Last weekend at the Polish Aviation Museum in Kraków was marked by extraordinary passion, craftsmanship and history captured in scale. The Model Competition “Aviation and the World in Miniature” attracted crowds of visitors and many modellers from all over Poland.
On the weekend of 22 and 23 November, the Polish Aviation Museum became the centre of the modelling world. Modellers from every corner of the country gathered in the Main Building, having come to Kraków to present their remarkable works. This year’s edition proved to be a record-breaking one: nearly 200 participants entered the competition, presenting over 450 models — from aircraft, helicopters and aviation dioramas, to historical vehicles, card models and ship models. The expanded competition format made the exhibition extraordinarily diverse, and the selection of winners exceptionally difficult.
Right after the official opening, participants and visitors could begin viewing the competition and non-competition models, crafted with remarkable skill and attention to detail. There was constant movement throughout the exhibition, and the most impressive works attracted viewers for long minutes as they discussed the execution, details and realistic dioramas.
The event was accompanied by a modelling fair, where one could purchase both model kits for self-assembly, modelling materials and tools, as well as ready-made miniature works created by other builders.
In addition to the multitude of magnificent models, this weekend was also rich in interesting attractions. On Saturday, from 11:00 to 15:00, figurine painting workshops were held, prepared by the competition sponsor, Vanaheim. The sessions were combined with a demonstration of the “Bolt Action” wargame, played with 28 mm scale figurines. There was no shortage of eager participants — both young and old, passionate modellers as well as complete beginners.
On Sunday at 12:00, a “Meeting by the Aircraft” with master Jan Hoffmann took place. During the lecture, participants could learn about the history of aircraft design development over approximately 120 years, discover how materials, technologies and design methods have changed over time, and see what innovations and techniques are used in aviation modelling today.
Sunday afternoon was also rich in interesting events. Before the announcement of the results, there was one more important programme item: the signing of financial support agreements for the “Let’s Build the RWD-6 Together” project, supported by the Polish Aviation Museum.
Right after that came the moment everyone had been waiting for — the announcement of the winners and the awards ceremony.
The models were judged according to specific criteria, including:
The list of winners and honourable mentions can be viewed HERE. In addition to the main prizes, several special distinctions were also awarded:
Director’s Award of the Polish Aviation Museum for the PZL P.1 aircraft model
Director’s Award of the Polish Aviation Museum for the ZLIN Z-526 AFS aircraft model
Winner in the card model category for the Kamov Ka-29 helicopter model
Answer Publishing Award for the CASA C-295M aircraft model
Prize sponsors were:
Media patronage over the event was provided by:
