Hi Joe,
I think your own post should give you pause. A \'toy fair\' award for a serious model would be somewhat weird.
Greg\'s points, however, are very valid. It might be a good obeject to hone one\'s skills. The satisfaction level with the finished product depends very much on the builder\'s level of knowledge of the original object the model is to represent.
I contend, this knowledge level of the participants of this and the subcommittee\'s forum, is fairly high. Thus, sooner or later you will end up not wanting a toy, but a minature replica of the real McCoy as detailed as possible. But you do NOT want to start with such a model - because, if you botch it, you not only blew significantly more money in the process, you also lost confidence and the satisfaction level is in the toilet as well. So by all means build it - gain experience - give the finished product to a kid to play with - AND, if you feel you are ready for the big league, give OTW or me a call. :-)) Naturally, I would prefer you call me instead of the other guys. Rgds, RB