. Use it like a paintbrush. We heard about other tools, too. Simon uses cuticle clippers in place of sprue cutters. Vaughn likes pocketknife scissors for cutting photoetch and Bobby recently got a right-angle ruler for aligning parts. 

 

The question for discussion was what belongs on a modeler's naughty and nice lists?  Tamiya's F-14 D, Hasegawa's Canadian Hornet, Fine Mold's Phantoms, and a Harbor Freight airbrush holder made it to the nice list. Pre-owned, partially built kits were on the other list. Frank C spoke for many when he said the new stuff is nice but buying it is naughty.

 

With only nine in attendance, there was time to raise other questions, like how do you tell non modelers about the hobby and with AAA and others are going out of business, how long will your supplies last? We also had time for a painting tip from Bobby - a red base coat makes a gold topcoat pop.

 

The next meeting is Tuesday 12/30/25 at 7:30 pm. Join us and start your New Years Eve early. Invites to follow. 

 

~Russ

 

  

June 2026 Theme Contest: BPMS STRAIGHT UP!

BPMS Theme Contest June 2026

 

BPMS STRAIGHT UP!

For the June 2026 BPMS Theme Contest, build anything that takes off and lands vertically – helicopters, jump-jets, superheroes, spaceships, balloons, or birds. Entries can be anything as long as it flies Straight Up and lands Straight Down.  Frank, Angelo, and Joe are looking for controlled vertical flight, so no ballistic missiles or artillery rockets. Get your propeller beanies workin’ and think what goes Straight Up!

BPMS Annual Awards: 2025

Air

1^st:          Charlie Nelson

2^nd:         Frank Colucci

3^rd:         Steven Nelson

HM:       Chuck Contrino, Nestor Menar

 

Armor

1^st:          Joe Bergman

2^nd:         Kosta Lukyanov

3^rd:         Charlie Nelson

Hm:        Kevin App, Howell Serkin

 

Figure

1^st:          Kevin Kilkenny

2^nd:         Joe Bergman

3^rd:         Mike Isenberg

Hm:        Mark Mullen, Frank G

 

Sea

1^st:          Mark Mullen

2^nd:         Steven Nelson

3^rd:         Charlie Nelson

Hm:        Guy Ferrara, Angelo Takos

 

SciFi

1^st:          Julio Guadalupe

2^nd:         Gordon Cheung, Mike Isenberg

3^rd:         Kevin Kilkenny

Hm:        Angelo Takos

 

Misc

1^st:          Kevin App

2^nd:         Tom Govia

3^rd:         Tony Mancuso

Hm:        Tom Knoll, Jimmy Tissot

 

Most Popular Entry

1Q:         Charlie Nelson,  IL-2 Shturmovik

 2Q:         Mike Isenberg, Rainbow Connection

                Kevin Kilkenny, Iroquois

 3Q:         Joe Bergman, Mr Hyde

 4Q:         Charlie Nelson,  Sea Vixen

 

TOP GUN

Charlie Nelson

 

 

 Bert Berg Award

 Jeff Eng 

 

 

  

BPMS Inhouse Meeting: December 19, 2025

 ACTIVITIES DIRECTING

By Bobby Pokorny

December. There it is. Another year in the books! So this is what you can look forward to at the final meeting of 2025. 

British Sci-Fi Invasion Theme Contest: You’ve been building for this for MONTHS. Now is the time to bring in your model(s). Sponsored by Israel and Jeff, the group was challenged to build something that British based Sci-Fi. There are lots of options so we are expecting quite a variety! 

Annual Awards: Your humble narrator and BPMS secretary has been crunching the numbers for the annual contest and now we get to see the results of who YOU chose in each category, most popular entries, and who will be the TOP GUN!

Holiday Desserts: We encourage members to bring desserts to the December Meeting for our in-house year-end celebration. 

