We will be closed for business from May 2nd until May 11th. During this period, you may freely place orders through our web site, although they will not be addressed until our return on May 12th. 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 the holidays!
For several years now, Sukhoi’s Su-75 light attack aircraft, heretofore known as the “Checkmate” by Russian officials, was mired in development, first debuted to the public way back in 2021. An eternity in design circles, the Su-75 is, for all intents and purposes, a fifth generation stealth fighter created primarily for export purposes although it could end up serving alongside the Su-57 “Felon” much like the F-35 Lightning II flies in concert with the F-22 Raptor. Since its first showing, the stubby single-engine fighter has undergone a number of critical changes and updates, likely caused by budgetary constraints, assets diverted to the War in Ukraine, and other more pressing issues that have kept it on the back burner for half a decade.
Now, according to several sources, the “Checkmate” is ready for flight-testing, although no export customer has been signed as yet and questions regarding its stealth characteristics have come into play. From a modelmaking standpoint, its a good bet the Su-75 will end up garnering a bit of attention, provided it lives up to expectations and manages to reach operational status by 2030. If not, it could end up being an afterthought, heaped onto the junk pile of misbegotten projects by claims it could never live up to.
We’ve been pestering Waltersons, the owners of the Forces of Valor brand, for months on end regarding what they planned to do with their range of military vehicles, warships and aircraft. Typically, we take things at face value, but when it comes to this manufacturer, they seem content to leave people guessing, particularly after their acquisition of Greenlight Collectibles a couple of years ago.
This week, at the Chinese Hobby Show held in Beijing, images surfaced that show the manufacturer hasn’t closed up as has been rumored for several months. While nothing in the way of new tooling was put on display, the photos are indeed encouraging, and demonstrate — at least on paper — that they are still in the diecast game even though they are leveraging old tooling to see them through for the foreseeable future.
The photos show several older 1:32 scale military vehicles getting a new coat of paint, insignia and updated markings, along with supposedly a new Sherman tank that is based upon Creighton Abrams’ “Thunderbolt”. It remains to be seen if any of these vehicles will be made available to retailers such as ourselves or if the manufacturer has decided to go it alone by selling these vehicles.through their own web site. We hope to have more information shortly, provided the manufacturer is ready to open up about their future plans. For now, we wont’ list them on our web site unless we know for sure that we can sell them, and do so by having hard-and-fast information at-hand.
Forgive me if I sound jaded and a bit put off, but trying to provide our clientele with accurate information is exceedingly difficult, not just because of the tariff situation but because this manufacturer seems as if they are doing thngs on a lark instead of attempting to appease both their dealers and clientele who have stood by them for years. In our case, we basically put them on the map after running all sorts of print advertisements talking up the line. Its a bittersweet way to say thank you when others rode our coattails for year’s on end.
At CinemaCon 2026, which is held in Las Vegas, Nevada, a panel announced that Top Gun 3 was well underway. While a script has yet to be finished, reports have surfaced that Tom Cruise will mark his return as Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Additionally, Jerry Bruckheimer is set to come back as the film’s produced and Paramount, who recently acquired Warner Brothers, will once again bankroll the movie. No word as to when the film is set to debut or its story line, which will likely be a closely guarded secret until it finally reaches the big screen.
Top Gun Maverick, which opened in 2022, has reportedly grossed $718.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $777 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.496 billion. With figures like these, its no wonder why the ageless Tom Cruise decided to take one more trip in the cockpit of a US Navy fighter jet. No word as to which aircraft will be featured in the next film, although its a good bet that an F-35C, perhaps controlling a mini squadron of collaborative combat aircraft, could be depicted in the film.
