2026 Group Builds

This year, we will be trying a new approach regarding how our annual group builds are run. We have nominated three group builds:

1. The History of Aviation In Canberra

2. 250th Anniversary of the USA

3. 80th Anniversary of the United Nations

The group builds will be running simultaneously until early November 2026. You will see further details for each group build below. Each group build has minor differences, so please read carefully. 

Details:

This group build is designed to help build interest in capturing the history of aviation in Canberra, which will help towards producing this year's ACTSMS ScaleACT display and future PR, initiatives, and oppertunties in the Canberra community.

Conditions of the Group Build

• Event will start from 1 February 2026 and end at midnight on Friday 6 November 2026 Sydney/Canberra time (however, allowance will be made for participants in other time zones to end at their local time)

• Open to all model builders who are members of the ACTSMS, either full or associate.

Subject must relate to one of the following

• • Any model that you can link to the aviation history of Canberra

  • Any aircraft on display at the Australian War Memorial 

Registration and Updates on the ACTSMS Facebook Group

• Register your participation by posting on this ACTSMS Facebook Event with your choice of model, why you chose it, and a photo of the un-started model kit contents, or email it to president@actsms.asn.au

• Tell us about your progress by posting updates to the Facebook event page to show everyone how you’re going. Please keep these posts on the dedicated Group Build thread to keep them all together.

Optional Online Events

• To be announced. During the group build, we will be hosting online events for participants to meet and chat. Share your interests, techniques, successes, or frustrations. These sessions will coincide with our online group build nights and our in-person build days.

Competition and Prizes

Judging will take place in a people's choice format, post 6 November 2026 on Facebook.

• $200 BNA voucher for the person who completes the most civilian subjects

• $100 BNA voucher for the person who wins the people's choice vote

• $50 BNA voucher for a randomly selected model from a random number generator or VIP judge.

Details:

This group build is designed to celebrate a major historical anniversary. With such a large pool of subjects available, it should appeal across all aspects and subject matters of our hobby.

Conditions of the Group Build

• Event will start from 1 February 2026 and end at midnight on Friday 6 November 2026 Sydney/Canberra time (however, allowance will be made for participants in other time zones to end at their local time)

• Open to all model builders who are members of the ACTSMS, either full or associate.

Subject must relate to one of the following

• • Any model kit manufacturer from the USA 

  • Any modelling subject depicting something from the USA, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, film 

Registration and Updates on the ACTSMS Facebook Group

• Register your participation by posting on the ACTSMS Facebook Event with your choice of model, why you chose it, and a photo of the un-started model kit contents, or email it to president@actsms.asn.au

• Tell us about your progress by posting updates to the Facebook event page to show everyone how you’re going. Please keep these posts on the dedicated Group Build thread to keep them all together.

Optional Online Events

• To be announced. During the group build, we will be hosting online events for participants to meet and chat. Share your interests, techniques, successes, or frustrations. These sessions will coincide with our online group build nights and our in-person build days.

Competition and Prizes

Judging will take place in a people's choice format, post 6 November 2026 on Facebook.

• $100 BNA voucher for the person who wins the people's choice vote

• $50 BNA voucher for a randomly selected model from a random number generator or VIP judge.

Details:

This group build is designed to celebrate a major historical anniversary to help foster peace and support through recognising this historical moment. 

Conditions of the Group Build

• Event will start from 1 February 2026 and end at midnight on Friday 6 November 2026 Sydney/Canberra time (however, allowance will be made for participants in other time zones to end at their local time)

• Open to all model builders who are members of the ACTSMS, either full or associate.

Subject must simply relate to the following

• • Any modelling subject depicting the United Nations, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, film, and what-if 

Registration and Updates on the ACTSMS Facebook Group

• Register your participation by posting on the ACTSMS Facebook Event with your choice of model, why you chose it, and a photo of the un-started model kit contents, or email it to president@actsms.asn.au

• Tell us about your progress by posting updates to the Facebook event page to show everyone how you’re going. Please keep these posts on the dedicated Group Build thread to keep them all together.

Optional Online Events

• To be announced. During the group build, we will be hosting online events for participants to meet and chat. Share your interests, techniques, successes, or frustrations. These sessions will coincide with our online group build nights and our in-person build days.

Competition and Prizes

Judging will take place in a people's choice format, post 6 November 2026 on Facebook.

• $100 BNA voucher for the person who wins the people's choice vote

• $50 BNA voucher for a randomly selected model from a random number generator or VIP judge.