Back when I followed the Chicago Cubs in the 60s and 70s, the team would be perennially plagued by what’s been called a “June Swoon”, whereby they simply fell out of the top standings in their division by losing an inordinate number of ball games. Needless to say its disheartening to watch your ball club lose out year after year, particularly while our home team was doing just the opposite. I gave up on the Cubbies decades ago, even though I still root for them when they make the post season. Happily, I’ve since switched my allegiance to the New York Yankees for obvious reasons and intend to take in a pre-season game or two when we get down to southwest Florida. Hopefully, that June Swoon won’t carry over to the Yankees, who currently enjoy a first place ranking in their division. But ya never know.
Speaking of June swoons, our new home construction recently passed its pre-dry wall inspection and is currently slated to be completed around the end of August – early September if things some how slow down or the hurricane season picks up. As a result, we will likely run an inventory clearance sale through much of August in an effort to reduce our overall inventory footprint thereby lessening the amount of product we have to transport down to the Sunshine State. I’m not sure how much of a discount we will be offering since we are still monitoring how much “stuff” is expected over the course of the next couple of months as well as how much product we currently have in our warehouse. While the discount will be enticing, remember that we sell limited edition collectibles, so there’s still a good chance that newly arriving product may not be available for the sale. Please keep that in mind if you’re hoping to snag a new item at a fantastic bargain by waiting a couple of months before placing your order.
I think that we will also cut off any new shipments on July 31st and resume the receipt of new product around the end of September; earlier if we are able to get up-and-running in Florida quicker than we anticipate. We learned today that a number of new Forces of Valor products are expected this summer, so there’s a good chance that we will be able to offer the July shipment prior to our relocation although the balance of the summer deliveries will likely be made available in September. The same holds true for Hobby Master, Corgi and any of the other major modelmakers we deal with.
The next six vehicles in the 1:43 scale Armored Fighting Vehicles of World War II series are expected to make landfall in early June. Likewise, Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale M1070 heavy equipment transporter in desert sand is also scheduled to arrive in a couple of weeks along with a couple of M1A2 Abrams tanks, one featuring the TUSK II Survival Kit. As a result, we have created a special bundle for Father’s Day whereby you can purchase both vehicles together and by doing so save $10 as opposed to purchasing them separately. You can view the item and/or pre-order the set by checking out our June 2022 Upcoming Release section.
That’s about it for now. If anything else occurs to me over the next couple of days, I’ll edit this blog post. In the mean time, have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend and don’t forget about dear old dad in a few weeks! Me? I’m off to see Top Gun Maverick this weekend…
Its no secret there are give-and-take relationships at every level of the diecast industry, from retailers vying with one another for the lion’s share of the consumer market, to distributors looking to lock up the selling rights to certain modelmakers. And, of course, there are the manufacturers, who oftentimes do their utmost to undercut their perceived competition by offering those subjects collectors are seeking, in some instances flagrantly using every trick in the book to beat their competition to market.
Take the MiG-31 “Foxhound” interceptor as an example, a high-flying weapons platform that was developed by the famed Mikoyan Gurevich design bureau during the height of the Cold War in an effort to prevent the super speedy SR-71 from making reconnaissance overflights miles above the Russian heartland. For some time, Calibre Wings has indicated plans to build and sell a 1:72 scale replica of the Foxhound, recently announcing they would be using a crowdfunding source to secure the necessary funds to first build the mold then make 800 examples of the model. In fact, an early build was recently presented to collectors through manufacturer-created videos and via Facebook, with the claim that the model would be completed and shipped out to early bird purchasers some time in 2023.
Today, Hobby Master, looking to beat Calibre Wings to the punch, indicated that they too were going to make a model of the MiG-31, only there’s would be released in early 2023, barring any issues with the global supply chain. Thus far, apart from the image shown above, little else is known about the Hobby Master offering, although its more than likely going to carry a MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) designed to undercut the Calibre Wings version. Presently, anyone that pre-orders the Calibre Wings MiG through Kickstarter, will be able to purchase it for around $150 plus shipping, which Calibre Wings estimates will cost a further $60 to dispatch worldwide via an as yet unnamed courier service. If, on the other hand, collectors wait until the finished build is available, then they’re being asked to cough up $250 plus shipping, a hefty price tag considering where other comparable jet aircraft are currently pegged.
