Tales of Transparency: Ship to Shore

Please note that we have no hand in either the production nor the distribution of the products we sell. While we may offer advice to several of the model makers we work with so that they have a better understanding of what our clientele may be requesting, our affiliation goes no further and we have no financial stake in any of the companies we deal with. Moreover, anticipated dates of delivery are just that — anticipated. Release dates are subject to change and can oftentimes lag far behind the original intended date of release projected by either the manufacturer or distributor. Vagaries in the supply chain can and, on many occasions, slow the arrival of shipments by lengthy periods of time.

In summation, the companies we work with are relatively small as compared with far larger corporations in the toy industry yet are looking to serve a global if niche marketplace that continues to grow both here and abroad. So, while product may show up in eastern and southern Asia where many of these manufacturers are located, it may and oftentimes can take longer before said product makes it to our shores and is then available for general sale. As a result, it may take us several months (and in certain cases years) before we can fill a pre-order. Please bear this in mind if you have your heart set on a newly introduced item and choose to pay us up front for an order using debit payments such as PayPal or AmazonPay.

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Tales of Transparency: Vacation Closure

We will be closed for business from October 30th until November 4th. During this period, you may freely place orders through our web site, although they will not be addressed until our return on the 5th. Moreover, any product inquiries or order updates will be responded to upon our return.

Our marketplace sites on Amazon and Walmart will be temporarily shuttered in compliance with their selling guidelines although our marketplace on eBay will be open and operational albeit with the understanding that any orders received will be shipped out upon our return, again in compliance with their venue-specific selling guidelines. As always, we thank you for your patronage and look forward to delivering the highest quality products and service possible. Enjoy Halloween!

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The Art of War: “A Human in the Loop”

Military World has posted an intriguing yet informative video discussing BAE’s Atlas unmanned combat system. Atlas, which stands for Autonomous Tactical Light Armour System (ATLAS) Collaborative Combat Variant (CCV), could well become one of the first unmanned combat systems to be fielded by a major combatant, although no nation has yet to sign on to the program. Interestingly, it doesn’t appear as if Australia, where the Atlas is being developed, will serve with the Australian Army. This could change should the Atlas prove its worth against and alongside crewed combat systems.

While Atlas is being created to operate without a crew, nor is it intended to ferry troops into battle like a traditional infantry fighting vehicle, is it being designed with a “man in the loop”, meaning a human operator is tasked with identifying and potentially firing upon enemy troops, drones and aircraft within range of the vehicle, thereby reducing the likelihood of fratricide from occurring. Its not clear if Atlas will eventually see service with Ukrainian forces in their war against Russia, thereby giving the system a chance to prove its value alongside other crewed combat systems.

For more information on Atlas, visit the manufacturer’s web site at BAE Systems.

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Enter the Japanese (Literally and Figuratively)

Reports from the 62nd All Japan Model and Hobby Show are indicating that Dragon Models plans on expanding their 1:72 scale Neo Dragon Armor range with the addition of several Japanese armored fighting vehicles. From what we can make out in the accompanying image, it appears as if both the Chi-Ha medium tank and Ha-Go light tank will make the cut. Its a good bet Dragon Models will round out the assortment with the inclusion of the Ka-Mi amphibious tank.

We didn’t see any signs of the 1:35 scale tanks hinted at some time ago so its a fair bet that they are still a ways off or pulled from the showing for competitive reasons. With Panzerkampf’s recent announcement that they are getting into the 1:35 scale AFV market it could be a situation where Dragon wants to see Panzerkampf’s initial offerings, price points and overall quality before they themselves commit to making a formal announcement regarding their own 1:35 scale vehicles. Interestingly, Waltersons, the owners of the Forces of Valor line, was not in attendance so its difficult to say what they themselves have waiting in the wings in terms of 1:32 scale combat vehicles.

Unfortunately, its difficult to make out some of the other new products shown at the expo from this or some of the other photos Dragon uploaded to Facebook, so we will have to wait and see what our distributor has been told following the show’s conclusion. Keeping their cards close to the vest is nothing new for Dragon. With competition heating up from Forces of Valor, Panzerkampf and quite possibly Hobby Master if they decide to jump in, it makes sense to closely guard their product pipeline like a rooster standing sentry duty over the hen house.