Holiday Dinner: At the time this is posted the Holiday Luncheon will have taken place. We are tried out a new place this year: Wheelers. Everyone seemed to be very happy with the food and service. Of course, it’s always a fun time with friends and family.

THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERSHIP FOR ANOTHER AMAZING AND MEMORABLE YEAR! 

HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A SAFE AND WONDERFUL 2026!

Meeting Date: DECEMBER 19, 2025
Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.
Feel free to come early and hang-out!

 

 

  

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: December 9, 2025

Naughty or nice, 12 largely contented modelers signed on to the BPMS Zoom last Tuesday to talk about their work in progress, what they want for Christmas, and what they’ve already treated themselves to leading up to the holiday. Local BPMS members enjoyed the holiday luncheon last Saturday at Wheeler’s in Sheepshead Bay. Frank G concluded, “The food was good, and the company was really nice.”

BPMS’s in-house kit supplier Lu reported the hoped-for Tamiya F-14D in 1/72 scale has yet to arrive. Like the new-technology DML Bf-109E3 kit in 1/48  from DML, the new Tomcat may be on-hand in time for the BPMS Holiday Meeting on Friday, December 19.

Wishing for nothing in particular, Vaughan renewed his New Year’s  resolution to build more models than he buys. He conceded that he failed miserably in 2025. Vaughan’s 1/72 scale Meng F-102 continues to make good progress and awaits decaling. His 1/35-scale T34 is being upgraded with aftermarket tracks, gun barrel, and grillwork. Vaughan gave a brief history of the T34 and the Soviet design considerations that shaped the classic tank.

Jimmy admitted, “I just buy whatever I want whenever I want it.” An on-line sale at Flying Leathernecks brought in decal sheets and alternative noses for 1/48 scale F-18 Hornets.  Jimmy said, “I have so many markings, I don’t know what I want to do.”

Incoming BPMS president Kevin echoed, “I buy what I want when I want,” with the caution that limited-run fantasy figures can disappear quickly. He continues work on an early Romulan ship inspired by Star Trek fan fiction.

Among several works in progress, Simon showed off his classic Airfix Whirlwind in 1/72 scale and a Polikarpov I 153 from the old Heller kit. He awaits a reissue of the relatively new-tool 1/72 Halifax bomber from Revell and noted, “They sold it only for a short while.”

Chuck declared, “I’m keeping my credit card in my pocket,” and added, “I’ve got to get some things built before I buy some more.” A new ergonomic gaming chair for Chuck’s modeling bench waits for his birthday in July.

Godon continues working on his Stormbringer GunPla robot and said, “I don’t have anything for Christmas, nothing new. “ He nevertheless fancies the updated Striker mobile gun system from Ryefield Models with the caveat, “It’s not something I really, really need.  It’s not my priority.”

Undeterred by such Grinchly thoughts, Frank C finally acquired the still-new-tool 1/72 Vulcan bomber from Airfix. He continues work on the Special Hobby Mirage IIIC in 1/72 scale and hopes the company follows through with plans for the Mirage IIIE and subsequent delta fighters.

Frank G was making quick work on the classic Revell (Monogram) Wright Flyer and wished for reissues of the Captain America and Superman kits from Aurora.

Bobby continues work on a thumb-size sci-fi tank, but decaled, “I’ve been nice not naughty.  I’m selling stuff off from eBay, making space and making money at the same time.” Bobby stil confessed an urge for models of the cars he once owned, including a four-door Ford Maverick 302 and sort-of classic Chrysler Royal.

Gil also continues to thin out his plastic kit collection. “I think I have everything I want. With printers and resin, I can make my own stuff.” Gi’s latest figure project was a 1/16 scale Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, 3-D printed from on-line STL files. In far-off Connecticut, he continues his quest for new tools -- Harbor Freight offers a set of small brushes to clean out airbrush passages.  Gil voiced a Christmas wish shared by the group: “To be healthy for myself and everyone else to build the models.”