On a personal level, I’m not going to get involved in the issues that go along with bitter disputes between two manufacturers — that’s something they have to work out between themselves and hopefully to everyone’s satisfaction. We sell both lines and have developed strong working relationships with the principals at both companies. That’s how things are done in the industry and as one of its elder statesmen (I turn 66 this year if the wifey permits), would like to see both manufacturers figure out how they can prosper by offering the same model, each released within the same calendar year. We can only presume the Calibre Wings version will be more detailed, perhaps including a removable engine much like their F-16. Anyway, as the hobby continues to expand, with more and more new collectors joining the fray, it would be nice to presume that these two modelmakers can eventually put aside their differences and remember that at the end of the day they both serve the same audience who must then decide which models they would prefer to collect and where they want to spend their hard-earned cash.
DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale French Char 2C Alsace Multi-Turreted Super Heavy Tank – “Alsace”, 51e Bataillon de Chars de Combat, France, 1939
The concept of the battle tank was still evolving well after the lessons of World War I had been learned and put to bed. Many industrialized nations still weren’t sure what part the tank would play in a potential future conflict, some still believing it could do nothing more than accompany infantry at a sluggish pace into battle. As a result, all sorts of battle tanks and tankettes were produced during the inter-war period, some with merit, such as the German Panzer III and Czech CKD LT vz. 38 (later German 38(t)), while others were overblown carry overs from the Great War that had no place on the modern battlefield.
The Char 2C, also known as the FCM 2C, is a French heavy tank, later also seen as a super-heavy tank, developed during World War I but not deployed until after the war. It was, in physical dimensions, the largest operational tank ever made.
The origins of the Char 2C have always been shrouded in a certain mystery. In the summer of 1916, probably in July, General Leon Augustin Jean Marie Mourret, the Subsecretary of Artillery, verbally granted Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee (FCM), a shipyard in the south of France near Toulon, the contract for the development of a heavy tank, a char d’assaut de grand modele. At the time, French industry was very active in lobbying for defense orders, using their connections with high-placed officials and officers to obtain commissions; development contracts could be very profitable even when not resulting in actual production, as they were fully paid for by the state. The French Army had no stated requirement for a heavy tank, and there was no official policy to procure one, so the decision seems to have been taken solely on his personal authority. The reason he later gave was that the British tanks then in development by a naval committee seemed to be better devised as regarded lay-out, ventilation and fire protection, so a shipyard might improve on existing French designs. Exact specifications, if they ever existed, have been lost. FCM then largely neglected the project, apart from reaping the financial benefits. At that time all tank projects were highly secret, and thereby shielded from public scrutiny.
On September 15th, 1916, the British deployed tanks in battle for the first time in the form of the Mark I, and a veritable tank euphoria followed. When the public mood in Britain had been growing ever darker as the truth of the failure of the Somme Offensive could no longer be suppressed, tanks offered a new hope of final victory. The French people now became curious as to the state of their own national tank projects. French politicians, not having been over-involved in them and leaving the matter to the military, were no less inquisitive. This sudden attention greatly alarmed Mourret, who promptly investigated the progress that had been made at FCM and was shocked to find there was none. On September 30th, he personally took control of the project. On October 12th, knowing that the Renault company had some months earlier made several proposals to build a heavy tracked mortar which had been rejected, he begged Louis Renault to assist FCM in the development of a suitable heavy vehicle; this request Renault obliged. Even before knowing what the exact nature of the project would be, on October 20th Mourret ordered one prototype to be built by FCM.
