Inside HeritageCon: Dates, Registration, Vendors, And A Flying Lancaster

The Model Show Spotlight is brought to you by The World of Armor!

A flying Lancaster overhead, rows of models below, and a sold‑out vendor hall buzzing with deals—HeritageCon 2026 is set to deliver a full‑throttle modeling day inside the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. We sit down with the new coordination team to share what’s changing, what’s staying great, and how to lock in your spot before entries sell out.

We break down the essentials: March 29, doors at 9 a.m., with registration moving to the museum’s system to streamline both admission and model entries. Pre‑registration opens March 1 at 9 a.m., and there’s no registration at the door, so timing matters. Expect a packed floor with over 140 vendor tables, from local shops to aftermarket specialists offering barrels, tracks, decals, tools, and the kind of book deals that vanish fast. Between the C‑47, B‑25, and the museum’s showpiece Lancaster, you’ll have instant reference material for weathering, modulation, and panel tone decisions you can take straight to the bench.

Programming keeps the momentum high. Judging starts at noon while the seminar track runs with Harvey Lowe on aircraft modulation and weathering, plus our live “Wheel of Accidental Wisdom”—a fast, practical, game‑style session where crowd questions turn into build tips and giveaways. The contest follows a familiar IPMS structure: armor by era and side, aircraft across pre‑war to Cold War, a growing Gundam and sci‑fi presence, plus robust auto and ship categories. Specialty awards add local flavor, including best Canadian subject, best fighter flown by a Canadian pilot, best Ukrainian subject, veteran recognition, people’s choice, and judges’ best of show.

We also share travel and weather tips for late March in Ontario, the on‑site cafe plan, and how the community energy carries from the vendor aisles to the evening hangouts. If you’re aiming to compete, pre‑register, pack smart, and double‑check your category. If you’re there to learn, sit in on the talks, snap reference photos under the Lancaster, and make a wishlist before you hit the vendor hall.

Ready to roll? Subscribe for more show spotlights, share this preview with your build group, and leave a quick review so other modelers can find us. Then set a reminder: March 1 at 9 a.m.—get registered and we’ll see you under the wings on March 29.

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Transcript

Sponsor And Tease

The Voice of Bob 0:00

The Model Show Spotlight is brought to you by the World of Armor. Communicate, share, and learn with armor modelers worldwide at the World of Armor. If armor modeling is your thing, follow the link in the show notes or at Plasticmodelmojo.com and join the team.

Kentucky Dave 0:35

Yeah, we're gonna talk about one of my favorite shows.

Mike 0:39

It's probably your close second. You should say close close second favorite show.

Kentucky Dave 0:44

Close second.

Mike 0:46

Only because the duration's not quite as long.

Kentucky Dave 0:51

And also, you know, mu March in Canada.

Announcing HeritageCon 2026

Mike 0:55

That is true. Well, that uh that's the tease, folks. We're here to talk about HeritageCon 2026. I think it's HeritageCon uh 18 or 18.

Kentucky Dave 1:05

1818, one or the other. Yeah.

Mike 1:08

Sorry, folks, we missed the bookkeeping there. But anyway, definitely 2026 and Plastic Model Mojo's plans are on ice.

Kentucky Dave 1:15

Yep.

Mike 1:16

We're we're on cruise control, man. Looking forward to this.

Kentucky Dave 1:20

Absolutely.

Mike 1:21

I think our biggest uh wild card is the Minnesota gang getting snowed in before the show.

Kentucky Dave 1:27

Yeah, let's hope that doesn't happen. And also, of course, that's always what it's gonna what what what's the weather gonna be like in Hamilton. Of course, we got a nice cozy Airbnb. Once we get there, I guess we don't even care.

Mike 1:41

Until we gotta leave, then we're probably gonna.

Kentucky Dave 1:43

Yeah, that's true too.

Mike 1:45

So that's true. Uh it needs to be clear sailing coming in, nothing while we're there, and clear sailing coming out. So man, uh Heritage Con is just it's just a blast, man. It is.

Kentucky Dave 1:58

It is a beautiful venue, a great group of guys, unbelievable show with unbelievable models and great vendors. There's just there's nothing to not love.

