Stathis Mamais’ incredible model won the inaugural BAMM competition! Completely scratchbuilt, aside from the figure, he made it from everyday objects and materials, like copper parts, plastic parts, and paper. Stathis engraved the book’s cover and the model’s gears using 3D lasers. He crafted the globe at the base from plastic layers and the continents from thick aluminum foil.
Goran Djordjevic superdetailed his Aircraft/Real Space category-winning Hasegawa 1/72 scale F-14D with all-scratchbuilt details. He exposed the interior detailing and added a mechanism to move the wings.
Steve Shaffer’s Rye Field Models 1/35 scale M1240A2 M-ATV with the CROWS II remote turret won the Armor category. He airbrushed it with MR Paint lacquers and weathered it with pastels and panel-line washes. The radio wiring and some of the engine plumbing were created with lead wire.
Mark Jones scratchbuilt and machined parts, including the wheels, brakes, radiator, intake, master cylinders, and all the bolts and hardware for this Automobiles/Motorcycle category-winning Tamiya 1/12 scale JPE Caterham “Superb 7.” He made the full nitrous-oxide injection system, a stamped brass license plate, a complete set of Autometer gauges, a fire extinguisher, and a Fix-a-Flat can. Mark scratchbuilt the exhaust, windshield, and mirrors. He used Corvette Admiral Blue to paint the vehicle and designed and printed the decals.
Jack Lynch scratchbuilt the base for his 90mm Dolman Miniatures “Wild Bill” kit, winning him an award for the Figure/Gundam/Mech category.
In the Juniors category, Shawn Kuhn shined with his Takom 1/35 scale StuH42.
Clay Pennington built the People’s Choice-winning Trumpeter 1/32 scale AD-6 Skyraider to represent a VA-176 bird from the second tour to the South China Sea aboard USS Intrepid in 1966.
This Ship category winner was not a kit. Doug Wallin scratchbuilt his 1/12 scale Riviera, from the wooden boat to the metal-frame trailer. This is a duplicate of an actual, full-size, custom-built boat manufactured by Ferrari that Doug says he “became obsessed with building” in scale model form.
Junior modeler Logan Malkovskii built Tamiya’s 1/24 Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050. Behind the car is a photo with the signatures of Toyota’s 2022 WEC team to give the model a cool and fitting background.
William Muyco built this scene using the Italeri 1/35 scale LCVP with US Infantry kit as a tribute to D-day: Operation Overlord. In this scene, the Allies gather to face the Nazis. William painted the figures using two different schemes: in-color and grayscale. He shared that this represents that not all of the soldiers would make it back home.
This wacky creation made by Fabrizio Fae is what he likes to call a “Steampunk Monocycle” in 1/24 scale. He said that this scratchbuilt project made from mainly metal and plastic “was so much fun to build” but he couldn’t say the same for the tediousness of cutting all the bricks in the pavement.
This is John Cook’s Revell 1/72 Babylon 5 Starfury that he modified and improved. He removed and re-scribed all the original raised panel lines, opened several access panels, and inserted wires and other inner workings. John damaged the upper starboard engine nacelle with several holes revealing the interior. Aftermarket lights and a 3D-printed launch gantry help finish the model.
Robert Schmitt painted this Escape Hatch Hobbies 1/4 scale “Deadnaught” bust with acrylics and weathered it with oils.
Steven Simmons primarily painted this resin 1/8 scale Street Singer with acrylics and pastel powders. He drew the skull details on her jacket with pencil. Impressive!
Joe Hudson’s Darth Maul came from a 3D print designed by Fotis Mint and printed by Nate Mueller. Joe says that it is approximately 4 inches tall.
This is the instantly recognizable Kenworth truck from Smokey and the Bandit. Raymond Potter constructed “Snowman's tractor-trailer” using a classic AMT Kenworth W925 tractor and an AMT 1/25 scale Big Rig semi trailer. He made the decals himself.
Inspired by a real custom Impala Tony Hartjes saw as a child, he started customizing a Revell 1/25 scale Impala kit. Tony decked the hood, swapped the front chrome trim into the quarter panels, molded the side pipes into the rocker panels, and smoothed the bumper. His Impala sits on Z-man wheels covered in Alclad II paint.