1:72 scale US Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder Attack Aircraft – 160428, VA-34 “Blue Blasters”, Late 1970s
Ever since they burst onto the scene way back in 2006, I’ve always been fascinated by Hobby Master’s ability to keep cranking out new product on a month-by-month basis. In twenty years time, the range has grown exponentially, oftentimes branching into new areas few diecast manufacturers would even consider testing. Earlier this year, it was announced that Hobby Master had obtained many of the molds once owned by the now defunct Century Wings, no doubt paying homage to the Japanese model maker and recognizing they still had plenty of life left within them. That said, the first pairing of former Century Wings aircraft are now getting the nod to be incorporated into the Hobby Master arsenal. And, if that weren’t enough to pique your interest, 15 additional models are set to roll off the assembly line, meaning November is going to be a very busy month when they all see the light of day. So without further ado, here’s what you can look forward to sitting beside the turkey come Thanksgiving:
1:72 Scale
1:72 scale US Navy Grumman KA-6D Intruder Refueling Aircraft – 149951, VA-35 “Black Panthers”, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), 1975
1:72 scale USAF Douglas A1-H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – 52-139738, “The Proud American”, 1st Special Operations Squadron, Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, June 1972
1:72 scale Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Mitsubishi F-2A Multirole Fighter – 13-8514, 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, Japan, 2017
At the China Beijing Hobby Expo Show, which is due to throw open its doors on April 117th, Calibre Wings drew back the curtains on their second rendition of their best-selling B-58 Hustler strategic bomber. Dubbed “Old Grandpappy”, the next iteration is based upon one of the XB-58 prototypes that took to the air in 1956. Decked out in a natural metal finish with orange tips, the latest version of Calibre’s B-58 will likely come in a handsome presentation case, which became the hallmark of the now sold out first version.
No official release date was given, so we’re assuming its due out towards the end of the calendar year, likely in time for the holidays. Also on display was a new F-14 Tomcat, perhaps based upon the aircraft depicted towards the end of the feature film, Top Gun: Maverick.
Every so often we drop a line for one reason or another, particularly if we feel it is either under-performing or presenting more problems than its worth. For nearly a year, we decided to withhold purchasing any products from JC Wings for two very important reasons. Firstly, they continued to sell in lots of six pieces, meaning it took quite some time before an SKU was exhausted. Secondly, and possibly more importantly, their rate of return was becoming problematic with people reporting missing or defective parts at an alarming rate. This issue was compounded by the fact that the manufacturer did not have its own web site to both promote their products and interact with their clientele. So, when you make it difficult for a customer to correspond about a problem, they naturally head back to where they purchased the item to seek some sort of corrective measures.
Fortunately, the manufacturer seems to have taken several proactive steps to head off our concerns. For starters, they have reduced their carton count to two pieces instead of six, making it far easier to purchase stock from our distributor. Second, they launched their own web site several months ago, all in an effort to better market their products and stay in touch with their customers. And finally, they seem to be more willing to listen to the customers at both the retail and end-user level, providing parts, where needed, to keep everyone in the loop happy.
That said, we have decided to once again carry their line of 1:72 scale military aircraft. While they still seem to have a narrow focus, both the packaging and subjects are first-rate, meaning that their models still seem to sell well despite price increases and the Trump tariffs tacked on. We’ve listed several of their upcoming projects on our web site — two are due some time in June while the balance are expected this fall. We invite you to take a look and now feel quite confident that the manufacturer is ready to stand behind their models from beginning to end, nose cone to tail.
President Donald Trump warned China could face “staggering” new tariffs if caught supplying military aid to Iran, escalating tensions as the U.S. prepares to squeeze the regime with a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
“Maybe they [provided military aid to Iran] a little bit at the beginning, but I don’t think they would anymore, no,” Trump said in an exclusive “Sunday Morning Futures” interview.
“But if we catch them doing that, they get a 50% tariff, which is a staggering amount.”
The move comes as reports have surfaced that China is actively providing weaponry to Iran in its war against the US and Israel. While no firm evidence has been provided, the US is adamant that the PRC is providing ManPads (Man Portable Anti-Aircraft Defense systems) and other crucial arms to Iran. Bear in mind that the PRC obtains much of its oil imports from the Middle East, so a blockade by the US Navy would have an adverse effect on their economy.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Messerschmitt Me 410A-1 Heavy Fighter – Leutnant Rudolf Abrahamczik, “Black F”, 14./Kampfgeschwader 2 “Holzhammer”, Late 1943
Last year, one of the mist successful models to fly onto the diecast battlefield was Corgi’s inaugural Messerschmmit Me 410 night fighter. In fact, it sold so well, that we were unable to acquire back up stock, and were forced to sell off what we did receive within mere weeks of its arrival. Fortunately, Corgi read the tea leaves, and understood that a second version was needed tout de suite.