Mike 2:11

Well, I'm I'm probably gonna sit there with my slack jaw hanging, looking at the Lancaster this year because uh I've been taking in a lot of information about Operation Gamora, a lot a lot of the nighttime stuff, and just man, yeah, that's just insane.

Kentucky Dave 2:28

It is unbelievable.

Mike 2:30

And to try to fight off what might come at you at with a bunch of 303 machine guns.

Kentucky Dave 2:36

Yeah, well, not the best choice.

Mike 2:39

I understand why they flew at night.

Kentucky Dave 2:41

Yeah, exactly.

Mike 2:43

And to learn about window, yeah. The uh precursor to what we call uh chaff now.

Kentucky Dave 2:49

Yep.

Mike 2:50

Really, really interesting. We worked worked great there on the front end, but uh the Germans got wise and not so much later. But uh during Operation Gomorrah, it was uh pretty much pretty much a game changer.

Kentucky Dave 3:00

Yes, it was.

Mike 3:01

Well, Dave, we love HeritageCon and you know they keep changing the crew on us.

Kentucky Dave 3:07

Yep.

Weather, Travel, And Venue Vibes

Mike 3:07

Which is fine. I understand them wanting to spread the wealth, and uh we got a bunch of uh new folks, some of them some of them we've met at HeritageCon. Maybe all of them. Yeah, maybe my memory's bad, but definitely some of them. So let's get into that and see what's going on in Hamilton for 2026. Dave, we are once again getting ready to go to one of our favorite events of the year, and it's we're so fortunate that's one of our favorite events of the year is in the first quarter here at the end of the end of March. We got a fresh team from the Hamilton crowd on here tonight to tell us all about this year's installment of HeritageCon. Gentlemen, how are you doing tonight? Hey, we're doing really well. Thank you. Oh, you're welcome. Well, won't you guys go around the horn, introduce yourselves, and tell us the capacity you're you're working with HeritageCon here? Uh my name is Tim.

Tim Bangerter 4:01

I am a newly appointed HeritageCon coordinator.

Evan Zuk 4:04

My name is Evan. I will be second in command, helping with the running of the model contest on the day of.

Nick Saunders 4:11

I'm Nicholas, and I'm doing the uh table setup and I'm coordinating the volunteers. All right.

Mike 4:17

Well, we know where this event is held. What's why don't one of you tell us the date and the place again and what folks can expect as far as the venue who may have not been to HeritageCon yet?

Tim Bangerter 4:26

Sure. The the date is March 29th. The Hamilton Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario. It's gonna start at 9 a.m., run until 5 p.m., and it's gonna be a day full of models, airplanes, vendors, and all sorts of shenanigans.

Mike 4:46

Well, we're really looking forward to it. What is gonna be new on the the docket for this year versus past past shows? You got anything new in the works?

Evan Zuk 4:56

The big thing this year is that the registrations has been taken over from the club side and is actually moving to the museum. They recognize the importance of the show to them, both from a revenue standpoint and the fact that it is one of their biggest days just from foot traffic. And they wanted to try and be more proactive with it and try to modernize their approach to how they run the museum and try and maximize the potential of the show, again, knowing how important it is to them.

Mike 5:27

Well, how's that gonna work versus versus last year? I I know there was, I believe, it wasn't it all pre-registration last year?

Evan Zuk 5:34

It's still going to be pre-registration. We've been told that their system will go live on March 1st at 9 a.m. through their website. However, the exact details have yet to be disclosed to us as they are still in the midst of finalizing the system. Okay, and that's gonna involve model registration and the museum admission, yeah. Yeah, like the it's still gonna be the admission is through the museum, of course, and yes, the registration now is through them on their site.

Tim Bangerter 6:03

Okay. And they're expecting it to sell out.

Kentucky Dave 6:05

Yeah, yeah, give if the last two years are any indication, heck yeah.

Mike 6:10

Well, things have always been pretty big. I mean, it's a big place, fortunately, and I know if the if the weather's decent, it can get a little bigger on the inside if they have to move some things around. But uh explain folks uh a little bit about the museum and and what they can expect to see there.

New Organizing Team Introductions

Evan Zuk 6:26

Of course, they have the one of two flying Lancasters in the world. It's likely going to be indoors. We have C-47 Dakota's usually also in, and the B-25 Mitchell, along with many other flying aircraft that they have on in their collection.

