Advances in the State of the Art

There was a time when machined parts, photo-etch, and yes, even resin castings were considered a competitive advantage in contest modeling.  Now, they are standard fare at contests and many modelers use aftermarket parts just for fun, to make their models more unique or more accurate replicas.  At the Motor City Madness contest, Best in Show went to a Pro-Touring style Challenger that featured a 3D-printed engine and laser cut chassis members.  The parts were unique, accurate, and very impressive in their scale fidelity.  One naysayer challenged the validity of the use of these technologies because the parts weren't fabricated or modeled by hand.  Rather, they were drawn digitally and produced by computer driven machines.  I was excited to see these innovations on the contest table, and when it comes to advancing the state of the art, I say "bring it on!"