Our January meeting had 12 members in attendance. Everything is on track for our May contest. We tried out Michael’s and it is very nice there are tables and chairs for everyone so we will be meeting here from now on.

Lib at New Brookland is doing better but will still be out for a while. Steve Issacson and Tom Billet are now running the shop for Joe so please stop by and support our local hobby shop. 

Our website continues to grow and improve. The site address is  www.oocities.org/swamp001. Everyone will need to be featured to keep this site fresh. 

The contest flyer and entry forms are available for download directly from our website. So please pass that info on.

People have been asking for the following demos: Weathering of vehicles and aircraft, plastic polishing, Airbrush tips, natural metal finishes, airbrushing. So volunteers are needed.

We want to make sure that our flyers and Sumter’s are up in the local hobby shops. If you notice either club’s missing when you next visit a shop please let me know so they can be replaced. It is very important to let potential members know both clubs are out there.

Cal told us that we could still get a 20% at the Hobbytown in Augusta. We will have membership cards soon so you can show them to get the discount when you visit the Augusta show.

A special thanks to IPMS/Tidewater for sponsoring a trophy package at our upcoming contest.

New items on display for us to drool over were:

• Finescale Modeler new issue

• Flypast Magazine new issue

• New issue of SAMI

• Aeroplane Monthly new issue

• New issue of Air Classics

• 1/48 Hasegawa F-8E

• 1/350 Trumpeter USS Hornet

• 1/35 RSO Tractor

• 1/35Waffen SS figure

• 1/6 resin Yoda figure

• Andrea Dracula from last Dracula movie

• 1/5 Vlad the Impailer bust

• 1/30 Bandai Pzkw-IV Heuschrecke

• 1/6 Castle Creations Supergirl

• A great CD of Me-109 engine signs

Completed kits and in progress items were:

• 1/48” Monogram PBY-5A “Catalina” by Hub Plott

• 1/48 Hobbycraft Ju-88 nightfighter by John Helms

• 1/76 Matchbox Humber Mk.II by Paul Lovell

• 1/20 Running T-Rex sculpted by Mike Petryszak

• Satan’s Crate by John Shealy

• Polar Lights Bat Cycle by John Shealy

• Wrestler guy by John Shealy

Here’s a list of the upcoming contests and things of interest:

• Mar 29 – 30, Fairfax, VA contest

• Mar 29 – 30, Regional Contest, Orlando, FL

• Apr 2 – 8, EAA Sun-n-Fun, Lakeland, FL www.sun-n-fun,org

• Apr 5, Leed, AL* 

• Apr 7 – 27, Aviation World Fair, Williamsburg, VA www.awf2003.com (looks like that it’s been cancelled)

• Apr 12, Weirton, WV contest

• May 3, SCMA, Columbia, SC*

• May 10 – 11, USAF Museum Celebration of First Flight, Wright-Patterson AFB, (Dayton) OH www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/ 

• May 16 – 26, Festival of Flight, Fayetteville, NC www.festivalofflight.org

• May 17^th Our joint show, Lexington, SC*

• Feb. 8, Richmond, VA

• Mar.15, SCMA Greenville, SC* 

• Apr. 12, Knoxville,TN*

• May 24 – 25, Pope AFB, NC airshow*

• Jun 6 – 7, Region 3 Contest, Spartanburg, SC*

• Jun 25 – Jul 4, 25^th World Acrobatic Championships, Lakeland, FL www.wac2003.org

• Jul 2 – 5, IPMS/USA Nationals, Oklahoma City, OK* www.ipmsmetrookc.org/Nats_2003/index.html

• Jul 17 – 20, Dayton OH airshow www.inventingflight.com

• Jul 29 – Aug 4, EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, WI www.airventure.org

• Aug 2, Charlotte, NC contest*

• Sep 6 – 7, Virginia State EAA Fly-In, Petersburg-Dinwiddie, VA www.vaeaa.org

• Sep 6 – 7, Winston-Salem, NC airshow

• Sep 12 – 14, USAF Museum WW I Fly-In, Wright-Patterson AFB (Dayton), OH www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/

• Oct 3 – 4, Region 2 Contest, Reston, VA

• Nov 7 – 9 (?), Owen’s Field Airshow, Columbia, SC* www.celebratefreedomfoundation.org

• Dec 13 – 17, First Flight Centennial Celebration, Kill Devil Hills, NC  www.inventingflight.com

Those with an * are the ones members of our club and Sumter are planning to attend. If interested in joining us talk to Hub.

Next meeting:
March 18th will be our next meeting at 7:00PM at Michael’s off Harbison Blvd. This is a Tuesday! We will have lots to talk about and to show off our new purchases and built-ups too. So come on down and voice your opinion and participate. After all it is YOUR club.

Till next time

Hub