VLS Corporation - Model Mecca

Mastercon XV Show Results!

September 2006 Mastercon XV Report

The Overview:

  Participants, once again, began arriving several days before the show. It was great to see them again here at VLS! At the welcoming party, held after the first full day of registration, Alan Presley was elected Grand Marshal and last year's Master's Trophy winner, Alex DeLeon, was inducted into the Master's Division. As liason between contestants and staff, Alan was able to experience the show from both sides. A unique position shared by only 14 others. Alan's name will be included with theirs on the Grand Marshal Honor Roll plaque kept at VLS.

  The seminars were a great success once again. Rick Justice, Dan Clover and Chris Mrosko are to be thanked for that, especially with the time available to them for preparations! The first ever discussion groups were held at Mastercon XV and the response was excellent. Hosting the discussions were Master's members Terry Barrow, Brandy Small and Chris Saulet. We wish to thank them for their time and efforts in keeping discussion from becoming digression!

  The turn out for M-15 was slightly less than last year. Many who have regularly attended were unable to participate this year. For some it was the first Mastercon they had ever missed. They and their always wonderful projects were missed as well. For some it was their first Mastercon ever, and for others it was their first show ever. They were all welcomed whole heartedly into the Mastercon family. We hope to see them again next Mastercon, along with all those who were unable to attend and those who have yet to experience the uniqueness that is Mastercon. Mastercon may not have the largest attendance of any show on the planet but it has entries second to none! As always, the quality and the quantity of the models were of the caliber we have grown to expect at Mastercon.

  Following this year's banquet was the awards ceremony which was hosted by Hal Sanford and Bob Waltman, with a little help from Sidney Gonsoulin, Bob Letterman, Chris Mrosko, David Harper and the Grand Marshals who were in attendance. It really was as much fun as you can imagine, truly an event not to be missed!

Special Thanks:

VLS would like to thank all the participants, contributors and visitors at Mastercon 15. Your efforts, generousity and participation continue to make Mastercon one of the premier international modeling shows and competition in the world today. We look forward to seeing you all at Mastercon 16. Until then, Happy Modeling!

Open Division - For Advanced/Senior Modelers

(01) Military Vehicles - Fully-tracked.

Gold Medal:  "Centurion Shot" - David Manter; "JS 3 M" - Bill Ott; "Dissection Panzer III" - Manny Rodriguez; "Sturmhaubitz" - Alan Presley; "105mm Sherman" - Roger Altizer.
Silver Medal:  "M-35 Long Tom" - Chris Toops; "Red October" - Matt Deck; "Red Army" - Herman Candia; "M4A1 Sherman" - Mary Barrow; "Tiger I Michael Whitman" - Alan Presley; "Early Sherman" - David Manter.
Bronze Medal:  "Stuk 42" - Eugene Monasterio; "Su 85 M" - Brock Hopkins; "Bergepanther 38T" - Lyle Slaton; "German 38t" - David Manter.

(02) Military Vehicles - Softskins, halftracks, artillery, armored cars, etc.

Gold Medal:  Gold Medal:  "Steyr Ambulance" - Chris Toops; "WWI Cargo Truck Ft-17" - Dan Tisoncik.
Silver Medal:  "Schwimmwagen" - Bob Kita; "SdKfz 222" - Roger Altizer; "234/4 Puma" - Lyle Slaton; "The Hummer In Action" - Alan Presley; "V-100" - David Manter.
Bronze Medal  "SdKfz 7/1 29mm Flak" - Charles True; "SdKfz 7/1 8 Ton" - Charles True.

(03) Prop Aircraft - Including helicopters, all scales.

Gold Medal:  "Bf 109G14 Black Chevrons" - Bill Roberts; "P40 E" - Dan Clover; "B-25C" - Chris Toops.
Silver Medal:  "Spitfire MkVIII" - Bill Roberts; "Fw 190a3" - Bill Roberts; "P-47 56th Fighter Group" - Pat Hutchens.
Bronze Medal:  "Early Mustang" - David Manter; "Wildcat" - David Manter; "Airco DH-2" - Mary Barrow; "P-40 B Warhawk" - Mary Barrow; "Ju-52" - Matt Deck.

(04) Jet Aircraft - Including rockets & factual spacecraft, all scales.

Gold Medal:  "Focke-Wulf TA 183" - Johnny Galza; "F-15E" - Chris Toops; "Bell x1" - David Manter.
Silver Medal:  "Iron Hand A-7E" - Stewart Gordon.
Bronze Medal:  "The Scorpion" - Mike Rechlicz; "Czech Air Force" - Chris Saulet; "F-15-j White Dragon" - Todd Beedy.

(05) Figures - Busts, all scales.

Gold Medal:  "Greek Hoplite" - Bob Kita.
Silver Medal:  "Russian Partisan" - Brock Hopkins; "Huron Brave" - Greg Cihlar; "German Fallschirmjager" - Dan Tisoncik.
Bronze Medal:  "Long John" - Terry Barrow; "Prairie Farmer 1880" - Eric Janssen.

