September 2013 – The Motor Pool

The Collectors Showcase: Their Asphalt Soldiers Make a Return Engagement

A few years ago, The Collectors Showcase released a set of parading SS soldiers that were instantly snapped up by collectors world over. Fast forward to late 2013, and the Company plans on revisiting the scenario with an all-new range of goose-stepping “asphalt soldiers”, a euphemism they earned during the early rise of the Third Reich since they were constantly seen marching around Berlin’s streets.

Besides the rifle-toting troops, there will be a commander brandishing a saber, another holding the SS standard, and several officers, among them Sepp Dietrich and Kurt “Panzer” Meyer. Look for the new set of parading soldiers some time in October.

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Bauer Keeps its September Promise

Our distributor reports that the Heinrich Bauer 1:12 scale 1934 Mercedes 500K roadster has entered the country and is currently making its way through customs. Barring any unforeseen complications, this means that our distributor should have them within a week’s time and will then send us our allotment. We hope to have our shipment at the beginning of October, and will then process all orders accordingly. We thank you for your patience.

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Century Wings Posts Pix of the A-6

Announced several months back, Century Wings has finally posted photos for their pair of upcoming A-6 Intruder aircraft. Sporting a rather clean exterior instead of a weathered, battle-hardened look, the new dynamic duo are nevertheless important additions to Century Wings fleet of 1:72 scale aircraft, and hopefully harbingers of more things to come.

Both aircraft are pegged for an October fly-in.

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Corgi Reveals its 2014 First Half Plans

Information has been posted on Corgi’s web site concerning their 2014 first half Aviation Archive lineup. Among the notable new entries is this De Havilland jet fighter, which was produced at the tail end of World War II for the RAF but never actually introduced into combat.

With 2014 serving as the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Great War, we had hoped to see more WWI era aircraft among the mix. Instead, only one new plane was shown, a repaint of the German DR.I. Perhaps more aircraft are being held back for the latter half of 2014, in an effort to maximize their marketing potential. We hope to have the entire list of new aircraft up on our web site shortly just as soon as we receive pricing and anticipated release dates.

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The Collectors Showcase Fires Up the Pershing

In keeping with their tradition of releasing WWII armor around the holidays, The Collectors Showcase announced plans to produce a US M26 Pershing heavy tank this fall. Expected this October, the Company plans to offer two versions of this crowd favorite: one painted in a summer olive drab pattern while the second is whitewashed for winter combat.

We hope to have pricing information and other details for both vehicles shortly.

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Dragon Slashes Prices on Several Fan Favorites

Dragon announced a “deep cut” price reduction on a number of items, including many of their Dragon Armor and Dragon Armor Value Plus pieces, as well as a number of action figures. While we no longer stock their dragon figures range, we do still sell their 1:18 scale Michael WIttmann tribute piece (#DRF18001) and Joachim Peiper 1:18 scale replica (#DRF18002), shown here. You can find the entire list of discounted items in our Closeouts section (found in the left hand margin), then under the Dragon sub section.

Keep in mind that these items are subject to availability and can revert to their regular prices should Dragon prematurely decide to end the sale or run out of product.

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Hobby Master Puts the Hellcat Through its Paces

Its been a very long time since Hobby Master announced anything new in their massive 1:32 scale aircraft line, so it came as a pleasant surprise last week when they shared the news on their forthcoming Grumman F6F Hellcat. Scheduled for a January ship, their inaugural over-sized, piston-engine fighter is based on the mount flown by David McCampbell off the deck of the USS Essex in 1944 (#HA0301). “Minsi II”, as he dubbed it, will sport all the hallmark detail that went into their previous SBD Dauntless range, and will likely be followed up with several other noteworthy Hellcat replicas. A display stand will be sold separately for those collectors inclined to display their aircraft in flight mode.

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Panzerstahl Gets the Lead Out

As part of their all-new collaboration with the World of Tanks online gaming system, Panzerstahl not only acknowledged work on their upcoming IS-7 heavy tank, but actually posted a picture of it on their web site. Expected some time in October, the IS-7 heavy tank (PS89006) was tested by the Russian military establishment in 1948 but was soon bypassed in favor of other tank designs that were also being examined. Nevertheless, the IS-7 incorporated some important design aspects, which included a rounded turret that became commonplace among subsequent tank designs and can even be found on Russia’s latest armored fighting vehicles.

In other news, Panzerstahl claims that the E-100 Krokodil heavy tank destroyer is available, which means our distributor should be receiving their shipment shortly.

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Altaya At Last!

Earlier today, we were informed that a small cache of 1:144 scale bombers from Altaya were en route and expected later this month. If you may remember, we first learned of their existence several years ago, so the fact that they have finally made it to our shores is especially good news. Several interesting subjects are among the batch, including this Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 II Sparviero medium bomber (#SM51). Priced at just $25 apiece, these replicas go a long way towards filling in some of the holes in everyone’s scale aviation museum.

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Aviation 72 Gets “Tatted Up”

Announced some time ago, it finally appears as if Aviation 72 is preparing to roll out their eagerly anticipated Saab Viggen Jet Fighter (#AV724001). Slated for an October ship, the Viggen is one of those next generation aircraft everyone asks about but cannot readily claim to have in their diecast collection. Priced at just $54.99 and scaled in 1:72, this particular Viggen was flown at the Royal International Air Tattoo Air Show in 1995.

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