Northwest Model Exposition
By Clarence Haught
Now in its fifth year, the show has passed the trial period and established itself as one of the more popular model events in the Pacific Northwest.
Overview
If you are into models—any kind of models—and live in the Pacific Northwest, the exposition at Puyallup is for you. Held at the local fairgrounds, the fifth running of this annual affair was the best yet. Buildings housed myriad model airplanes, ships, boats, trains, cars, and helicopters.
Entering the well-lighted facility, I was immediately surrounded by displays indicative of the show's wide scope. Directly ahead lay a large concession stand which provided food, beverages, and a place to rest between sorties to the various special-interest buildings. The show runs for two days, and it was nice to be able to enjoy a soft drink and rest tired feet while visiting with friends and acquaintances.
Events and demonstrations
Most visitors proceeded directly to their main interest areas using a handy directory that provided directions and announced special events and activities running throughout the day.
- Flying demonstrations: RC helicopters, control-line stunt, combat, and Northwest sport racing
- RC auto demonstrations and races: both outdoor and indoor
- Model railroad layouts winding through landscapes and towns
- Outdoor flight demonstrations with bleachers and loudspeaker announcements
We were treated to some spectacular RC helicopter flying and many demonstrations of control-line flying.
Swap meet and vendors
An entire building was devoted to the swap meet, where table after table sagged under the weight of used merchandise for sale. Regular attendees said this one was the biggest yet.
- Approximately four dozen manufacturers, dealers, magazines, plans, and services were represented
- Demonstrations of the latest products
- Free literature and catalogs from vendors
- AMA booth answering questions and describing services
- Prize drawings conducted by several vendors
Clubs and community
Several local clubs' booths displayed particular modeling specialties. Club members handed out literature and encouraged membership. Model organizations covered everything from radio control and old-timer free flight to ships, trains, boats, and cars.
The annual affair is also used by local groups and clubs to develop event calendars for the upcoming year. Conflicting dates were negotiated on the spot to produce a schedule that would allow people to attend more events.
Model displays
Model-airplane displays ranged from peanut to giant scale, with types in between well represented. A popular grouping was World War II aircraft, including:
- Corsairs, Mustangs, Zeros, and Focke-Wulfs
- Multi-engine aircraft: B-25s, B-17s, B-24s
Multi-engine models appeared in military, commercial, and golden-age private-aviation categories. World War I models were also well represented in both scale and semi-scale versions. There was a good supply of non-scale models including sport, pattern, and novelty types. Regardless of modeling interest, visitors could find models that fit right in.
Quality and encouragement for newcomers
The quality of the models on display was quite good, which led one to wonder if this might discourage newcomers to modeling. Not everyone builds museum-quality models even after years of practice. It would be nice to see a "bones" category and perhaps a few average models included to encourage neophytes.
Awards and prizes
Trophies were awarded through third place in several categories. Best of Show was determined by a ballot cast by attendees. Drawings for prizes were conducted by several vendors.
Conclusion
All in all, the exposition was a perfect way for a modeler to spend a day or two. The variety of activities—both static displays and demonstrations—provided welcome breaks in the routine. The manager of the event, Robert Pfeiffer, and the sponsoring club, the Mount Rainier Radio Control Society, are to be commended for their efforts.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
