Admittedly, we’ve never heard of Odeon, who, as it turns out, is a prolific maker of scale diecast automobiles that has cultivated a rather devoted following across Europe. Apparently, they too want to try their hand at military modeling, by offering up a pair of 1:43 scale WWII-era M4 Sherman tanks.
Currently, we’re not sure if anyone here in North America will be stocking the line or has any information concerning further releases beyond these two introductory vehicles. So, for now, we’ll post what we know right here and keep our fingers crossed that they are looking towards building out the category and hopefully inking a deal with one of our principal suppliers to carry their line of diecast military vehicles.
By the way, a special shout out goes to Achilletalon, a member of the Model Hanger III forum, for bringing these vehicles to everyone’s attention.
Our Panzerkampf category of diecast military vehicles has been lying fallow for several months now as we awaited news concerning the manufacturer’s release schedule. Apparently, several previously announced items have been pushed back by a few months into early 2020, no doubt to buy the manufacturer some time to fill production goals and work on other related projects. In the meantime, the following items are reportedly headed our way the third week of October, thereby making them available for the holiday rush:
Oxford’s 1:72 scale Royal Navy Grumman Avenger Torpedo Plane – No.855 Squadron FAA, Hawkinge, England, June 1944
Best known for their budget-minded line of WWII-era aircraft, Oxford Diecast announced three more entrants to their aerial armada. Due out some time in 2020, the three warbirds include:
General Dynamic’s Griffin III Infantry Fighting Vehicle Demonstrator
And then there was one. According to Defense News, the Army has disqualified Rheinmetall’s KF 41 Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle from its open competition to seek a replacement for the aging Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. This means the Griffin III remains as the only viable contender left in the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition, which will undoubtedly run into the billions of dollars to procure once Congress has agreed to fund the program. Produced by General Dynamics, the Griffin III is an interesting choice to serve along side the M1 Abrams main battle tank because it can only carry six men into battle as opposed to a full squad of 9 men the Lynx could reportedly ferry. That said, the Griffin weighs in at only 40-tons compared with the 50-ton Lynx, making it far quicker on the open battlefield and more transportable in the event of hostilities breaking out far from home.
The Griffin will be armed with a 50mm main cannon capable of elevating 85 degrees and depressing 20 degrees. The vehicle can carry an operating crew of 2 or 3 men depending upon its multiple configurations, is clad in a hexagonal-shaped Infrared heat signature management camouflage system designed to reduce its detectable footprint on the battlefield, and sports the Israeli-created “Iron Fist” integrated active protection system that is aimed at defending against incoming rockets and missiles without causing injury to dismounted infantry.
Curiously, the overall profile of the Griffin III is still rather bulky for an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, making it just slightly smaller than the high-profile Bradley IFV. Since the ammunition used is larger than a standard 25mm round, the turret must be larger to accommodate the beefier rounds. And, in order for the gun to elevate 85 degrees, thereby making it capable of engaging and defending against multiple airborne threats that run the gamut from aircraft and helicopters to weaponized UAVs – the designers needed to increase the vehicle’s overall size. It is possible that an even newer iteration, heretofore dubbed the Griffin IV IFV, could be in the works in the not-too-distant future based upon what the Army concludes from testing the Griffin III and whether it currently meets or exceeds all of the Army’s requirements for a next-generation IFV.
The idea of cladding a vehicle in an Infrared heat signature management camouflage system is relatively new and remains an unproven technology on the battlefield of the 21st century. Instead of defeating a warhead as it strikes the vehicle by studding the vehicle’s exterior with a layer of explosive reactive armor cells – as is common with most of today’s armored fighting vehicles – the system has been created to make the vehicle appear more stealthy, similar conceptually to the employment of radar defeating materials used on several fifth generation aircraft. If a vehicle cannot be seen by the enemy, it is reasoned, then the need for up-armoring the vehicle is obviated.
In 2010, the Israeli company Eltics created an early prototype of a system of tiles for infrared camouflage of vehicles. In 2011, BAE Systems announced their Adaptiv infrared camouflage technology. It uses about 1000 hexagonal Peltier panels to cover the sides of a tank. The panels are rapidly heated and cooled to match either the temperature of the vehicle’s surroundings, or one of the objects in the thermal cloaking system’s “library” such as a truck, car or large rock.
Way back when, we did a fair business in the scale motorcycle category and, in particular, sold our fair share of Minichamps bikes. Several years ago, all of that changed when the manufacturer raised their prices substantially, cancelled a number of eagerly-awaited bikes, and generally took a wait-and-see attitude with the whole category that didn’t sit well with a number of folks. As a result, we decided to sell off what we had in inventory, cancel our orders, remove those listings that were no longer pertinent and focused on what we do best — sell diecast military products.
That said, Minichamps claims to be back in the motorcycle category and are looking to start up sales by reintroducing two of their previously sold out classics – a 1939 Triumph Speed Twin and a 1932 Brough Superior SS100 that was ridden by none other than “Lawrence of Arabia.” We’ve listed both bikes on our web site and have begun to accept pre-orders for each of them despite our reservations.
Minichamps’ 1:12 scale 1932 Brough Superior SS 100 Motorcycle – T. E. Lawrence “Lawrence of Arabia”
Now, anyone that knows Minichamps can immediately understand the predicament this course change put us in. While they make a terrific product that oftentimes appreciates in value once they are no longer available, they also do a less than stellar job of forecasting when their products will actually hit the market. Months have a habit of stretching into years, which means we have to constantly reassure our clientele that eventually they are going to happen. Presently, both bikes are slated for a fourth quarter 2019 release based upon information found on their own web site. The reality is that we do not know for sure if this is a pie-in-the-sky best guesstimate on their part or one that we can actually hang our hat on. So, if you’re willing to wait, sometimes years instead of months, and fully understand how this sometimes shakes out, then we are more than willing to accept your pre-order for either or both bikes and will do everything in our power to fill your orders in a timely fashion. Again, the ball is in Minichamps’ court — all we can do is wait for them to arrive on center court and serve the ball.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force Liaoning Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier – Liaoning (CV-16), Hong Kong Visit, 2017
With National Day of the People’s Republic of China 2019 serving as a back drop, Waltersons took the opportunity today to formally introduce their 1:700 scale replica of the PLAAN Liaoning (CV-16) to the public. First announced more than two years ago, the manufacturer decided to delay its release so that they could update their original plans for the aircraft carrier. Much like their 1:32 scale vehicle series, the Liaoning will come in two flavors: the first (FOV861010A) represents the warship’s configuration as it sailed into Hong Kong harbor in 2017. A second portrayal (FOV861010B) shows the ship as it embarked upon its maiden ocean-going voyage in 2016.
According to the manufacturer, the model encompasses some 240 plastic and alloy parts as compared with 150 used in the construction of their model of the USS Enterprise. Furthermore, 80 pad printed decals have been used throughout, covering everything from identification tags to deck markings. Interestingly, the ship comes with a clear removable display arm attached to the bow and aft of the warship which can then be affixed with a 1:700 scale aircraft. A vertical display stand can be used to show a helicopter as it lifts off or lands. Best of all, a slew of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft also come with the warship, all meticulously researched based upon the latest declassified data and photographs available to the public.
As is customary with the Waltersons line of Forces of Valor warships, the Liaoning can be displayed in two manners. Collectors can sit the warship atop a pair of golden pillars that are attached to a simulated wooden display plinth finished with an etched metallic name plate. Conversely, collectors can detach the ship from its base and display the ship within a blue ocean-inspired shell, giving it a more realistic appearance.
Look for the first version of the Liaoning to make its maiden voyage into the retailer network this holiday season.