This development coincided with a political demand by Minister of Armament Albert Thomas to produce a tank superior to the British types. On October 7th, he had requested Lloyd George to deliver some Mark Is to France but had received no answer. Correctly concluding that no such deliveries would materialize, on January 23rd, 1917, he ordered that French tanks should be developed that were faster, and more powerfully armed and armoured than any British vehicle. He specified a weight of forty tonnes, an immunity against light artillery rounds and a trench-crossing capacity of 3.5 meters.
Meanwhile, Renault had consulted his own team, led by Rodolphe Ernst-Metzmaier, which had been, since May 1916, in the process of designing the revolutionary Renault FT light tank. This work had not, however, stopped them from considering other tank types. Renault, always expecting his employees to provide new ideas instantly, had by this attitude encouraged the team to take a proactive stance – setting a pattern that would last until 1940 – and to have various kinds of contingency studies ready for the occasion, including a feasibility study for a heavy tank. This fortunate circumstance allowed a full-size wooden mock-up to be constructed in a remarkably quick time. It was visited by the Subsecretary of State of Inventions Jules-Louis Breton on January 13th, 1917, who was much impressed and developed a keen interest in the project. The design was presented to the Consultative Committee of the Assault Artillery on January 16th-17th, 1917, after the basic concept had been approved on December 30th. This proposed tank was the most advanced design of its time; it was received very favorably, also because of the enthusiastic report by Breton, and a consensus began to form that the project was most promising and a potential “war-winner”. It featured a 105 mm gun in a turret, had a proposed weight of 38 tons and 35 mm armor. The committee decided to have two prototypes developed, one with an electrical transmission, the other with a hydraulic transmission. In this period both the French and the British military had become aware of severe mobility and steering problems with heavy tracked vehicles; the French designs paralleled extensive British experiments with all kinds of improved tank transmissions to solve them.
While the Char 2C will eventually be released under the Armored Fighting Vehicles of World War II banner, it may be some time before it actually comes to fruition. As a result, we have decided to promote the DeAgostini version, which, apart from the lack of an acrylic display case, leaflet describing the vehicle and attractive outer packaging, is virtually identical to the upcoming AFV version. The DeAgostini replica is currently slated to arrive in very limited numbers in early June. Its massive when compared with a standard tank, and even some of the larger heavy tanks pale in size when compared to this ungainly land battleship. So, if you cannot wait for the AFV version, we strongly suggest you purchase the DeAgostini vehicle while it is still available.
AFV’s of WWII 1:43 scale British Valentine Mk. III Infantry Tank – “Harry I”, 8th Royal Tank Regiment, 7th Armoured Brigade, Libya, November 1941
The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during World War II. More than 8,000 of the type were produced in eleven marks, plus various specialized variants, accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production. The many variants included riveted and welded construction, petrol and diesel engines and a progressive increase in armament. It was supplied in large numbers to the USSR and built under license in Canada. It was used extensively by the British in the North African campaign. Developed by Vickers, it proved to be both strong and reliable.
There are several proposed explanations for the name Valentine. According to the most popular one, the design was presented to the War Office on St. Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 1940, although some sources say that the design was submitted on Valentine’s Day 1938 or February 10th, 1938. White notes that “incidentally” Valentine was the middle name of Sir John Carden, the man who was responsible for many tank designs including that of the Valentine’s predecessors, the A10 and A11. Another version says that Valentine is an acronym for Vickers-Armstrong’s Limited Elswick & (Newcastle-upon) Tyne. The “most prosaic” explanation according to David Fletcher is that it was just an in-house code word of Vickers with no other significance.
The Valentine was extensively used in the North African Campaign, earning a reputation as a reliable and well-protected vehicle. The first Valentines went into action in December 1941 with the 8th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Crusader. The tank first served in Operation Crusader in the North African desert, when it began to replace the Matilda Tank. Due to a lack of cruisers, it was issued to armoured regiments in the UK from mid-1941. The Valentine was better armed and faster than the Cruiser Mk II. During the pursuit from El Alamein in late 1942, some tanks had driven more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) by the time the Eighth Army reached Tunisia.