(06) Figures - 70mm and Smaller.

Gold Medal:  "Benito Mussolini" - Dan Tisoncik; "Sitting Bull" - John Bowery; "Last Man Out" - Greg Cihlar.
Silver Medal:  "2nd Armor" - Roger Altizer; "German Panzer Grenadier" - Dan Tisoncik.
Bronze Medal:  "Panzer Faust Ambush" - Eugene Monasterio; "Light Royal Highlander Fusilier" - Eric Janssen; "Crusader Knight XIIc" - John Bowery.

(07) Figures - 71mm and Larger.

Gold Medal:  "U.S. Army Ranger Captain" - Pat Hutchens; "14th Century Knight" - Eric Janssen; "Drummer 15th Regiment" - Eric Janssen; "14th Century Knight" - Eric Janssen.
Silver Medal:  "The Trophy Hound" - Brock Hopkins; "U-Boat Captain" - Eric Janssen; "Cameron Highlander Regiment Grenadier" - Eric Janssen; "Highlander Clansman" - John Bowery; "U-Boat Kriegmarine" - Roger Altizer; "18th Battalion Chasseurs" - Mary Barrow.
Bronze Medal:  "Gordon Highland Regiment Sgt. Major" - Eric Janssen; "Feldwebel" - Eugene Monasterio; "Gordon Highland Regiment Officer" -Eric Janssen; "Iroquois Warrior" - Mary Barrow.

(08) Vignettes - All scales, base size up to 100 sq. in. (10"x10"), no ordnance.

Gold Medal:  "Silent Spring" - Dan Tisoncik; "The Pursuit" - John Bowery.
Silver Medal:  "All Eyes On RIngo" - Eric Janssen; "Watch On The Rhine" - Lyle Slaton; "Entomologist Dream" - Larry Rasmussen.
Bronze Medal:  "Ogre Army" - Herman Candia; "The Thousand Year Reich" - Lyle Slaton; "The End Berlin" - Roger Altizer; "To The End" - Roger Altizer; "Defenders Of Budapest" - Kevin Thomas; "Baghdad Patrol" - Rick Justice.

(09) Dioramas (Small) - All scales, all subjects, base size up to 225 sq. in. (15"x15").

Gold Medal:  "Mountain Perch Russian Caucus" - Dan Tisoncik; "Field Maintenance" - Dan Tisoncik; "Railroad Signal Tower" - Paul Marshall.
Silver Medal:  "A Place In Time" - Bob Kita; "Defence Of The Ruhr" - Alan Presley; "Wittman Tank Age" - Roger Altizer.
Bronze Medal:  "Approach March" - Ted Docter; "Richard D. Mitchell" - Lyle Slaton; "Panzer Lehr" - Lyle Slaton; "Utah Beach D+1" - Larry Rasmussen; "Flakpanzer 12th SS" - Lyle Slaton; "Welcome To St. Come Dumont" - Chris Saulet; "Capitulation" - Chris Saulet; "We Got A Tiger By The Tail" - Rick Justice.

(10) Dioramas (Large) - All scales, all subjects, base size larger than 225 sq. in.

Gold Medal:  "Baghdad Iraq" - Roger Altizer; "Trading Places" - Roger Altizer.
Silver Medal:  "Burnsides Bridge" - Rick Justice; "Morning Smoke" - Larry Rasmussen.
Bronze Medal:  "Unternehmen "Zitadelle" - Lyle Slaton; "Flak 36/37" - Lyle Slaton.

(11) Miscellaneous - Cars, trucks, ships, sci-fi vessels, etc.

Gold Medal:  "German Heavy Scout Traiin" - Matt Deck; "Sn 21 Seawolf" - Harvey Redmon.
Silver Medal:  "German E Boat" - Eric Janssen; "Surf's Up!" - Gil Gonsoulin.
Bronze Medal:  "#31 Cingular Car" - John Struck; "I'll Be Back" - Roger Altizer; "Barney Learns That Love Hurts" - John Struck.

(12) "Out of the Box" - Any model built unaltered straight from the box. May be on plain base.

Gold Medal:  "P-47 Silver Lady" - Pat Hutchens; "Marder III" - Matt Deck.
Silver Medal:  "Marder III Desert Version" - Herman Candia.
Bronze Medal:  "Char-B" - Gil Gonsoulin; "HS 162" - Chris Saulet.

"Basic Division" - For Beginner/Intermediate Modelers

(13) Military Vehicles - All types, all scales.