Tim Bangerter 6:42

Um Catalina, they've got the Fairy Firefly, the Avenger. They got a great selection of aircraft.

Nick Saunders 6:50

Yes, they do. Saber, F-104, C F-104 is two of them.

Mike 6:54

Well, it's a fabulous place to have a show, that's for sure.

Kentucky Dave 6:58

When does the show open?

Evan Zuk 7:00

9 a.m. on March 29th.

Kentucky Dave 7:02

Okay. And then when do you all expect to do awards and wrap have the show wrapped at that point?

Tim Bangerter 7:12

The judging is gonna start at noon. Okay. At that time we will have presentations going on, which you guys know something about.

Kentucky Dave 7:20

Yep.

Tim Bangerter 7:20

And then while that's going on, we're hoping to have it wrapped up by three.

Kentucky Dave 7:25

Okay.

Tim Bangerter 7:26

Uh, and then hopefully have all our ducks in a row by four o'clock and be presenting by four o'clock. Sometimes we we get there earlier, sometimes we get there later. It just completely depends on circumstance.

Kentucky Dave 7:38

And models will be all have to be pre-registered through the website. If somebody shows up, do you have a display table for models that people bring that they did not enter?

Tim Bangerter 7:50

We will have a display table for them.

Mike 7:52

Well, we always know the vendor area is pretty full at HeritageCon. That's always been one of the the highlights at that show, like many shows. How's that stacking up for uh for HeritageCon this year?

Nick Saunders 8:03

We have over a hundred, over 140 tables, which again, all of them sold out. So if you guys are familiar with the layout, gonna be just about as many vendors as last year and lots of different ones. I wish I had a list, but I don't. But I can think of local hobby shops and like a place like the barrel store if you guys like your tank gun barrels and things like that, and tracks and all sorts of things.

Tim Bangerter 8:28

So if you need something from the vendors, they're gonna have it. There's so many and so much to choose from, really.

Mike 8:34

Well, I I don't think folks will be disappointed. We tend to walk out of there with uh our our pockets a little lighter, our bags a little heavier.

Kentucky Dave 8:42

Yeah, I have never left HeritageCon empty-handed.

Tim Bangerter 8:47

I distinctly remember you walking out with a huge stack of books last year.

Kentucky Dave 8:51

Yes, yes, yes, I did. I bought a lot of books last year.

Date, Place, And Show Overview

Tim Bangerter 8:55

The prices were incredible. Even better for you guys with your American money.

Kentucky Dave 9:00

That's right, that's right.

Mike 9:02

Well, you mentioned seminars. Let's talk about what's gonna be going on during judging and throughout the day, in addition to uh vendors and and the model contest.

Nick Saunders 9:10

So in the morning we've got Harvey Lowe, and then he's gonna be doing a thing on aircraft modulation weathering. And then around judging time, it's gonna be you guys if you want to talk about that with your the accidental wheel of wisdom.

Mike 9:24

Yeah, we're have been uh roped in by Duncan and you guys to do a live version of the Wheel of Accidental Wisdom on site during the show, and we haven't quite figured out all the logistics at that, but we think that's gonna be uh a fun thing to do, Dave.

Kentucky Dave 9:39

Yep, we'll have to come up with maybe items to give away, some little door prizes or something. We'll we'll we'll we'll make this a game show. This thing'll this thing'll hopefully t hopefully give everybody in the crowd something to do once they've spent out their wallet in the vendor room and while judging's going on.

Tim Bangerter 10:01

Yeah, I think it'd just be great to have you guys in a room just to talk models. That'd be awesome.

Mike 10:05

Well, we're glad to do it, and I tell you, we love doing it. I think Harvey's a good a good catch too. We had him on once uh last year and really like talking to him. He's he does some amazing work.

Kentucky Dave 10:16

I'll be in his seminar for sure.

Mike 10:19

Just those two or anything else?

Tim Bangerter 10:20

That's all we got planned for this year. We're keeping it like just to keep uh things fresh and under control, if you will. Last year was a little crazy. We uh we started with two and we ended up with four presentations. Uh I was involved in that and took up most of my day.

Mike 10:34

Oh, okay.

Tim Bangerter 10:35

So, but it was uh it was exciting nonetheless.