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Tales of Transparency: eBay International Shipping

Ebay will soon be expanding their international shipping service to those countries we may not have serviced in the past. While we may not ship to certain countries around the globe, eBay feels that they have more clout when it comes to international shipping and is willing to protect both the seller and the buyer should problems arise, thereby reducing the so-called “friction” that can occur with an international sale.

Essentially, after the buyer has made a purchase, we are responsible for boxing up the item then shipping it to their international shipping hub in Chicago. Upon its arrival, the parcel may get inspected by eBay to ensure that it doesn’t contain hazardous material and that the item arrives intact and without any damage. Afterwards, it is then sent on to its final destination with tracking information provided to both the buyer and seller. Naturally, it may take a bit of time before it actually arrives at the buyer’s stated location. Please note that this service will begin on November 11th. The accompanying video, prepared by eBay, does a fine job of explaining the service in greater detail.

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Its Notional not National

Its no secret that Hobby Master has been dabbling in the notional or “what-if” market of late, producing aircraft schemes that aren’t exactly grounded in historical accuracy. An Egyptian Su-35 and digitally clad Ukrainian F-16 spring to mind, the latter doing extremely well at retail even if it isn’t based upon an actual aircraft. But when they decided to do a Japanese F-22 Raptor, I had to do a double-take, not sure what to make of the surprising offering. My understanding is that the F-22 is so super-secretive that the DoD has deemed that it will never be offered to any other nation, much less our closest of allies who have been chomping at the bit for a cutting edge fifth general fighter aircraft.

According to their latest sales literature, the Japanese F-22 is being billed as a “pseudo scheme”, whatever that may mean, and I think that even Hobby Master will acknowledge that it’ll never actually see the light of day with any Air Force other than the USAF. Moreover, even if it did see service with the JASDF, it almost certainly wouldn’t be painted in a so-called “sea camouflage” pattern as shown here, which defeats the whole purpose of being low observable and could quite possibly interfere with the aircraft’s radar absorbent coating.

Finally, there’s a reason why the F-22 made the cut as a fifth generation aircraft, and its a closely guarded secret that few will ever get to lay their mitts and eyes on. Still, speculation on the look and likelihood of the F-22 seeing service with the JASDF is just that, provided, of course, that the manufacturer feels as if there’s a large enough market that will accept something into their collection that will never come to fruition. Personally, I’m a big fan of the many incarnations of the F-22 produced to date so seeing an all-blue one with Japanese insignia may not be as hard to swallow as some of the other speculative schemes I’ve ogled over the last few years.

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Dragon Plows Ahead

One of the most successful offerings produced by Dragon under their Neo Dragon Armor sub brand has been their extensive line of M1 Abrams tanks. While the Abrams may be dated from a historical standpoint, eclipsed by other more recently developed AFVs as well as the US Army’s latest variant, the M1A2 E3 Abrams, the vehicle has, nevertheless, done very well at retail in all of its many forms and versions. It therefore comes as no surprise that Dragon would return to the diecast killing field yet again by planting an Abrams tank equipped with, what else, a mine plow.

Two versions will be made available — one replicating an M1A2 SEP painted in a desert sand motif with its plow configured in a travel mode while the other portrays an older M1A1 AIM in a tri-color camouflage pattern with its plow shown in a plowing mode. Its entirely possible that other vehicles will eventually be added to the mix, as is customary with this manufacturer, so if you have your heart set on other versions you may want to stay abreast for further developments.

The Plow, better known as a Mine Clearing Blade, is a supplementary piece of equipment necessary for the M1A1 Main Battle Tank to breech minefields during routine operations. It is electrically operated, and is capable of clearing surface or buried mines up to 6 feet in front of the tank’s path without the aid of supporting forces or additional equipment. The system’s track-width mine plows can clear 42 inches on each side of a path as well as magnetic-fused mines between them with the Improved Dogbone Assembly. In loose sand, the plows can operate at a rate of 30 km/h. The maximum safe operating speed for this system is at least 10 miles per hour.

Look for both vehicles to breach the diecast defensive belt in early 2025.