The Luftwaffe’s long range night intruder campaign towards the end of the Second World War was intended to disrupt Allied air operations, spreading confusion and panic by infiltrating bomber streams, or striking at aircraft whose crews had ‘switched off’ as they approached their base at the end of another long mission. The Messerschmitt Me 410 was ideally suited to this task – fast and heavily armed, these Fernnachtjagd aircraft operated in conjunction with the regular Blitz bomber force, with more specific targets and often operating alone in the dark night skies.
Despite being an extremely capable aircraft in this role, night-intruder Me 410s were hunted mercilessly the second they crossed the English Channel, and no mission ever passed without incident. Britain’s air defense network had been fine-tuned to make any incursion over the country a torrid experience for Luftwaffe pilots and the cover of darkness offered little protection. RAF de Havilland Mosquito night fighters were the perfect nocturnal hunters, taking a heavy toll of Luftwaffe aircraft of all types, including the Messerschmitt Me 410.
The aircraft modelled here wears a camouflage scheme which was perfect for night intruder operations and was flown by one of the Luftwaffe’s very best, Rudolf Abrahamczik, a highly decorated bomber pilot with at least 233 combat missions to his name, many of which were in this role.
Expect Corgi’s second Me-410 to left off sometime in May.
Hobby Master’s 1:32 scale US Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Dive Bomber – 41-S-13, Lieutenant John M. DeVane, Jr., VS-41, USS Ranger (CV-4), November 1942
Operation Torch (November 8th-16th, 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during World War II. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale.
The French colonies were aligned with Germany via Vichy France but the loyalties of the population were mixed. Reports indicated that they might support the Allies. The American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied forces in Mediterranean theater of the war, approved plans for a three-pronged attack on Casablanca (Western), Oran (Centre) and Algiers (Eastern), then a rapid move on Tunis to catch Axis forces in North Africa from the west in conjunction with the British advance from Egypt.
The Western Task Force encountered unexpected resistance and bad weather but Casablanca, the principal French Atlantic naval base, was captured after a short siege. The Centre Task Force suffered some damage to its ships when trying to land in shallow water; Oran surrendered after bombardment by British battleships. The Eastern Task Force met less opposition and were able to push inland and compel surrender on the first day.
The success of Torch caused Admiral Francois Darlan, commander of the Vichy French forces, who was in Algiers, to order co-operation with the Allies, in return for being installed as High Commissioner, with many other Vichy officials keeping their jobs. Darlan was assassinated by a monarchist six weeks later and the Free French gradually came to dominate the government.
Look for Hobby Master’s huge and highly detailed 1:32 scale rendition of Lieutenant John M. DeVane, Jr.’s SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber in April.
No one can accuse Panzerkampf of not having a love affair with the Leopard tank. To date, they’ve released something on the order of 20 different Leopards, from the early version 2A4 to the venerable 2A7+. Throughout their production run, one common theme seems to be to release them en masse, offering as many choices as is possible to get the biggest bang for the buck right from the start.
Earlier today, Panzerkampf announced a further six models of the early version Leopard 2A4 main battle tank are in the works, all destined for a summer release. The six are shown here, all resplendent in differing camouflage schemes and operated by several user nations.
We applaud the decision to return to their roots by once again tapping the early version Leopard as their latest 1:72 scale release. The problem, as we see it, is that the 2A4 is getting a little long in the tooth, particularly when other more current versions of the tank are being fielded by several NATO nations (see accompanying video). Moreover, I’m not certain how many people are clamoring for either a Turkish or Finnish version of an older AFV, when other tanks, in particular the German Panther and MERTE tanks, are in development. Time will tell if this represents a good move for them as well as the hobby in general.
Takeaway: There seems to be a recurring theme going on over the last few blog posts whereby I have continually showed mixed emotions over the latest hardware coming out from several manufacturers. Don’t get me wrong. Its always refreshing to see new product in the pipeline — its just that certain manufacturers seem to feel as if they know better by releasing product THEY think will sell instead of asking dealers about their experiences with certain product or taking note of historical trends that influence buying decisions. Offering more 1:72 scale Leopard 2 tanks when there are so many other subjects to explore is lazy at best and leads to apathy that is difficult to reverse. If kits are needed to build a diecast product, then it may be preferable to wait for one to surface instead of going back to the well over and over again and re-using that which should be taken out back and shot out of mercy.
