IPMS Memphis Belle Chapter

A New Flight Path: Introducing the IPMS Memphis Belle Chapter

We are excited to announce a new chapter in the Memphis scale modeling community. After years of informal gatherings and a rich club history, we are officially rechartering with IPMS/USA as the Memphis Belle Chapter.

Our goal is simple: to provide a home for builders in the Memphis metro area to share techniques, show off their latest projects, and grow the hobby we love.

Why Recharter Now?

While our local group has always been a great place to hang out, taking this formal step offers two major benefits:

1. Growth: By joining the IPMS/USA national network, we gain visibility through their official chapter locators and search tools, making it easier for new builders moving to the area to find us.

2. The Return of the Show: Many of you remember KingCon, the show hosted by the former Road Warriors chapter. We have a long-term goal of bringing a premier model show back to Memphis, with a target date in 2027 or 2028.

What’s Changing for Members?

For our regular attendees, much of the experience will remain the same. However, to support the new charter and save for our future show, we are implementing a formal membership and dues policy. These funds will go directly toward club resources and the model show fund.

During our March meeting, it was agreed upon to set dues at $5 per meeting for the rest of this year.

So, for the upcoming April meeting, the plan is for all attendees (excluding junior members) to pay $5 per meeting attended as club dues. Steve Nimtz will be club treasurer and will collect the funds and deposit those in the club bank account. If you prefer to pay in full for the rest of the year, you may do that. Please let Steve know. We want to see how this plan goes. We will re-evaluate this towards the end of the year and have a revised dues plan in place for January 2027.

Where & When to Find Us

Our home base remains the same! We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of Mid South Hobbies, our local hub for all things modeling.

• Location: Mid South Hobbies, 4862 Summer Ave, Memphis, TN 38122

• When: The 4th Saturday of every month

• Time: 10:00 AM

Whether you build armor, aircraft, autos, ships, or sci-fi, there is a seat at the table for you. Grab your latest "Work in Progress" or completed model and come join us at the next meeting!

Meeting Notes: February 2026

Spring is a time for renewal, and a group of scale model builders in the Mid-South will greet the season as a revived chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society (IPMS) USA.

On Feb. 28, the scale modelers who meet at Mid-South Hobbies in Memphis voted to recharter as IPMS Memphis Belle. Steve Nimtz, longtime modeler and group leader, was selected to serve as chapter contact.

The move connects the Memphis-based group to IPMS/USA, the national organization. The club previously held a charter but let it lapse.

Rechartering the club with IPMS/USA has been a topic of discussion for months among longtime club members looking ahead to the future. Several attendees renewed or applied for membership with IPMS/USA last fall when talks of restarting the charter got serious.

Show and Tell

In progress models:

Stan Parker brought an Eduard P-51B Mustang in 1/48 scale.

John Mahaffey brought a 1/25 scale model of a 1950 pickup truck he’s converting to be a wrecker.

Gabor Tigyi brought a Testor’s XR-7 Thunderdart aircraft in 1/72 scale.

Completed models:

German Candia finished his 1/35-scale Tamiya M-18 Hellcat tank.

Paul Palazolo brought the 1/35-scale Tamiya Sherman Easy Eight M4A3E8 tank he finished.

Stan Parker brought two finished model aircraft: a 1/48-scale ICM UH-60A Blackhawk in U.S. Customs markings and a 1/48-scale Eduard P-40N Warhawk. 

This and That

John Doherty recently bought a 1/48-scale Eduard Mi-24V/Mi-35 Tiger 3366. It’s a “Hind” helicopter with NATO Tiger Meet markings. He hasn’t started building it yet, but is excited about the prospect.

Larry Montgomery, who often brings goodies, brought tools to show the group. For the February meeting, Larry brought a tweezers set, a Kagyifly rechargeable drill, and a Table LED Moon Lamp HD-M10X desk lamp. Great for your workbench or nail salon (your choice!).