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You Got to Give ’em Props

Hot on the heels of their 1:35 sale military vehicle announcement comes news that Panzerkampf plans on adding the CH-53 Sea Stallion to their rapidly expanding airborne arsenal. Previously, the Company had released three different versions of the MH-53 Sea Dragon heavy lift helicopter, all of which have long since sold out at the manufacturer’s level. The Company has responded by now offering four different versions of the Sea Stallion, a bulwark of US naval and Marine Corps aviation since the 1960s.

Thus far, its not clear which units will be represented, since none of the helos have had their unit markings and insignia applied. The Company has stated that they will likely go on sale towards the end of the year, meaning they should hit streets in early 2025. Like their MH-53 cousins, the CH-53s are big and beefy, large by anyone’s standards, and composed of both metal and plastic. So, its entirely possible these will be priced in the mid $100 range, thereby overtaking both the recently released Mi-24 Hinds and MH-60 Black Hawks that took the hobby by storm earlier this year.

The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The Sea Stallion was originally developed in response to a request from the United States Navy’s Bureau of Naval Weapons made in March 1962 for a replacement for the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave helicopters flown by the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

We apologize for the quality of the accompanying images. Better pictures will likely become available as we near the product’s intended release date.

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The Art of War: Film at Eleven

There’s no shortage of military-themed videos on You Tube, covering everything from unheard of battles to potential near-term conflicts. We regularly peruse the site, looking for pertinent information that either helps to sell the product we carry or addresses items of interest to the average military enthusiast. Some videos and influence peddlers use all sorts of graphics to draw you in, from Transformer-like images used to depict upcoming aircraft to film clips that have nothing to do with the subject at-hand. At the end of the day, many of these videos are little more than flash without any appreciable substance.

There are, however, several “influencers” that I regularly check out if I’m looking for reliable information on historical topics or the latest in behind-the-scenes information that no one else seems to possess. One is Airpower, which is run and narrated by the gravelly-voiced Alex Hollings, who regularly does his homework before putting pen to paper and voice to video discussing his salient position. Recently, for instance, Alex spent 30-minutes explaining why the US Air Force has been using similarly shaped missiles for the last sixty years and how it could take its game to the next level by investigating some new technologies now coming on line.

For historical videos, I oftentimes turn to Megaprojects, hosted by the prolific Simon Whistler. Simon has posted literally dozens of self-narrated videos covering everything from Maxim machine guns to Iran’s attempt at building a stealth fighter. While he does branch out and covers other topics of interest such as China’s electric car industry, its his military-themed videos that have proven to be the most invaluable, using period war-time clips, animations and other proven videographic techniques to draw the viewer in from start to finish.

There are other “influencers” that I some times turn to that seem to know what they’re talking about either because they were once in the military themselves or have access to unclassified data and information that the average person has no idea how to get. These include Mark Felton Productions, Military News, Defense News, Task & Purpose and War & History, to name just a few. Anyway, be careful who you turn to to get the latest word on military platforms still in development as well as battles of yesteryear that may be tainted by extremist political viewpoints.

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The (Grey) Ghost in the Machine

Even though we are still months away from its eventual release, Hobby Master was gracious enough to unveil images of the prototype YF-23 still in development. The YF-23 is an important release for both Hobby Master as well as the hobby itself, since many aviation enthusiasts have always believed it should have won the fly-off against the then YF-22 way back in the 1990s. In fact, the YF-23 has such a dedicated following that many feel the Japanese military is still looking at ways of using the pancake-like design for its first ever fifth generation air dominance fighter, thereby keeping pace with some of the newest aircraft now being fielded by the Chinese PLAAF. Whether or not the YF-23 or a derivative thereof will eventually get the nod by the Japanese is still a matter of conjecture so it remains to be seen if its a case of wishful thinking or concrete thought. No matter, Hobby Master has indicated that they will at some point offer a Japanese maritime version of the YF-23 as a notional “what-if’ scheme sometime later in 2025 along with other schemes that will help them earn back the costs of developing the model.