John Rothermel built a Lindberg 1/25 scale ‘64 Dodge 330 and beat it up! He modeled the body damage with a candle and heat gun, gutted the interior, relocated the fuel cell, and put the battery in a milk crate. He weathered with salt and Tamiya powders. John welded the door tab closed and chained the hood and deck lid.
Gary Skelton modeled one of the very first small race cars, the 1908 Isotta Fraschini Tip FE. This is a 1/16 scale, scratchbuilt model (except for wheels and tires). Gary used "lots of brass” for the levers, caps, and radiator. He made the hood from aluminum.
The photo (above the model) appeared in a 1964 issue of Hot Rod magazine, and Paul Drago wanted to replicate it in scale as closely as possible. The base kit is the AMT 1/25 scale Don Garlits Wynn’s Jammer. Paul used spare, modified, and scratchbuilt parts for the elements not included in the AMT kit. He painted with Tamiya and Alclad II lacquers as well as Vallejo acrylics.
Richard Engar built a Monogram 1/24 scale Boot Hill Express, which comes with a hearse body, wheels, chassis support, tombstone, and friendly skeleton ready for a gunfight.
Richard Hudson’s Revell 1/24 scale 2017 Ford GT is painted with Testors and Model Master enamels and adorned with Ford Ecoboost livery, as raced at 24 hours of LeMans. He built it out of the box and added a racing harness made from masking tape.
Tom Gore painted his Revell 1/25 scale ’59 Cadillac Eldorado with Tamiya Coral Blue and White. The exterior has a realistic radio antenna, a Bare-Metal Foil brightwork, and realistic license plates for both the front and rear. All the wheels have valve stems and center hub Cadillac detail. Tom finished the inside with carpet, a readable dashboard, and an ignition key with a Cadillac key ring.
Kevin Ottens says that “everyone is over-hyped by Tamiya’s M18,” so he submitted his Airfix 1/35 scale M18 GMC Hellcat. He said it is a “nice kit with a full … interior,” so he opened the driver and radio operator hatch and the turret to show the inside. All of the stowage Kevin used came with the kit.
Ming Wong built this AFV Club 1/35 scale UN Scimitar out-of-the-box, painted it with Tamiya acrylic paints, and used white glue mixed with water as a chipping agent.
This Bronco Models 1/35 scale U.S. Light Tank M24 Chaffee comes from Bruce Bengtson. He painted the vignette with Vallejo, Tamiya, and Badger acrylics, and weathered it with oils and pigments, graphite, and Prismacolor silver pencils. He built it mainly out of the box, replacing the tow cable with braided wire and brass tubing and making an antenna from telescoping aluminum tubes. The tank commander is a modified Dragon Models figure.
Steven Lovass-Nagy’s 1/72 Free French CMP Quad and 75mm gun scene is comprised of a Milicast CMP artillery tractor and First to Fight 75mm gun with modifications. It represents the French Foreign Legion artillery at the battle of Bir Hakeim.
This is Allen Weaver’s Meng 1/35 scale Merkava Mk.III. After spraying it with black primer, he painted it with Ammo by Mig Jimenez Sinai Gray and various lightened and gray shades for color modulation and highlights. Allen used white paint and Oilbrushers for details.
This Hasegawa 1/ 48 scale N1K2 Shiden-Kai “George” comes from Erik Kidd. He built it straight out of the box and added homemade decals.
Roechi Dizon resized and scratchbuilt this 1/32 scale USAF Liquid Nitrogen Servicing cart for a 1/32 air ground crew.
Amanda Deville built the Revell 1/144 scale Airbus A321 and adorned it with aftermarket decals from 26 Decals to make it a UK Government aircraft operated by Titan Airways.
Pete Malaguti completely scratchbuilt this 1/48 scale LEM prototype model! He used Christmas ornaments, Milliput, styrene rod and tubing, and homemade decals. Pete says that this model completes his collection of Apollo Lunar Modules.
The model is Luis Picalua’s “Kinetic/Ammo by Mig Jimenez” 1/48 scale F-104G Starfighter. He said it came with an excellent set of decals to represent various countries, including the Spanish Air Force 104th Squadron. Luis built it primarily out of the box and added only a few details to the seat. He used watercolor pencils to simulate the chipping and several Ammo products to achieve the weathering.