The Valentine shared the common weakness of the British tanks of the period in that its 2-pounder gun lacked high-explosive (anti-personnel) ammunition and soon became outdated as an anti-tank weapon. Introduction of the 6-pounder in British service was delayed until the loss of equipment in France had been made good, so the 2-pounder was retained longer.
DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale British Valentine Mk. III Infantry Tank – “Harry I,” 8th Royal Tank Regiment, Libya, 1941
The small size of the turret and of the turret ring meant that producing mountings for larger guns proved a difficult task. Although versions with the 6-pounder and then with the Ordnance QF 75mm gun were developed, by the time they were available in significant numbers, better tanks had reached the battlefield. Another weakness was the small crew compartment and the two-man turret. A larger turret, with a loader position added, was used in some of the 2-pounder versions but the position had to be removed again in variants with larger guns. Its relatively low height was an advantage in a battlefield with little cover, allowing it to take up a “good hull-down position in any convenient fold in the ground”.
Currently, we have in stock the DeAgostini version of the Valentine tank. The AFVs of WWII replica is expected to arrive in early June. The difference between the two is that the latter comes with an acrylic display case, leaflet describing the vehicle and more attractive packaging. Cosmetically they are identical.
With the imminent arrival of Panzerkampf’s sand-colored M1070 heavy equipment transporter along with their M1A2 Abrams tank clad in a TUSK II Survival Kit, we thought it made sense to give our esteemed customers a fantastic bargain for Father’s Day. That said, we’re offering this three piece set as a limited edition bundle and, best of all, slashing the selling price to just $170. Mind you, if you purchased them separately, these two distinct yet ultimately inter-operable replicas would sell for $180, so by purchasing them together you save $10, about what it would cost to serve dear old dad a heaping helping of cheese cake come Sunday, June 19th. So, why not put a broad smile on the face of that special guy in your life who will truly remember this Father’s Day above all others.
With just a week to go before the debut of Top Gun: Maverick in North American theaters, reports are surfacing from a variety of sources that the film is set to wow moviegoers this summer. Many are already claiming it will break box office records now and well into the foreseeable future an amazing feat considering the first film hit the silver screen way back in 1986. In fact, several days ago, GQ Magazine claimed “Top Gun: Maverick is the greatest blockbuster of the decade,” and, at the recently concluded Cannes Film Festival, the movie supposedly received a five minute standing ovation from the select devotees granted an early viewing.
That said, its still difficult to understand why none of the major diecast modelmakers have taken steps to offer replicas of those aircraft portrayed in the film. Granted, Paramount Pictures, who owns the rights to the film, is asking a hefty licensing fee to produce a collector quality set of replicas, and Tom Cruise, the star of the film, is likely standing in the way of permitting his likenesses from being overlaid onto any pilot figure. Nevertheless, I would have thought that a workaround could have been devised by now whereby collectors could have their cake and eat it too even if they have to pay a premium for a model based on the latest Top Gun feature film. While a day and date release would have no doubt sold into the tens of thousands, we know from firsthand experience gleaned from Top Gun that replicas for the original film were still selling extremely well over thirty years after it was first shown. Time will tell if a diecast modelmaker will reevaluate their stance, pony up the necessary cash, and eventually churn out what can only be described as the best selling model of the decade, if the GQ boast can be applied here as well.
Over the years, Hobby Master has chosen some interesting schemes for several of their aircraft models, occasionally taking up the challenge some collectors have made. While great for the discriminating collector, as a dealer, some times we’re left scratching our heads wondering if these eclectic liveries will sell and sell well, even when it adorns one of their best selling models.
Earlier today, Hobby Master picked up the latest gauntlet tossed down before them and announced plans to replicate “Toxic Death” – a F-117A stealth fighter that was stripped of its original blackened paint scheme only to bear what can best be described as graffiti before it was flown to its final resting place at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Frankly, we’re not sure how collectors are going to react to this one, unless, of course, they simply must own every version of Hobby Master’s long-running series of F-117 Nighthawks. Anyway, we’ve listed it on our web site, along with all of the other models they recently announced that are expected in February 2023. Lets see what everyone thinks about their most recent edgiest model.