Gold Medal:  "M113 10 Communications Vehicle" - Herman Candia; "M4-A2 Sherman" - Ben Toops; "Panzer III" - Ben Toops; "Marder III" - Joe Kelley; "10F Super Sherman" - Herman Candia; "Mk IV Cromwell" - Ben Toops.
Silver Medal:  "Stug III" - Herman Candia; "Panzer IV" - Joe Kelley; "5 Tigers In 5 Scales" - Joe Kelley; "KV-1" - Curtis Lund; "Trumpeter Tank" - Tom Romanowski.
Bronze Medal:  "T-55" - Joe Kelley; "Riding Fallschirmjagers" - Joe Kelley; "KV-1" - Ben Toops; "U.S. Lend Lease To Russia" - Leo Bouche; "Hetzer" - Joe Kelley; "Panzer 2 D" - Leo Bouche; "M1A1" - Joe Kelley; "T34/76 chtz" - Curtis Lund; "Afrika Tiger" - Joe Kelley.

(14) Aircraft - All types, all scales.

Gold Medal:  "F15 Strike Eagle" - Joe Kelley; "B-25" - Joe Kelley; "F-4D" - Joe Kelley.
Silver Medal:  "MiG 29" - Joe Kelley; "Machi" - Joe Kelley.
Bronze Medal:  "Blind Pete" - Leo Bouche; "Su-15" - Joe Kelley.

(15) Figures - All types, all scales.

Gold Medal:  "German Tank Commander" - Herman Candia; "Knight XIII Century" - Tom Romanowski; "SS Grenadier Bust" - Joe Kelley.
Silver Medal:  "2nd Para" - Rusty Ratliff; "Cabbage Patches" - Rusty Ratliff; "Yellow Charger" - Bill Pfeiffer; "SS Machine Gunner" - Rusty Ratliff.
Bronze Medal:  "Kill The Infidels" - Tom Romanowski; "Knight" - Joe Kelley; "SS Officer" - Joe Kelley; "Genghis Kahn" - Steven Whetsell; "German Gebirgsjager" - Rusty Ratliff; "White Knight" - Bill Pfeiffer.

(16) Dioramas - All types, all scales, all sizes.

Gold Medal:  "Lonely Vigil" - Joe Kelley; "Parting Shot" - Joe Kelley.
Silver Medal:  "Hell's Half Acre" - Curtis Lund; "D-Day Plus 1" - Rusty Ratliff.
Bronze Medal:  "Counter Strike" - Rusty Ratliff; "Winter Beast" - Curtis Lund; "Gun Truck 1942" - Curtis Lund.

(17) Miscellaneous - Cars, trucks, ships, sci-fi vessels, etc. All scales, all sizes.

Gold Medal  "Type VII U-Boat" - Joe Kelley.
Silver Medal:  "E Boat" - Joe Kelley; "Cobra Daytona Coupe" - Mike Laxton.
Bronze Medal:  "Gallion" - Bill Pfeiffer; "Battle Ship" - Joe Kelley; "Charles Morgan" - Bill Pfeiffer.

"Master's Division" - For Advanced Modelers

(18) The Masters Division

Master's Plaque "Valor and Sacrifice" - Bob Waltman.
Master's Gold Medal: "M31 Lee with Dingo" - Dan Tisoncik; "Titanic" - Mike McFadden; "Command Performance II" - Pat Hutchens; "Alex The Vampire" - Greg Cihlar; "Scottish Highlander" - Eric Janssen.

Mastercon XV Special Awards

  Dan Tisoncik won the top award for the Open Division - The Master's Trophy with his "Mountain Perch Russian Caucas". By receiving this honor he will automatically be inducted into the Master's Division. Dan's "Mountain Perch Russian Caucas" earned him The Best Diorama Award as well.
  Bob Waltman was awarded the first ever Master's Division Plaque (formerly "The Master's Division Big Eagle"), The VLS Creations Award for best use of VLS Creations products and The Peoples Choice Award (Mastercon XV's contestant's popular vote winner), for his superb "Valor and Sacrifice" diorama.
  The VLS Award for best scratchbuilt entry was won by Mike McFadden with his awesome shadow-box scene "Titanic". The Best Basic Entry Award went, for the second year running, to Herman Candia, this year for his "M-113". We're looking forward to seeing Herman's fantastic projects as he advances from the Basic Division.
  Manny Rodriguez took the Best Armor Award with his entry entitled "Dissection Panzer III". The Best Aircraft Award went to Bill Roberts for his excellent "BF-109G". Dan Tisoncik claimed The Best Figure Award and took The Pegaso Award as well with his "Benito Mussolini". Matt Deck earned the Best Miscellaneous Award for his "German Armored Train". Warriors' Best Camouflage Award went to Stewart Gordon for his "Israeli F-16". The Theme Award "War Animals" was won by Steven Whetsell for his entry "War Elephant".
  Tamiya's Richard Poulsen was on hand for the presentation of The Tamiya Award for Best Tamiya Entry which went to Pat Hutchens for his "P-47". David Manter was awarded The John C. Browning Memorial Award for his "P-51 Mustang". The first presentation ever of Mastercon's newest award, The Richard Mitchell Award, was to Joe Kelley with 22 award winning entries.
The hardcorpsmodels.com Award was not presented this year as there were no qualified entries.