There is no BPMS Zoom meeting this coming Tuesday, but the live, in-person meeting Friday, December 19 will feature our British Sci-Fi theme contest and contributed desserts!

See ya there!

~Frank C 

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 12/2/2025

TOPIC: What's your go-to measuring tool, ruler, scale ruler, protractor, dividers, syringe, feeler gauge? Or maybe you just go by eye. Nothing wrong with that.

Tried something new, hosted the first session as usual, and hosted the second session from my phone. If you couldn't sign in to Part 2, my apologies. 

 

Sixteen people attended. Saturday the 6th will be busy. Frank DeSisto will give a tour of Hanger B at Floyd Bennett Field, in Brooklyn, at 9:30 am and the BPMS Holiday Lunch will be at Wheelers, 1705 Sheepshead Bay Road, also in Brooklyn, at 1pm. 

 

Lou reports Tamiya's 1/72 F-14 D is now available. 

 

If you're good at diagnosing problems with Gaahleri airbrushes, Vaughn would like to hear from you. 

 

Speaking of Gaahleri, Angelo likes Gaahleri Kaleido paints- gloss automotive and mecha colors only. The new paint sprays like lacquer without smell. 

 

Other tips - Bobby thinks that file folder racks would be good for organizing sprues during construction and Mark said that he finds No.22 X-Acto blades are more versatile/useful than No. 11 blades.

 

We saw Vaughn's F-102 and T-34 (a tank, who'da thunk it?), Mr. K's I-165, Twin Beech, PBY-5 and Native American Chief figure, Chuck's P-38 and Ilyushin Il-2 (with a clear plastic disc taking the place of a broken propeller), Angelo's Eagle (from Space 1999), Mark's T-72 and M5A1 Stuart, Frank's Mirage IIIC and Hawk (from Space 1999), Gil's 3D printed Swamp Buggy racing vehicle, Russ' Mk 2 Dalek and Bobby's 3D printed British Sci-fi tank. 

 

Acquisitions included: F-5, 3D printed pilots from Reed Oak (Jimmy is impressed  by the quality and is stocking up because they may be closing down) and an arch light designed for manicure salons but ideal for workbenches (see the link on the Zoom Meeting Team Chat).

 

The featured tool was a carbon odor control pre-filter for a paint spray booth. It's useful if you can't vent outdoors. 

 

Discussing methods of measurement, small metal rulers and flexible plastic were very popular. Old school drafting tools, a compass, and dividers were mentioned. Digital calipers come in handy. So does the small 90-degree metal measuring triangle Mark uses. 

 

The next BPMS get-together is Saturday, the 6th, at Wheeler's at 1pm. The next Zoom meeting is Tuesday, the 9th, at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope you can make it.

 

~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting Report: 11/25/2025

Thanksgiving Theme Question: For what recent kit, tool, finish are you most Thankful?  

 

Eleven people signed on to the Nov. 25 Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society  Zoom meeting and shared ideas on Thanksgiving for modelers. Frank C. was especially grateful we have a thriving BPMS after 50+ years.

Lou reported the Tamiya F-14D was not yet in stock, but observed the three Tamiya F-35s gave his customers reason to be grateful. Modelers now have a choice of good Lightning II variants from several manufacturers.

Erasmo gave thanks for the Tamiya and Hasegawa kits that made his modeling life better. With the passing of Shunsaku Tamiya, Erasmo concluded, “We really owe it to him.” Erasmo also noted tweezers are the modeling tool he cannot live without.

Vaughan showed his Meng F-102 work in progress and noted, “I will be thankful for a decent set of decals.”  The group also discussed the value of both extra-thin and regular Tamiya bottle cements as replacements for Vaughan’s classic tube glue.

Jimmy’s latest acquisitions included a new F-14B sheet with VF-102 markings from DXM in Taiwan. His recent eBay excursions also snagged Canadian F-18 markings from Leading Edge and IPMS Canada. Jimmy was especially thankful for the 3-D printing revolution. Because, “It just makes it easier to add something to your kit.” 3-D printed accessories now include super detailed Hornet noses and missile rails.