Here now the rest of the lineup scheduled for February 2023:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US M48A3 Patton Medium Tank with Reliability Improved Selected Equipment (RISE) IR/White Light Spotlight – “Zig Zag Men”, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, Landing Zone Schueller, Vietnam, 1971
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC M48A3 Patton Medium Tank with Reliability Improved Selected Equipment (RISE) IR/White Light Spotlight – “Death”, C Company, 1st Marine Tank Battalion, Vietnam, 1970
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USMC Chance-Vought F4U-4 Corsair Fighter – “White 18”, VMF-323 “Death Rattlers”, USS Sicily (CVE-118), 1951Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 86-0272, 64th Aggressor Squadron “Aggressors”, 57th Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2017 [Aggressor Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – “75th Anniversary P-47 Scheme” 78-0618, 190th Fighter Squadron, Idaho Air National Guard, May 2021 [Anniversary Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale French Dassault Rafale M Multirole Aircraft – 12 EF, Libya, 2011Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Panavia GR. Mk. 1 Tornado ECR All-Weather Bomber – Jagdbombergeschwader 32, Piacenza San Damiano, 1999Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – “75th Anniversary of the 173rd Fighter Wing Scheme”, Oregon Air National Guard, Kingsley Field, Oregon, 2020 [Anniversary Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 85-0114, 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida, 1991 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 166776, VFA-31 “Tomcatters”, USS USS George H. W. Bush (CVN-77), 2011Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 162692, VF-84 “Jolly Rogers”, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), August 1991Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-35S “Flanker-E” Multirole Fighter – “Blue 25”, 22nd IAP, 303rd DPVO, 11th Air Army, Khabarovsk, Russia, 2020sHobby Master’s 1:72 scale Egyptian Sukhoi Su-35S “Flanker-E” Multirole Fighter – “Black 9123”, August 2020 [Notional Scheme]
So, we returned from our semi-regular trip to see one of our daughters for Mother’s Day. While, it was great to see her and her family, it also gives us a breather from the daily chores associated with running an online business that serves the needs of customers worldwide. We pushed out all of the orders we received during our hiatus, addressed several lingering issues that always seem to pop up while we are away, and have started to get back to updating our web site with any news that might have arisen during our time away.
Earlier today, we posted three new Corgi aircraft models expected later this year, which were part of Corgi’s second product announcement made on May 9th. Of note is a new 1:72 scale B-17 Flying Fortress, which always sell well despite their prices rising with each new release. Currently, all three new aircraft are slated for a September fly-in, although this could likely slip or even get moved up depending upon events with the global supply chain, manufacturer-related delays and other factors that seem to regularly occur despite everyone’s best efforts. We also had to increase our pre-order for their upcoming Short Stirling bomber, which has now eclipsed our original forecasts by a substantial margin. While some pundits seem to enjoy taking Corgi to task for any number of reasons, both their twin- and four-engine bombers routinely sell well and with the holidays just around the corner, will likely be in limited supply through the fourth quarter.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – 43-37756, “Milk Wagon”, 708th Bombardment Squadron, 447th Bombardment Group, RAF Rattlesden, England, 1945. While the price has once again increased, their B-17s regularly sell out
In other news, the latest spate of DeAgostini 1:43 scale tanks are en route and should be in stock by week’s end. Designed originally as part of a partworks series for Russian consumption, these vehicles do not come with a traditional hard back exterior package, although for the price, they sell well and represent great value. We had also hoped that more of the 1:72 scale World War II aircraft would be returning to stock but alas they seem to have been relegated for a later release. Likewise, their 1:1250 scale Warships series should receive reinforcements some time this summer barring any unforeseen delays.
