Jack Riggar UFO Challenge
Location: IPMS Santa Rosa April Meeting
Date Submitted: April 10, 2008
Commentary: Doug Dropeskey
Photographers: Charlie Dailey and Doug Dropeskey
The door prize at this year's Christmas party was the Testors Roswell UFO, complete with a crew of mysterious Grey aliens bent on abduction, cattle mutilation, and crop circle mayhem. Some believe completed examples of these models do not exist. No sane modeler would ever build such a thing.
Visionary model builder Jack Riggar challenged IPMS Santa Rosa members to put their skepticism aside and BELIEVE. His directive was simple--build a hypothetical version of the Testors Roswell UFO such that it resembles anything except a traditional flying saucer. The more bizarre, creative, or downright outrageous the better. Kit bash the UFO with other models and materials. Use whatever markings, livery, or camouflage you like.
As with all strange sightings, this event was amazing but fleeting. Jack ordered that all modified UFOs must gather at the April club meeting for inspection. He would personally award the most wondrous of these hypothetical creations a $25 award. The countdown began.
As April 10 neared, amateur UFO watchers within the club began watching the model tables for strange and inexplicable arrivals. Marin County Fair Creatures and Models competition manager Bob Nidds agreed to inspect any paranormal models at the April meeting and rank the sightings. On the appointed night, just as Jack Riggar predicted, a group of extraordinary models arrived to the amazement of all present.
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In preparation for the event, Jack arranged to offer human cultural artifacts for the three most prominent models sighted. While humans may find it difficult to assign useful purpose for these items, surely a wise and advanced alien race could?
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At the meeting, Jack revealed the he had seen two completed UFO models within his own collection! Perhaps this spurred his need to issue the UFO Challenge. Or perhaps a strange alien mind reached across the dimensions to influence his actions. Regardless, Jack's sightings were impressive and irrefutable. Though the first seems like a traditional UFO, the second surely represents some secret German aircraft influenced by captured alien technology?
Club President John Admire also spoke of his close encounter with a strange alien craft. The vehicle resembled a police cruiser dedicated to some ineffable alien purpose. He claims to have used decals acquired at the 2007 IPMS Nationals on his "model", but discerning readers may see through this ruse?
Greg Reynolds chimed in, describing his chance encounter with a strange aircraft of unknown origin. Using his formidable reasoning skills and knowledge of experimental planes, Greg challenged the entire UFO design. Whatever mishap brought the vehicle to a fiery end must have twisted it into the ungainly shape we now accept. Greg reverse engineered the broken design to reveal a much more streamlined craft configured for operation in our atmosphere. Unfortunately, his sighting was incomplete and fleeting. One day, perhaps, we will all see this craft in its original state.
There was no surprise when Doug Dropeskey reluctantly admitted to a sighting. The craft was clearly of terrestrial origin, combining traditional aircraft propulsion with a third engine of alien design. Doug described this powerplant as zero-point energy drive, harvesting the energy of quantum fluctuations in the frothing particle stew below the Heisenburg limit. Unfortunately, this experience adversely affected Doug, who nearly resorted to invective in his tirade against the "horrible model". Will this craft appear again in a more complete form? Even the UFO die-hards remain skeptical.
Mike Orme was the last modeler to describe his very unusual encounter with a Testors UFO. He spied the vehicle disguised as a giant manta ray, suspended in memorial to the late Steve Irwin. One can only ponder the ineffable alien mind that could create such a thing.
Bob Nidds proceeded to assess the various UFO sightings using secret NASA protocols. He decided that John Admire's UFO deserved the most attention for future study. Mike Orme's strange manta ranked second, as it clearly offered a novel if impenetrable glimpse into the alien overmind. Bob expressed hope that Greg Reynolds would further flesh out his theories, and awarded his sighting third place. Doug Dropeskey's incoherent blabberings were quietly dismissed.
And so ended the Jack Riggar UFO Challenge, as the strange vehicles disappeared into the ether wence they came. But rumors abound of other non-UFOs, dwelling at the outskirts of human understanding and sanity. If such craft ever make an appearance, IPMS Santa Rosa will endeavor to chronicle the encounters here.
If you do not have a copy of the Testors Roswell UFO and but like to participate in the UFO Challenge, please contact us. A very small number of models remain, and your sighting may just appear on this very webpage.
Event (select a picture to view at full size):
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