Gil showed a 1/12 scale Lady of the Lake 3-D printed from programs available on-line and expressed his thanks for versatile 3-D printers.  “If I need tools, I’m at the point where I can make ‘em.” Despite the potential of tools printed at home, Gil’s latest Tool of the Week was an inexpensive four-airbrush holder found at Harbor Freight.

Mark N ran across an especially well-stocked gaming shop in Lake Superior, New York and showed his gaming-scale Panzer III tank ready for painting.  He asked why there hasn’t been a bid for the IPMS National Convention from a chapter in the Northeast for 25 years. Hartford Connecticut is now floating the idea of the Nats in 2030. Mark also noted the inexpensive airbrushes now found on Amazon and said, “I think we have to thank the Gundam industry for the economies of scale.”

Chuck continues work on his Hasegawa P-40. As an aside, he expressed his shared hatred of Windows 11. Kevin showed a Star Trek Romulan warship kit from Ugh models and the Mandalorian Gozanti Cruiser from JPG models. He also showed a massive ½ scale werewolf bust from sculptor Troy McDivit and a Medusa figure found on Etsy. Despite the modeling riches, Kevin declared, “I’m not thankful for anything, damnit!”

Gordon continues his valuable work on the BPMS Facebook page. He and showed images of Mark M’s beautiful Bismark dutifully scrubbed of historical Swastikas for the internet.

Zoom ringmaster Bobby showed off a thin-blade cellphone disassembly tool from Ali Express suitable for prying apart incorrectly assembled parts. His Work in Progress was a Warhammer Rhino tank among other fantasy projects. Bobby concluded the meeting with a truism “The worst mistake for anyone building for a contest is having too many models you want to build -- You’re going to get zero done.”

The next BPMS Zoom meeting will be on Tuesday, December 2. Invites to follow.  The BPMS Holiday Luncheon will be Saturday, December 6 at Wheeler’s restaurant, 1705 Sheepshead Bay Rd, Brooklyn. The Live BPMS meeting will be Friday, December 19, featuring the British Sci Fi theme contest and deserts for which to be thankful. 

 

~Frank C 

 

  

BPMS Inhouse Meeting: November 21, 2025

ACTIVITIES DIRECTING

By Bobby Pokorny

The November meeting is one of our busiest all year! A LOT going on!

 

Contest Night - 4Q: This is the final installment of the quarterly contest so bring in your work to collect some extra votes. With any luck I should have the numbers crunched and the awards ready for the December meeting.

 

Super Raffle: The prolific get rewarded. For each new model you brought in during the last year you get one Super Raffle Ticket. In addition, if you completed your Pledge model by last month, you get an additional FIVE Super Raffle tickets. We usually have a nice selection of prizes, but if anyone wants to donate anything, feel free to bring it in to this meeting.

Meeting Date:
NOVEMBER 18, 2025
Members start showing up by 5PM to set up.
Feel free to come early and hang-out!

 

Floyd Bennett Field Tour with Frank D on 12/06/2025

A message From Frank D:

I hope all is well with you and the gang. Since the government is now open, I am scheduling the tour of the harp hanger at Floyd Bennett for 0930, Saturday, December 6th Please spread the word and let me know who may wish to come. All are welcome, including family members, etc.

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 11/11/2025

Ten people attended. it was good to see Chi again. It's been a while. 

No Tuesday Zoom next week, the November in-person meeting is Friday, the 21st. Come and enjoy the Super Raffle and the last quarterly contest of 2025. 

The LIMCS (figure) show is Saturday , 11/15/24, at the Freeport Rec Center on Long Island, and the Big Apple Comic Con is Saturday, 11/22/25 at the New Yorker Hotel, 481 8th Ave, in Manhattan. 