DeAgostini’s 1:43 British Valentine Mk. III Infantry Tank – “Harry I,” 8th Royal Tank Regiment, Libya, 1941. While it isn’t a Russian tank, per se, the Valentine and other British-built tanks were shipped to the Soviet Union to bolster the Red Army’s own tank production
We are still awaiting news from another distributor to determine if the desert version of the M1070 heavy equipment transporter is still on track for a late May arrival. If it does show up on time, it will likely be accompanied by other Panzerkampf products we’ve had listed in the pre-order section for several months running but have had no updates. Bear in mind that the global supply chain still hasn’t been fully fixed at either the shipping or receiving end, no doubt exacerbated by the current COVID-related lockdown in Shanghai. I know a number of you are getting impatient and awaiting several highly anticipated items to arrive but we have no hand in when they actually hit our shores. And with trans-oceanic shipping costs still well above where they were just two years ago, several distributors are trying to get the greatest bang for the buck possible, by consolidating shipments and using every square inch available in each shipping container before it gets hog tied and placed on a cargo ship.
We’re still waiting on this one. Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US Oshkosh M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter with M1000 Semi-Trailer – Desert Scheme
We’ve received the April Hobby Master shipment albeit without two F/A-18 Hornets (HA3560 and HA3561) that have apparently been delayed and rescheduled to arrive with the May shipment. Several key items were included in the mix among them a pair of 1:72 scale Stuka dive-bombers as well as the latest iteration of their A-10 Warthog, this time around painted in a scintillating blackened veneer. Currently, our distributor does not have a firm idea as to when the May shipment is supposed to show, no doubt affected by the slowdown occurring in China. Frankly speaking, if China does not arrest the problem soon with their so-called “Zero COVID Strategy”, then we are likely looking at a repeat global shipping dilemma where goods are unable to arrive in time for the holiday season.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Junkers Ju-87D-3 Stuka Dive-Bomber – T6+EK, Friedrich Reissner, II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 “Immelmann”, Eastern Front. Break up those tank attacks with their latest dive-bomber
The next Forces of Valor shipment has been pushed back until July. While it contains several back ordered items, such as their inaugural Tiger I tank and second issue Sturmtiger, it will also include a handful of new items, chief among them their second Sherman tank as well as their latest Tiger I. While its not clear if their first ever 1:32 scale model kit will make the cut, the manufacturer did post a video on it to Facebook, hyping its components and relative quality to one of their fully completed vehicles released earlier this year.
According to one of our distributor’s who handles Precision Model Art (PMA), the company’s latest shipment is on track to arrive during May, although you’d never know it by the manufacturer’s web site. For the better part of 2022, the site has displayed next to nothing in the way of useful information, a rather sad state of affairs for a company looking to maintain momentum and keep collectors informed as to what’s going on from their standpoint. Be that as it may, it would appear as if their US 155mm Gun Motor Carriage M40 will likely come in this month (fingers crossed) and hopefully several items that have been languishing on back order status since the beginning of the year.
PMA’s 1:72 scale US 155mm Gun Motor Carriage M40 Self-Propelled Gun – “Big Bruiser”, B Battery, 937th Field Artillery Battalion “Arkansas Long Toms”, Korea, 1953. The “Duck and Cover” public service announcements of the 50s and 60s come to mind
The second batch of Armored Fighting Vehicles of World War II has been pushed back a month and is now pegged for a June arrival. The vehicles are finished, packed up and loaded onto a container — the problem, as we have already discussed, is the slowdown in China which has affected virtually every outbound shipment headed to America and parts unknown. While the third batch of vehicles is currently being worked on, they too will likely be shunted to the back burner if the current COVID crisis isn’t put in check. As difficult as this news is to hear, the fact remains that we are likely going to be addressing the spread of the Corona virus and its ugly variants well into 2023, which, of course, plays havoc with the release of every type of diecast collectible.