Kentucky Dave 10:39

Well, I gotta tell you guys, honestly, HeritageCon has become maybe one of my one of my favorite shows every year. One that's on the what do not miss list, one that as soon as January rolls around, I start anticipating HeritageCon.

Nick Saunders 10:58

Yeah, it's kind of like a big show, right? Kind of since the first big one in Canada.

Registration Moves To Museum

Kentucky Dave 11:02

And it's it's the atmosphere of it. You all Canadians' reputations are well deserved, unfailingly polite, unfailingly uh hospitable to your guests. I've just never had anything but great interactions up there. The times in the evening, either the day before the show or after the show, are just really enjoyable times. And Mike and I are huge fans of shows in general, getting modelers together to talk modeling. And I've I've really enjoyed that up at Hamilton.

Tim Bangerter 11:41

Yeah, it's a great time all around, especially for the local. There's so many, uh such a local community that come and partake. Yeah. And that we all really enjoy getting together and doing it.

Kentucky Dave 11:51

And I understand you all are going to arrange for the weather to be say in 65, 70 degrees Fahrenheit, uh, clear skies, light breezes from the south.

Tim Bangerter 12:04

I'll let you in in the secret. We cross our fingers every year.

Evan Zuk 12:08

Yeah, I know. But the weather we've had lately, no guarantees, but we're we'll cross our fingers for you guys.

Kentucky Dave 12:14

Well, hopefully we got all the bad stuff out of the way early.

Mike 12:17

Absolutely. Yeah, we've not gotten clobbered yet. We've had some cutting wind in the morning sometimes, but usually the white stuff's been, for the most part, gone the last every time we've been up there. So I don't know, Dave. Maybe we may be due for a little comeuppance on the on the weather.

Kentucky Dave 12:36

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no. The Canadians are too polite to give us bad weather. They're we're gonna we're gonna have a good old time and the weather's gonna cooperate.

Tim Bangerter 12:45

Yeah, it's gonna be a great time. You guys are gonna be agreeable.

Mike 12:49

Well, let's talk about the uh the contest format. That's typically one thing we talk about in these spotlights, uh, what kind of system you're using and kind of at a high level, at least the category dispersion and that sort of thing.

Evan Zuk 13:01

So it's gonna be sort of the typical uh IPMS format. We're gonna have m different categories in armor, both you know, allied, axis, modern, and the cold war. Uh aircraft is gonna be, you know, standard World War II, pre-war, cold war, same, same sort of split as that. Gonna have many different things in the automotive categories. I believe there's also gonna be uh a few extra sort of civilian type of categories to cover more into some of the more niche things beyond just cars to help cover a little bit more of the spectrum there. And then, of course, ship models, and we're gonna have a wide variety of stuff in Gundam, sci-fi. Yeah, really just cover all the bases out there so we can.

Kentucky Dave 13:48

Yeah, you all had you all had a heck of a turnout in Gundam and Sci-Fi last year.

Nick Saunders 13:54

Yeah, we've been trying to get a bit closer with our kind of the Gundam crowd. It's big in Toronto and some of the bigger cities. Find a lot of those modelers come with some really, really cool kits too. Awesome builds and stuff like that.

Evan Zuk 14:08

We also get a lot of support from one of the other local clubs inside six who not only show up with their members, but also help provide a lot of judging support and entries.

Tim Bangerter 14:20

Those guys have been great supporters of the show for a couple years now. Fantastic group of people.

Kentucky Dave 14:25

So, do you all, in addition to the category awards and the best stuff, do you all have specialty awards in addition? I mean, for particular items or particular subjects?

Evan Zuk 14:38

I believe we have stuff like best Canadian subject is usually one that gets handed out every year. Sure. Um Best Ukrainian subject has been one that has been done for at least the past five or six years that I've attended. Were there any other big ones, Tim?

Tim Bangerter 14:54

Yeah, there's a best fighter aircraft flown by a Canadian pilot, best Ukrainian subject, best Canadian subject, uh veteran recognition award, people's choice award, and the judge's best of show.

Kentucky Dave 15:06

Okay.

Mike 15:06

So quite a few. Yeah. Yes.

Kentucky Dave 15:09

Now I know that there's a small cafe on site, a small uh food food vendor. Is are you all bringing in food trucks as well? Or are you doing anything like that? I know there's some food nearby as far as like local restaurants.