One of the principal reasons why the YF-23 lost out to the YF-22 was because it was not equipped with thrust-vectoring nozzles, which made the YF-22 more nimble in close-in air combat maneuvering, an important lesson learned from the Vietnam War. Its entirely possible that Hobby Master may eventually offer a YF-23 with thrust-vectoring nozzles as a gesture towards making a Japanese version of the aircraft as realistic as possible. Right now, the jury is out concerning what Hobby Master plans to do for the foreseeable future to make the model as appealing as possible to both purists and futurists.

We’re guessing that like the F-22, the F-23 proposed by Hobby Master will eventually come clad in a mirror-like coating that is aimed at defeating Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) equipment now being fitted to some of the latest Russian and PLAAF aircraft. The mirror-like coating is still being tested as a means of hiding stealth aircraft from prying eyes, particularly during daylight operations. So, its a good bet that whatever variants you see amongst the F-22 models will eventually be applied to follow-on F-23 models. Likewise, expect to see fully-armed models of the F-23s further down the road, with all of the prototype models featuring little else in the way of added gear.

Hobby Master’s inaugural YF-23 is currently available for pre-order on our site but we must warn you that it is still months away from making its maiden flight and into your model collection. There are a couple of European-based dealers that have listed the model on eBay citing it as a pre-order but taking the buyer’s money without being able to fill the order. The problem is that eBay quite specifically says that a pre-sale listing must include the actual release date for the item and cannot list the item as being for sale unless the seller can deliver the item within 40 days of posting the listing. As such, we will refrain from listing it on any of the marketplace sites until we know for sure it is in our possession and ready for delivery. While we may lose out on some early sales, our philosophy is that we must follow the guidelines set forth by all of the marketplace sites we deal with and, in so doing, treat the customer with respect by clearly indicating when the model will hit the streets.

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Panzerkampf “Ups” its Game

We’ve got terrific news for all you tread heads. Earlier today, Panzerkampf indicated they were getting into the larger scale end of the military vehicle business by offering its first ever 1:35 scale tank. Photos were posted for two mid production Tiger I tanks, although its not clear which units they represent since both were bereft of any unit insignia and markings. According to the Facebook post, the Company is still working on their overall game plan, which includes pricing and dates of release. What is known is that the vehicles will be made of plastic not metal and we’re not certain if the tracks will move or remain static. The manufacturer may decide to slug the vehicles to give them more perceived weight so they don’t feel like a model kit. Its not clear if the vehicles will be bundled with other accoutrements or if they’ll come with figures.

To date, Panzerkampf has offered a wide range of 1:72 scale military vehicles and recently offered a limited series of slightly larger 1:64 scale Humvees. There’s still plenty of collectors who fondly remember both the now defunct line of 1:35 scale military vehicles Minichamps once produced as well as Dragon’s complementary range of 1:35 scale tanks and siege mortars. Having a newcomer step back into the vacant larger scale space is certainly welcome news provided, of course, that Panzerkampf gets it right and doesn’t peg these vehicles beyond the $150 price barrier.

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The Art of War: The XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle

While much is being made about the future of main battle tanks within today’s US Army, less has been discussed regarding an eventual replacement for the aging M2/M3 family of Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. An attempt was made way back in 2014 to come up with a solution under the Ground Combat Vehicle program, although plans were eventually scrapped due to limited Congressional funding and weight concerns. A new answer, dubbed the Future Fighting Vehicle (FFV) program, was put forward by the DoD several years ago to come up with a better and more agile replacement for the venerable Bradley — one that could take advantage of the latest technological achievements being made across the entire military spectrum.

In early 2025, the FFV program calls for two separate competitors to field their efforts to determine which will become the newly crowned king of IFVs, with the winner being selected in 2027 and the first set of production vehicles supposedly seeing service as early as 2029. Bear in mind that eleven different variants of the XM-30 are being proposed, from the traditional infantry fighting vehicle to field ambulances and mortar carriers, so every aspect of the design will be looked at closely to determine its value in each role. Additionally, careful attention will be paid to the vehicle’s weight, profile, crew carrying capability, firepower, both active and passive protection systems from a wide array of potential kinetic threats, and ultimate cost given its range of wartime responsibilities. The accompanying video does an excellent job of explaining the program in greater detail as well as discussing the merits of the two contenders who will soon go head-to-head to seek final approval.

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