More than 1,000 perfectly crafted scale models go on display today portraying the patience and dedication of the Association of Model Engineers.

The annual exhibition of the AME, put together by its 77 members, is being held at the scouts’ headquarters in Floriana until May 15.

The exhibition promises to fill a free morning browsing through the scale models created from all sorts of materials such as plastic, chalk, cardboard, metal and clay.

Visitors can feast their eyes on the detail from typical Maltese scenes complete with an abandoned car in a field, rubble walls and a hunter accompanied by his loyal dog, to railways, planes and marine crafts.

The models cover 13 sections: aircraft, armoured fighting vehicles, cars, crafts, dioramas, engineering, figures, marine, science fiction, space, trains and war gaming.

Following last year’s success, visitors will have the chance to observe the progress on the working railway layout in the trains’ section. Another interesting exhibit is the scratch built model railway layout featuring Il-Vapur tal-Art (The Malta Railway).

The engineering section will be displaying a number of steam working models, while the aircraft section is showcasing a model with a scale of 1:200 of the Lufthansa Airbus A380, the world’s biggest airline.

Set up in 1983, AME is a registered NGO, non-profit making, non-ideological association consisting of people who have a special interest in model engineering and scale modelling.

AME helps its members to improve standards in the achievement of excellence in their field and many compete in international competitions. AME has a number of international members who visit Malta every year to take part in its annual exhibition.

Entrance to the exhibition, which is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., is free and AME members will be present to explain and answer questions about their models.

www.a-m-e.org