Seeing the world in miniature
Airfix models and the like might turn most of us off, but for a small group of people they represent their life’s work. An exhibition next weekend hopes to increase interest
Men and cars are a dangerous combination. Men and mechanics are just a baffling combination. But what about men and scale models? You know, the small version of the real thing that comes in bits and pieces and you stick them all together. After witnessing a grown man walking around with a toy plane sealed in a Tupperware box, it seemed as if there was something more to it. And he is not alone: there are 150 members of the Scale Modellers Society in Cyprus, all serious husbands and fathers who are also passionate about toy planes and cars.
The two founders of the society, Stelios Markides, a military vehicle modeller and Louis Economides, who makes model aircraft, are eager to show the world their passion and have organised an exhibition next weekend.
It all started in 1996 when a group of scale model maniacs mooted the idea of setting up a more formal organisation in Cyprus. “There were almost 30 people who were interested in really doing this as they had been putting together scale models their whole lives,” explained Stelios.
The International Plastic Modeller’s Society was founded in Great Britain in 1963, by modellers for the benefit of modellers. It was, at first, an exclusively British affair but it soon expanded into a truly international body and now has many branches across the world. And members take it seriously, in every IPMS country, exhibitions are held and people visit from around the world. Some are there merely to see the miniatures and view the pretty display, others to gain some knowledge and others to enter a parallel competition. With a staggering 40 categories, competition is fierce but it is what makes people like Stelios and Louis the finest scale modellers in Cyprus. They have each won at competitions in the UK as well as at home. Competitions in the UK are held every year and they, along with others from the society, fly their miniatures over in plastic containers, to display them among the thousands of others from all over the world.
But is it not something a five-year-old could do with a bit of help? Stelios’ lab and showroom would seem to indicate not. A smallish room, it is packed with models into which an enormous amount of time and effort has obviously been poured. There were rows upon rows of miniature scale models staring out from behind glass windows. From a swift look around, it was also apparent that not all scale models involve cars, planes and military vehicles; there were also little people, dogs, trees and rivers. “This is the part most people don’t get,” said Louis. “We’re not playing around; we are actually creating something.” Indeed, everything is carefully researched, put together and painted, from the soldiers’ helmets to a plane’s engine. Perhaps not so suitable for a five-year-old then.
To enter a competition or to be considered a serious scale modeller, there is a lot of research involved before you even get as far as the model. Stelios has an archive of photographs, files of correspondence with fellow modellers around the world and a cupboard full of little boxes, big boxes and a million other bits and pieces. “If you’re going to make a WWII aircraft, you need to know the colours, the build and the tiny details that give you those extra points,” said Louis. But it’s not just about the points; these guys love what they do and they want to do it properly. Stelios has miniature mice, leaves, bolts and wires among his ‘added’ collection that all add up to a magnificent end result, a real labour of love.
“The amount of time to complete a model really depends on what it is we are building,” said Stelios. “Putting together a car or train or airplane from the box can take one or two hours but that’s not all we’re doing because we are adding details on. One day we could spend two hours and another half an hour but we are married men, who have other obligations. As far as time-spent, it’s just a hobby.” Louis spent a year and a half building his plane by just touching up on things every now and then.
Scale modelling in Cyprus has been made easier in the last few years as although there are shops on the island very few have in stock what these men need. “Thank God for the internet and the invention of credit cards,” said Louis. “We wouldn’t be able to build all these things so well if we couldn’t get our hands on the necessities.” But, apparently, it’s not that expensive, simple kits start at about £3 although a limited edition model can cost up to £80. You can then spend as much as you like adding bits to it. “But we always try and find cheap and simple ways of making something,” says Stelios, holding up a paint brush that has been cut up. “This is what the bushes are made of,” he said admiring his newly-built diorama (a complete scene that has been created on a base). One such scene Stelios has been working on is from Cyprus’ 1878 war against the English and is complete with a lady standing outside her shack while soldiers and a military vehicle pass by. It will be one of Stelios’ competition entries.
Stelios and Louis both remember running to the neighbourhood kiosk after school to get the latest scale model car and spending the rest of the day building it. However, that was then and this is now; scale modelling is not exactly a 21st century hobby, and organisers are hoping the exhibition will attract some young blood to the fold. “We still get the same feeling we did all those years ago,” said Louis. “We build something, make it, if you like, and have it to show to the world. It’s an incredible boost of self-confidence and once you get started and realise what you can do, it’s incredible.”
Scale model exhibition
Skali Cultural Centre, Aglantjia. Friday March 16 17:00-21:00, Saturday March 17 8:30-21:00 and Sunday March 18 9:00-19:00. Tel: 22 353110 or 99 544211 (after 17:00)
Not just pretty faces
Scale models are built or collected for many reasons:
l They are used in engineering for testing the likely performance of a design object at an early stage without the expense of building a full-size prototype.
l In architecture, they demonstrate the look of a new construction before it is built.
l On TV and in the movie industry, objects or sets are constructed that can’t be built in full size.
l In the promotion of new products such as heavy equipment and automobiles and other vehicles, scale models again are effective.
