August 3, 2017

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Fancy a 1:48 scale replica of a USAAF Lockheed P-38J Lightning Interceptor – Major Thomas McGuire, “Pudgy IV”, 431st Fighter Squadron “Red Devils”, 475th Fighter Group, August 1943?

Perhaps Shakespeare had foreknowledge five hundred years ago as to how much new product we would receive in early August. The following items are now available for shipment or en route to us, making August 2017 one of the most impressive new arrival months to date:

Dragon

DRR60693 – German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. D Medium Tank – 3.Kompainie, Panzer-Regiment 3, 2.Panzer Division, Western Front, 1940 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60694 – German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. D Medium Tank – 4.Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 7, 10.Panzer Division, France, 1940 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60511 – German Sd. Kfz. 142 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. F Assault Gun – Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 201, Eastern Front, 1942 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60512 – German Sd. Kfz. 142 Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. F Assault Gun – Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 210, Eastern Front, 1942 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60700 – German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. G Medium Tank – 7.Panzer Regiment “Totenkopf”, Panzer Grenadier Division “Totenkopf”, Kharkov, Russia, 1943 (1:72 Scale)

Luft-X

LUFT006 – German Blohm und Voss P.209.02 Fighter (1:72 Scale)

LUFT007 – German Focke-Wulf Ta 283 Interceptor (1:72 Scale)

Eaglemoss Warships

EMGC67 – Royal Navy Hermes Class Aircraft Carrier – HMS Hermes (95) [With Collector Magazine] (1:1100 Scale)

EMGC69 – Imperial Japanese Navy Asahi Class Battleship – Asahi [With Collector Magazine] (1:1100 Scale)

EMGC70 – German Kriegsmarine Admiral Hipper Class Heavy Cruiser – DKM Prinz Eugen [With Collector Magazine] (1:1100 Scale)

EMGC72 – Imperial Japanese Navy Takao Class Heavy Cruiser – Maya [With Collector Magazine] (1:1100 Scale)

Eaglemoss 1:43 Scale Military Vehicles

EM031 – US Studebaker US6 (M16A) 6×6 2-1/2 Ton Truck – CIAB (Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade), Northampton, England, April 1944 (1:43 Scale)

EM045 – US Army GMC CCKW 353 6×6 2-1/2 Ton Workshop Truck – Vehicle 3, 3886 Transport Company, Advance Section Communications Zone, Cherbourg, France, 1944 (1:43 Scale)

EM055 – German Sd. Kfz. 251/8 Krankenpanzerwagen Armored Ambulance – schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Sidi Bou Zid, Tunisia, 1943 (1:43 Scale)

EM080 – German Sd.Ah.116 Tiefladeanhanger fur Panzerkampfwagen 22/23t Flat Bed Trailer – 14.Panzer Division (1:43 Scale)

Air Force 1

AF10146 – Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M5 Zero Fighter – 261st Naval Air Corps, Saipan (1:72 Scale)

AF10150 – USAAF Lockheed P-38J Lightning Interceptor – Major Thomas McGuire, “Pudgy IV”, 431st Fighter Squadron “Red Devils”, 475th Fighter Group, August 1943 (1:48 Scale)

Marketplace Update: Earn 6% eBay Bucks

Ebay is currently running a promotion where buyers earn 6% on qualifying items made by August 5th at 11:59PST. Said discount can be applied with no minimum purchase and across all categories. This discount may be deducted from any future purchases once the buyer has been notified, which generally happens one month later.

Dissecting Diecast: What we Have, and What we Still Need

Its refreshing to see so many new products coming to market over the past year, many of which I never thought we would see on the diecast battlefield. From Soviet warbirds to German vengeance weapons, “paper panzers” to WWI zeppelins, I don’t think there has been a time when we have seen so many new types of weaponry being modeled for the collecting community. Having said that, there’s still loads of armament to explore in scale and lots of different ways model makers can entice collectors into making space for these new ranges. Here’s a few suggestions for 2018:

Modern warships – perhaps offered in the same manner as Eaglemoss Star Trek starships series, I think that a range of modern era 1:1100 scale submarines and surface ships would do exceptionally well at retail, particularly if they were coupled with a full-color magazine that discussed the ship in detail along with behind-the-scenes information presently only available from select sources.
Drones – There is no question that drones are taking their place on today’s battlefield and will one day play an even greater role in combat as we progress into the mid 21st century. On the ground, in the air and at sea, drones provide real-time assessments of the enemy’s capabilities, and can take action against threats when other assets may not be available.
Experimental Aircraft – Luft-X has already done a remarkable job of bringing into focus some of the Luftwaffe’s secret projects that could very well have turned the war around for the Axis forces in the waning days of WWII. That said, there are still a myriad of aircraft that were on the drawing board from a number of nations that could just as easily become hot-selling items. The question is can Luft-X tackle this subject matter faster than they have to date, or will other manufacturers step in to steal their thunder?
The Littorals – We’ve all seen documentaries about the Vietnam War, and the effect the US Brown Water Navy had on the prosecution of the campaign around the Mekong Delta. How many times have you wanted to see some of these low draft ships offered up at scale or, if we dare to dream bigger, some of the E-Boats, PT-boats and other river craft that played a vital role in taking the war to the enemy in the Second World War.
Missiles – I’ve often thought that it would be interesting to compare and contrast air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance from a number of nations around the world. Perhaps offered in a larger scale so everyone can appreciate some of the detail that goes into their construction, I think that a range of post-WWII era guided and unguided bombs, rockets and missiles would sell well. In so doing, a similar range of ICBMs would open the door in a number of respects, particularly as it applies to today’s world of threat and counter threats being deployed almost on a daily basis