Calibre Wing’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Block 50D Fighting Falcon Fighter – 91-0353, 77th Fighter Squadron “The Gamblers”, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
We’ve been a fan of Calibre Wings ever since their inception, silently rooting on the underdog who’s been fighting for its fair share of marketing and shelf space for several years running. That said, the manufacturer has at last unveiled images of their upcoming F-16 multi-role fighters, one clad in Hellenic markings and representing a F-16D Block 52 aircraft, the other draped in US insignia and replicating an older F-16C Block 50 warbird.
Both aircraft are likely due out before year’s end, thus capping off a very successful year for this dynamic upstart. Priced at $149.99 apiece, we believe these models are the ultimate in “Viper” reproductions.
Side-by-side images of the forthcoming pair of F-16 Flying Falcons due out by year’s end
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian T-14 Armata Main Battle Tank – Moscow Victory Day Parade
The 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade was a parade that took place in Red Square in Moscow on May 9th, 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. The annual parade marks the Allied victory in the Second World War at the Eastern Front, on the same day as the signing of the German act of capitulation to the Allies in Berlin, at midnight of May 9th, 1945 (Russian time). President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin delivered his twelfth holiday address to the nation on this day, right after the parade inspection that was presided by Minister of Defense General of the Army Sergey Shoygu.
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian T-15 Armata Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Being a landmark jubilee parade honoring the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in the European continent, the 2015 parade was the largest and most lavish held in Russian history. Col. Gen. Oleg Salyukov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces, was the 2015 commander. In addition to troops of the Russian Federation, 1,300 troops from 10 foreign countries were also on parade, including contingents from China, India, Serbia, and Mongolia, all four countries making their first appearance at a Russian Victory Day parade.
Following the official parade, over 500,000 Russians and foreign attendees marched through central Moscow in commemoration of those who perished and those who survived World War II. The Moscow leg of this parade, which is an annual Victory Day tradition called the March of the Immortal Regiment and observed in numerous other Russian cities and in several other countries, was led by President Putin whose father served during the war. It is estimated that up to 12 million Russians participated nationwide in the 2015 March of the Immortal Regiment.
Several new weapons systems were shown for the first time at the 2015 Victory Day Parade, among them the T-14 Amata main battle tank, T-15 Armata Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the Kurgenats-25 Infantry Fighting Vehicles. Panzerkampf has faithfully recreated each of these vehicles and has plans to reproduce more. Stay tuned.
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – Erich “Bubi” Hartmann, 4./Jagdgeschwader 52, Hungary, 1944
Erich Alfred “Bubi” Hartmann, nicknamed “Bubi” by his allies and “The Black Devil” by his enemies, was a German fighter pilot and is still the highest scoring fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. He claimed 352 aerial victories (of which 345 were won against the Soviet Air Force, and 260 of which were fighters) in 1,404 combat missions and engaging in aerial combat 825 times while serving with the Luftwaffe in World War II. During the course of his career, Hartmann was forced to crash land his damaged fighter 14 times. This was due to damage received from parts of enemy aircraft he had just shot down, or mechanical failure. Hartmann claimed never to have been shot down or forced to land due to fire from enemy aircraft.
Hartmann, a pre-war glider pilot, joined the Luftwaffe in 1940 and completed his fighter pilot training in 1942. He was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 on the Eastern front and was fortunate to be placed under the supervision of some of the Luftwaffe’s most experienced fighter pilots. Under their guidance Hartmann steadily developed his tactics which would earn him the coveted Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on August 25th, 1944, for claiming 301 aerial victories.
He scored his 352nd and last aerial victory on May 8th, 1945. He, and the remainder of Jagdgeschwader 52, surrendered to United States Army forces and were turned over to the Red Army. In an attempt to pressure him into service with the Soviet friendly East German Volksarmee, he was convicted of false/unjustifiable War Crimes, a conviction posthumously voided by a Russian court as a malicious prosecution. Hartmann was sentenced to 25 years of hard labor, and spent 10 years in various Soviet prison camps and gulags until he was released in 1955.
In 1956, Hartmann joined the newly established West German Luftwaffe and became the first Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 71 “Richthofen”. Hartmann resigned early from the Bundeswehr in 1970, largely due to his opposition to the F-104 Starfighter deployment in the Bundesluftwaffe and the resulting clashes with his superiors over this issue. Erich Hartmann died in 1993.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon” Stealth Fighter – “Bort 053”, MAKS 2019 Aviasalon Air Show
Even though their shipments have fallen behind schedule, that doesn’t mean Hobby Master hasn’t set its eyes on the coming year. Several new warplanes were announced recently, perhaps the most notable being their first 1:72 scale Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon” stealth fighter, which is clad in a scintillating digital camouflage scheme. Here now the list of what you can look forward to nabbing in early 2021:
We’ve learned that another six warships in DeAgostini’s Kriegsschiffe warships line are slated for a September arrival, perhaps the most notable being the German battleship Bismarck. Unless we hear otherwise, each comes bundled with a German written full-color magazine chock full of photos and information regarding each warship. Here now the latest additions to DeAgostini’s growing range of naval vessels:
We were a bit confused several years ago, when Dragon decided to pull up stakes in the 1:6 scale action figure market and stopped producing one of their bread-and-butter lines. Admittedly, prices were starting to rise exponentially from where they started out in the early 2000s, and, when combined with rising competition, likely spelled the end for a series once hailed as the gold standard among action figure collectors.
Apparently, we gave then a standing 10-count well before they were ready to leave the arena. Earlier today, Dragon posted a teaser image on their Facebook page indicating they plan on making a return to the 1:6 scale action figure market, although no further details were provided. So, we’ll follow this lead where ever it takes us, and post news of any new offerings the minute they raise their head and expose themselves to return, and quite possibly, friendly fire.
Barely a day after we first announced plans to resume carrying the Calibre Wings line of military comes in-depth news concerning their upcoming F-16 Fighting Falcon. First hinted at a few years back, and occasionally discussed online in conjunction with different hobby expos, Calibre Wings recently put together a 21-minute video montage explaining the model in detail, which includes the amount of metal being used in its construction, salient features, how the aircraft can be taken apart, and multiple display configurations. While I’d love to go into greater detail and gush over its accuracy, we thought it best to whet your appetite by embedding the manufacturer’s video here. Bear in mind that the model shown is a Block 52 version of the F-16. Follow-on models will be based upon newer builds of the Fighting Falcon, which now come with conformal wing tanks attached to the upper surfaces of the aircraft giving them extended flying time. Enjoy!
Calibre Wings’ 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter
We’ve had a difficult time getting Calibre Wings’ line of military aircraft with any regularity from a reliable seller so we’ve decided what better way to bring them back into the fold than to buy direct. Beginning in October, we plan on carrying the core line of Calibre Wings models which covers their F-14 Tomcats and Su-24 Fencers, along with several of their newer models, among them the Lockheed U-2 spy plane, General Dynamics’ F-16 Fighting Falcon and Convair B-58 Hustler strategic bomber. Based upon fan reaction, all of these models are doing fabulously well at retail, so we expect much the same results when they return to stock. The pre-order window is now open and the first batch of aircraft are expected to arrive some time next month.
Even though they shuffled their release schedule for the balance of 2020, that hasn’t prevented Hobby Master from putting another gaggle of warbirds on the September tarmac. Here’s what you can look forward to nabbing in the months ahead:
As I alluded to earlier, Hobby Master has been moving some projects up in the schedule and others back, so its entirely possible that these are initial release dates that could be altered in the months ahead. Food for thought as we near the all-important holiday selling season.