The holiday luncheon will be at Wheeler's, 1705 Sheepshead Bay Road, Brooklyn on Saturday, 12/6/25 at 1 pm. $45.00 per person. The subway (Q) is nearby. 

Lou reports Academy's 1/144 B-2 and Tamiya's 1/35 Pak 38 are available. 

Bobby said the IPMS Journal is looking for articles. They're happy to edit the text but they have specific requirements for pictures. Contact Bobby directly if you're interested. 

The on-line company Mega Hobby announced it is going out of business next year. Until then, keep checking their website for clearance sales. 

A new Harbor Freight has opened in Brooklyn at the intersection of Ave U and Nostrand Ave, across from Brennan and Carr (a landmark for the guys from Brooklyn). 

We saw Vaughn's F-100, Kevin's Mothman and Doomsday Rocket (from Beneath the Planet of the Apes), Simon's VL Myrsky (a vintage Aviation-Usk kit), Frank G' s Wright Flyer, Gil's 3D printed Steampunk Female figure and Bobby's TL-800 (a testbed for sponge painting). 

Acquisitions included: F-14 B, F-18 C/D Hornet decals, 3 D Printed Schurzen hangers for A/D Panthers, and 3D Printed GR-20 and Sidewinder missiles from Fab Scale. 

A 1-2-3 block was the featured tool. Designed for machinists to check squareness, measure, mark/scribe, 1-2-3 blocks are also useful for model construction. Another, albeit much cheaper tool, is he cardboard egg carton. Simon showed us how it can be used to hold an aircraft in position for assembly or painting. Also good for organizing small parts. 

The Black Friday discussion was interesting. To Lou, the third Friday of every month is Black Friday, and we appreciate it. Gil wants to thin out his stash, so send him your list and if he has what you want, he'll give you a Black Friday price. We had time to discuss other things, the history of the F-100 A,C and D and how judging systems can influence modelers, especially those who build to follow specific contest rules in hopes of winning rather than building, or trying to build, a quality model. 

The next meeting is Friday, 11/21/25 at the Community Center in Brooklyn. Doors open around 5pm, and the meeting starts around 7:30. Forget Mega Millions, think Super Raffle! Our big winners won't have relatives coming out of the woodwork asking for a share of the prize. At least, I don't think they will.

~Russ

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting: 11/04/2025

Featured Discussion: Election Day!

Thirteen people attended and voted. Here, in alphabetical order, are the top two in each race: best kit manufacturer - Hasegawa, Tamiya (Jimmy cast a write in vote for our own Israel A), best paint- Tamiya, Vallejo (Bobby wrote in craft store paint, Gil wrote in Amsterdam Inks), best airbrush - Paasche H, Iwata (Mark wrote in " the one that's not clogged"), best glue - Tamiya thin, Tamiya airbrush thinner (tube glue was Vaughn's write in), least useful aftermarket accessory - many contenders but no clear winner. Here they are, you decide - brass toothpicks, sawtooth X-Acto blades, anything photoetch, Dremel sets, and things you would have made for yourself if you knew what they looked like before you bought them, like the proprietary paint chipping tool that's nothing more than a piece of sponge on a stick. 

Now, back to our regular program.
Lou reports Meng's winterized Kubelwagon and Amusing Hobby's T-80 U (with interior), both in 1/35, are available. 

The Freeport Rec Center will host the LIARS (car) show on 11/8/25 and the LIMCS (figure) show on 11/14-15/25. 

The holiday party is at 1 pm Saturday, 12/6/25 at Wheeler's, 1705 Sheepshead Bay Road, Brooklyn. $45.00 per person. 

Mark complemented Frank C for our chapter's prompt re-chartering. 

Erasmo was on the road, and he shared a photo of the Short SC-1 on display at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, Northern Ireland. 