Tim Bangerter 15:27

We had talked about bringing in food trucks. I don't think it's ever been fully discussed or confirmed with the museum. They that would be uh if they wanted to, but I'm pretty sure they don't want to infringe on their business for their cafeteria's. Right. Sure. Yep. But it's a good idea. Not gonna lie, walking out the door and getting tacos, that'd be pretty cool.

Mike 15:46

Unless they're frozen by time you got back to the door. Yeah, exactly.

Kentucky Dave 15:50

Yeah, probably. Snow covered tacos.

Mike 15:55

Well, it sounds like you guys have got your handle on it. Like it's gonna be another uh great show for you guys, I'm sure. It's it's always been uh, you know, a pretty thick crowd at times, and but the number of entries is usually really high, and then the vendors have just been outstanding. So uh I know Dave and I are really looking forward to to coming back up there again. And uh we've kind of made a pilgrimage with some of our friends to come up at least to Detroit a little early and hit some places around there, and then come on in the afternoon on Saturday. So uh we are really looking forward to it.

Kentucky Dave 16:27

Indeed we are, and guys, do us a favor uh when registration goes live, please post that in the dojo so that people will know it. And hopefully you can not only post but provide a link. And we'll see if we we'll see if we can uh get the fire marshal to close the place down because there are so many people. Yeah.

Schedule, Judging, And Presentations

Tim Bangerter 16:53

We will definitely uh make sure that we uh post on the dojo and all over Facebook when the registration is live so everybody gets the word out. Tell your friends, tell your friends without computers, help them register, give them the website address, take them to a take them to the library and log in there and get them registered there. Yeah, just just come. We're looking forward to having you all.

Mike 17:14

Well, we appreciate that. And once you give everybody listen the the date and time one more, one more time.

Tim Bangerter 17:19

Sure, it's March 29th, Hamilton Warplane Heritage Museum, 9 a.m. Doors open till 5 p.m. Registration's gonna start March 1st, 9 a.m. Everything's gonna be online. There's gonna be no registration at the door. Tell your friends.

Mike 17:36

All right, guys. Well, we're looking forward to it, and we'll see you in a few weeks. Awesome.

Tim Bangerter 17:41

Thank you so much for having us to talk on uh on your show.

Mike 17:43

Oh, you're very welcome.

Kentucky Dave 17:44

Thank you for coming, guys.

Mike 17:50

Well, we know what it's gonna be. It's gonna be awesome.

Kentucky Dave 17:52

It's gonna be awesome. That sounds like they've got everything under control. I can't wait till registration opens. I want to get registered. I I am I am hot to try it. I'd get in a car tomorrow if uh if if it was uh if it was tomorrow.

Mike 18:09

Well, I'll I'll take care of that. But uh yeah, it's uh it's gonna be fun. I'm I'm I'm I'm excited about the live version of the Wheel of Axiom and Wisdom. Yes, that's gonna be neat. We've got to talk to them a little bit about how we might want to do that, but looking forward to uh doing that on the fly. I think that'll be fun.

Kentucky Dave 18:27

Yeah, I'm looking forward to here seeing your Bob Parker imitation.

Mike 18:33

And who's the other guy? Uh uh Rod somebody, Rod Nobody Drew Carey. No, that's the new host. I mean, when Bob was doing it, who was the the announcer?

Kentucky Dave 18:46

Oh, the announcer gosh, now you're stretching me. I can't remember.

Mike 18:50

Never mind, folks. But we'll be there. Hopefully that's gonna work out and it's just gonna be a lot of fun. So uh look looking forward to hanging with our Canadian friends again, looking for the Airbnb. Hopefully the Minnesota gang can make it, and it's just gonna be a grand time. It's just a such a great show for for for no longer than it lasts.

Kentucky Dave 19:10

Yep.

Mike 19:10

Anything else on Heritage Conday?

Kentucky Dave 19:12

Nope. Just uh I'm anxious, man. This this this next month can't pass fast enough.

Mike 19:19

Well, don't be careful what you wish for. The whole year will end up that way.

Kentucky Dave 19:24

There's truth in that, brother.

Mike 19:26

All right, man. Well, let's uh get on out of here and get on to Heritage Con. All right.