Armored Fighting Vehicles of WWII’s 1:43 scale US M24 Chaffee Light Tank – 2nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 4th Armored Division, Germany, April 1945. Like the opening of the second front in Europe during WWII, time waits for no man, particularly if they are awaiting the arrival of these fine replicas
That’s about it for now but if anything else comes to mind over the next day or so, I’ll update this blog post and do my best to keep everyone informed as to what’s happening. Peace out.
Oh yeah, the photo. With our upcoming move to Florida, I asked my son-in-law, who is a world class pistol shooter having fired a gun competitively for well over thirty years, to take me to a gun store in Dallas so I could determine which hand gun might suit my needs for home defense. He ended up taking me to Plano, about a thirty minute ride from Dallas proper, which is where RifleGear has now set up shot. Frankly, I was amazed by the selection of hand guns and long guns they had on display, running the gamut from the “Pink Lady” snub nose revolver to $10k Ruger sniper rifles. Even better, they have an indoor shooting range, where you can rent and test out which ever gun you may be interested in purchasing or do an ammo dump with a fully loaded AR-15 assault rifle set to automatic. So, he attached the silhouetted target to the overhead target carrier system, dimmed the lights using the booth’s side-mounted lighting and atmospheric controller, punched in a ten-yard range setting and let me have at it, after first showing me how to handle a firearm. Well, yours truly blasted away for the next fifteen minutes, emptying three clips into the target, and imagining, if you will, an intruder breaking into our newly-built home at one in the morning. My son-in-law was flabbergasted at the results, muttering to himself he better take care of my eldest daughter or else his father-in-law might pay him an unexpected visit in the wee hours of the morning. Anyway, just call me Dead Eye…
DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale Soviet T-34/76 Medium Tank – 1942
Looking to shore up their armored arsenal, DeAgostini announced the imminent arrival of seven more 1:43 scale tanks to its armored collection. Like its predecessors, these huge beasts are heavy in the hand and pack lots of wallop for the price, each representing some of the most iconic vehicles to arise from the Second World War. Here’s what you can expect to show up later this month:
DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale Soviet Su-122 Assault Gun – Winter 1943DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale Soviet Su-122 Assault Gun – “Glory to Our Tankers!,” Summer 1943DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale French Char B1bis Heavy Tank – Battle of France, Spring 1940DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale British Valentine Mk. III Infantry Tank – “Harry I,” 8th Royal Tank Regiment, Libya, 1941DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale British Churchill Mk. VII Infantry Tank – “Briton,” 107th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (King’s Own), 34th Tank Brigade, 1945DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale Czechoslovak Cromwell Mk. VIII Tank – 1st Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade, Dunkirk, December 1944DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale US M4A3 Sherman Medium Tank – Creighton Abrams’ “Thunderbolt IV”, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, Bastogne, Belgium, December 1944
According to a recent article that appeared on April 30th in the Ukrainian Kyiv Post, the so-called “Ghost of Kyiv” was, in fact, real. Major Stepan Tarabalka reportedly shot down over 40 Russian aircraft in the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, only to get shot down himself and die on March 13th. The Mig-29 pilot’s identity was revealed earlier this week by various Ukrainian media and The Times in London also confirmed his real name.
On March 20th, President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously awarded him the country’s top medal for bravery in combat, the Order of the Golden Star, and the Hero of Ukraine title. For more information concerning Tarabalka, visit this link.
But then came this from the Ukrainian military within hours of the first report. “Rumours about the pilot were denounced this week after a number of media outlets identified him as Major Stepan Tarabalka, a pilot who had died last month in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Internet users began praising the ‘Ghost’ after the Ukrainian government tweeted a video showing an artist’s impression of him, claiming he shot down six Russian aircraft on the first day of the invasion.”
So, depending upon who you believe, the Ghost of Kyiv may just be that — a fabrication to further inspire the Ukrainian nation to resist the Russian invasion, much like the Ukrainian marines holding out to the last man on Snake Island against the overwhelming might of the Russian Navy. It wouldn’t be the first time a legend was born out of the crucible of battle, taking on legendary proportions the longer the conflict played out in order to bolster morale both at home and abroad.