We saw Vaughn's F-100 and RF-101, Kevin's Nightmare, Mothman and Doomsday Bomb (from Beneath the Planet of the Apes), Erasmo's RF-101, Mark's H-35, Frank C's F-4 G and Bobby's TL 800. Acquisitions included: B-58 Hustler, F-106 A Delta Dart and CF-188. 

The featured tool was, oddly enough, a glass file Gil found in the dollar store. Glass files may be of limited use but, for $1.25, why not get a few? 

The next meeting is Tuesday, 11/11/25 ay 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Hope to see you there.

A correction: I forgot to mention that some people felt glass files belonged in the least useful category.

~Russ 

  

IPMS Brooklyn Scale Modeler Society - Recharted for 2026

On behalf of the Northeast Region, it is with great pride I can recognize Brooklyn as the very first chapter to recharter.

Records indicate IPMS Brooklyn Scale Modelers has successfully rechartered for the 2026 modeling year. You have 23 active IPMS members.

Mark N.
IPMS Northeast Region Coordinator

BPMS Zoom Mini Meeting 10/28/2025

Ten people attended. 

 
Lou reported MiniArt's 1/48 P-47 M is available and Frank C said there was a new Chinook from Airfix .
 

The BPMS holiday party will be Saturday, 12/6/25 at Wheeler's, 1705 Sheepshead bay Road, Brooklyn, at 1 PM. $45.00 per person. Let me know if you're interested.
 

BayCon is 11/2/25 in Franklin, MA and there will be two events at the Freeport Rec Center, on Long Island, the LIARS (car) show on 11/8/25 and the LIMCS (figure) show on 11/14-15 /25.
Frank and Vaughan were wondering how to correct some rotor heads (not to be confused with the heavy metal band) and Gil offered to investigate a 3D printed option.
 

We saw Vaughn's F-100 and F-10, Kevin's Nightmare, Chuck's P-38 and Sturmovik and Simon's Yokosuka H5Y-1. Frank C acquired a reference book for the Sepecat Jaguar.
 

This week's tool was a JM Y10 ultrasonic cutter/polisher. The blades move at 40K vibrations per second, making it good for removing delicate parts from runners. It will cut plastic, fiberglass, photo etch, resin. Gil was very impressed by this tool. Just remember to order the US, not Japanese style, plug.
 

Most of us buy kits and supplies online, but we've spent time and money at these old school hobby shops:
Bayshore Hobbies, 2056 Sunrise Highway, Bayshore, NY 11706
Willis Hobbies, 300 Willis Ave, Mineola, NY 11501
Brownie's Pro & Sport Hobbies, 124 Bennett St, Staten Island , NY, 10302
AAA Hobbies &Crafts, 706 N White Horse Pike, Magnolia ,NJ 08049 (affiliated with online company Mega Hobby)
The Model Railroad Shop, 290 Vail Ave, Piscataway, NJ, 08854
Westchester Train & Hobbies, 650 Lee Blvd, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Danbury Hobby Center, 123 South Main St, Newtown, CT 06470
Burbank's House of Hobbies, 911 Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA, 91502 

Brookhurst Hobbies, in Garden Grove (Orange County) Calif 
Front Line Model Kits & Hobbies, 18 W Beverly St, Staunton, VA, 24401
 

The next meeting is Tuesday, 11/4/25 at 7:30 pm. Invites to follow. Put your pumpkins away and join us. See you there.

~Russ

New BPMS Benefit

 

New BPMS Benefit

 

Beginning in January meeting, from 5 to 7PM, members can bring a model to work on or get an opinion or advice with a sticking point.

 For the past year or so the meeting room has been opened to us at 5PM for those wishing to arrive early and “hangout and talk models.”

 Thanks to an idea brought to the club by member Eric E., who asked can we work on a kit during that time? President-elect Kevin K. started putting the pieces together and Facilities Director, Vinny R., has given the OK, providing the tables are protected, to bring your and work on your current model.

 Let’s see the kit your building pre-meeting from 5 to 7PM!