Hobby Master’s trio of long overdue M60A1 Patton tanks. The Three Musketeers include a US, Israeli and Austrian versions.
If you were sitting on the fence concerning Hobby Master’s upcoming trio of M60A1 Patton tanks, well then we recommend you hop off right now. Earlier today, the manufacturer released images for all three vehicles expected this fall: one represents a US M60A1 with a Reliability Improved Selected Equipment (RISE) IR/White Light Spotlight (HG5601), an Israeli variant (HG5602) and finally an Austrian Army version that served under NATO command during the post-war period (HG5603). Frankly, all three are downright gorgeous, although we know the top nod will go to both the US and Israeli versions. We aren’t sure how many vehicles were produced by Hobby Master, but we get the impression these are going to be snapped up quickly given their realistic appearance and lack of anything new from the Hobby Master motor pool in quite some time.
Boeing’s XS-1 (Experimental Spaceplane), which the company dubs “Phantom Express,” got a green light in May by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or Darpa.
With the proposed US Space Corps taking an important step forward this past week by being included in DoD defense spending and potentially formed as a seventh branch of the military, we were wondering how many of you would be interested in collecting scale hypersonic aircraft/space planes currently under development?
Lockheed’s SR-72, a purposed-built replacement for the retired SR-71 Blackbird, has been rumored to be in development for some time, perhaps already taking flight over the Mojave Desert
Several companies and countries are already tinkering with hypersonic flight, many seeing them as weapons delivery platforms that can arrive at their given target within hours of takeoff. If a separate line of scale, diecast hypersonic aircraft were to be produced, perhaps accompanied by a magazine detailing each product much like an Eaglemoss Star Trek starship, would you be willing to create a new area in your diecast collection dedicated to their founding?
Dunkirk is a 2017 English language war film written, co-produced and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars Fionn Whitehead, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jack Lowden, Harry Styles, Aneurin Barnard, James D’Arcy, Barry Keoghan, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, and Tom Hardy. Set during the Second World War, it concerns the Dunkirk evacuation. Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the Netherlands.
Nolan wrote the script, told from three perspectives – the land, sea and air – to contain little dialogue and create suspense solely through details. Filming began in May 2016 in Dunkirk, France, and ended in Los Angeles, United States, where it also began post-production. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema shot the film on IMAX 65 mm and 65 mm large format film stock. The film made extensive use of practical effects such as employing 6,000 extras, assembling boats that had participated in the real Dunkirk evacuation, and using genuine era-appropriate planes for aerial sequences.
Dunkirk had its world premiere on July 13th, 2017, at Odeon Leicester Square in London, England, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom and United States on July 21st, 2017, in IMAX, 70 mm and 35 mm film.
That said, we have in stock a number of scale aircraft that appeared on both sides of the ledger, all of which have come to symbolize the immense struggle at the port city of Dunkirk some 77 years ago. Feel free to peruse our selection which can be found here:
Four more aircraft were added to the Air Force1 Smithsonian series late last week, representing something for everyone no matter the war nor epoch. The quartet includes a 1:72 scale P-51D Mustang (AF10149), 1:200 scale B-17G Flying Fortress heavy bomber (AF10147), 1:144 scale A-10 Warthog (AF10144) and 1:144 F-4C Phantom II (AF10148). Priced at just $24.99 apiece, each are great ways to introduce younger collectors to the hobby and make great stocking stuffers for the upcoming holiday season. Look for them to fly-in during the August-October tome frame.
At Disney’s D23 2017 expo, the Company revealed details for its upcoming park, heretofore referred to as Star War’s Galaxy’s Edge. Currently planned for both Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the park is scheduled to open in 2019, although its not clear if the new park can be accessed separately or require admission first to Disneyland or Walt Disney World to gain entrance.
Recently, Waltersons completed the purchase of rival VS Tanks, thereby making it the largest manufacturer of 1:24 scale radio controlled military vehicles. No details were provided concerning the purchase price or how it would affect owners of VS Tanks replicas. The purchase radically increases the number of vehicles now available in the Company’s product portfolio. Its not clear if the VS Tanks will be re-purposed to work in conjunction with the Walterson’s Forces of Valor radio controlled line or if it will be held in a separate regard with distinct VS packaging, support and design goals.
A trio of new warbirds are slated to join the Calibre Wings air armada, including the vaunted Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot” ground attack aircraft
Some times it doesn’t take much to cause a stir online. Early last night, Calibre Wings posted new pix on their Facebook account, suggesting, in rather subliminal form, that three more warbirds will be added to their foot locker in 2018. The three images include a French Dassault Rafale multirole fighter, Russian Sukhoi SU-25 “Frogfoot” ground attack aircraft and Russian MiG 35 multirole fighter. Earlier in the week, as part of the run-up to the upcoming San Diego Comic Con convention, the Company also indicated plans to offer Robotech merchandise, although this range will be offered to a new distributor that caters to a significantly different market. On the surface, it would appear as if this relatively new manufacturer plans on ramping up in a big way, competing with the likes of Hobby Master, Century Wings and Air Force 1 for their own stake in the modern military space.
Modelcollect’s upcoming 1:72 scale German Flak40 128mm Zwillingsflak Anti-Aircraft Gun
As part of their burgeoning World War II era collection, Modelcollect has added a number of new 1:72 scale products in recent weeks, many of which have never been produced by any other publisher. Take, for instance, this handsome German Flak40 128mm Zwillingsflak Anti-Aircraft Gun (AS72071), routinely founded guarding sensitive areas in the Reich and atop several of the immense Flak Towers located in the heart of Germany and Austria. The Company is already offering a kit-based model of the FLak Tower still in existence in Hamburg, so its anyone’s guess if they will also produce it in pre-assembled form and potentially with crew-served figures.
Modelcollect’s German Jagdpanzer E-100 “Salamander” Heavy Tank Destroyer
Also up for review is this monstrous Jagdpanzer E-100 “Salamander” super heavy tank destroyer (AS72070), something of a conjectural “paper panzer” that never made it off the drawing board yet could have just as easily seen battle had the war dragged on into 1946. Part of the Entwicklung series of standardized panzers the German war planners were working on, the “Salamander” could have easily fended off some of the heavy tanks and destroyers the Allies were fielding at the start of 1945. Goes perfectly with some of the other “paper panzers” that have formed the backbone of their World War II era series.
One ardent Star Trek fan with a bit of time on his hands got together a bunch of his friends to create a stack of quick reference cards for each of the Eaglemoss starships released to date. Beautifully illustrated and labelled, the cards can be downloaded, snipped, and added to each starship in your library, all free-of-charge. Here’s a link to each of the downloads created thus far with more to come:
Earlier this year, we reported on the imminent release of Churchill, a feature length film which covers the impact British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had on WWII during the 96-hour run up to D-Day. Today, we learned of another film based on the life of Churchill entitled Darkest Hour, which takes a more macro look at the Prime Minister, from his appointment just prior to the German invasion of France and the Low Countries to his defeat at the polls following the conclusion of the War in Europe in mid-1945. Darkest Hour is slated to open some time this November.
