Models -- ones with glue -- descend on East Brainerd Church of Christ

What with all the aircraft, ships, scenes and figures, East Brainerd Church of Christ may more resemble a theater of war than a church on Saturday.

That's when the Chattanooga Scale Modelers will hold "A Look Back, A Look Ahead 2," its second annual regional show, at the East Brainerd Road site.

"If anybody has any curiosity about [scale modeling]," said show chairman Mike Moore, "we'd love to have them come on out. We're pretty friendly folks."

Last year's inaugural event attracted about 85 entrants and 497 models, he said. This year's show will have even more vendors and vendor tables, he said.

Visitors can expect to see plastic models grouped in categories such as aircraft, armor, autos, dioramas, figures, science fiction and ships. A miscellaneous category takes care of most everything else.

Last year, Moore said, aircraft and autos ran neck and neck for the most entrants. There were even some "magnificent, fairly large, wooden ship models," he said.

"There will be a little bit of everything," he said.

Moore said the show is drawing entrants from many Southern states as well as a few from Ohio and Illinois.

"It's a broad representation," he said.

Judging of models will differ from many International Plastic Modelers Society shows, according to Moore. Instead of awarding the top three models in each subclass, which "leaves an awful lot of good work unrecognized," he said, the Chattanooga show will feature open judging in all classes.

Golds, silvers and bronzes will be awarded based on a set of guidelines rather than pitting one model against the next. For instance, if five models in one class satisfy the criteria, they'll all be awarded gold medals.

Judging will occur around 4 p.m. The best time for the public to check out the models is noon to 3 p.m., he said.