With Halloween looming, we typically close up shop at this time of year so we can partake in our annual Trick-or-Treat crawl through the scarier parts of Dallas. Its a special time of year for us because we get to see our kids and their kids (I guess that would make them our grandchildren, huh?) all at once, ghouls and goblins aside. That said, we will be closed for business from Wednesday, October 26th until Tuesday, November 2nd. During this time frame, you may place orders through our web site as well as on eBay, although they will not be filled until we return. Our Amazon marketplace site as well as our Walmart site will be shuttered in accordance with their Fulfillment by Merchant selling guidelines. Likewise, any correspondence will be answered upon our return.
We’ve also updated our web site and denoted those items that are now en route to us based upon recent conversations with our suppliers. Truth is, some of this merchandise will be released to us towards the end of our vacation because we cannot risk having it pile up on our doorstep with no one to take it in. At this time of year, some of the carriers start speeding up their delivery times so it makes sense to err on the side of caution by delaying their arrival. Therefore, expect many of the items to actually be in stock towards the end of the first week of November. Naturally, we’ll do our best to turn around any outstanding orders as quickly as possible so please keep any order inquiries to a minimum.
We also spoke with our distributor who carries the Hobby Master line and learned there’s a possibility that the November shipment may arrive before the October container comes in. As a result, we’ve lumped everything together into the November 2022 Upcoming Release category and will sift through it once we have a better idea as to what’s coming in and when.
Lastly, there’s talk of a rail strike that could occur on November 19th although negotiations are currently underway to prevent this from happening. If it does occur, all bets are off concerning anything that is expected in late November or December. And with our upcoming move to Florida, we have to be both careful and selective as to which items we can receive late in the holiday season once the strike has been settled. Sorry to be so blunt, but this is a rather unique year for us from a number of standpoints.
That’s about it for now and I’ll update this post should anything else pop into mind before we jet off to Texas. Have a wonderful Halloween.
Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird Reconnaissance Aircraft
Its a tad ironic how a diecast model maker names itself after the US President’s venerable 747 jumbo jet yet somehow never gets around to making a model of it. You’d think the Presidential transport would be the first model out the door if they’re leveraging the name as a means of gaining instant notoriety. Be that as it may, AF1 will be unleashing a number of new models this January, all based upon previous best-selling releases, from the high-flying SR-71 Blackbird to a Tokyo-raiding B-25 Mitchell bomber. Here now a quick rundown of what’s in store this winter from, who else, but Air Force 1:
Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAF North American B-25B Mitchell Medium Bomber – “Hari Kari-er”, USS Hornet (CV-8), April 18th, 1942Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Xi’an JH-7 Fighter-BomberAir Force 1’s 1:72 scale Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-10A “Vigorous Dragon” Multirole FighterAir Force 1’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi PAK FA T-50 Stealth Fighter – Gromov Flight Research Institute, Zhukovsky Air Base, Russia [Advanced Technology Demonstrator Scheme]
While their retail prices may have jumped somewhat over the last six months, AF1 continues to produce a series of high-quality model aircraft that continually sell well year-after-year. Heavy in the hand and offering great value vis-a-vis other similar lines, AF1 can certainly be forgiven for not making a Presidential transport if they continue to knock it out of the park with these and other superb replicas.
JC Wings 1:72 scale Libyan Air Force Sukhoi Su-22 “Fitter” Fighter-Bomber – Gulf of Sidra, Libya, August 1981
While Hobby Master adheres to a monthly releases schedule, and Corgi now announces new products on a trimester basis, JC Wings typically unveils new items in so-called “phases” that aren’t tied to hard-and-fast dates on the calendar but rather hit the market in incremental stages. Phase 16, as they refer to it. has now been officially unveiled and, from what we hear, will likely reach the North American market in either January or February. Interestingly, their latest wave will come with metal display stands, although these will be packaged separately and may not be available in large numbers following the product’s initial roll out. Think of them as a bonus for early purchasers who would gladly accept the freebie when other makers bundle with their aircraft but bump up their prices include them.
No matter, we’ve curated their lineup and are now accepting pre-orders for the following items:
JC Wings 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 121st Fighter Squadron “Capital Guardians”, 113th Fighter Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland, 2011JC Wings 1:72 scale US Navy Vought A-7E Corsair II Attack Aircraft – VA-86 “Sidewinders”, 1972JC Wings 1:72 scale Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Grumman F-14A “Alicat” Fleet Defense Fighter – Iran, 2014JC Wings 1:72 scaleUS Navy Boeing F/A-18F Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-41 “Black Aces,” 2016 [Anniversary Scheme]
Dragon’s 1:72 scale USMC M4A3 Sherman Flame Tank with HVSS Suspension – “F23”, POA-CWS-H5 Flamethrower, Korea, 1951. Looks like we’re going to be subjected to a huge armored onslaught in a few weeks time.
In a previous post we alluded to the fact that its been very difficult obtaining some of the latest Neo Dragon Armor military vehicles since Dragon USA closed up shop last year. In a last ditch effort, we enlisted the aid of one of our closest distributors to help us out and see if they could import the line for US consumption. Turns out, not only were they successful, but there’s a bevy of new subjects on the water, all scheduled to arrive towards the end of this month. The list of new arrivals include the following vehicles:
Bear in mind that we will be closed for vacation from October 26th to November 2nd so its more than likely these will arrive at our facility in early November. We didn’t order all that many pieces of each vehicle so we strongly recommend submitting your pre-orders sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. I’m not certain if we will restock any item that sells out quickly until the beginning of 2023 if, in fact, they are still available from our supplier.
Dubbed the Abrams-X, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) unveiled the latest iteration in its long line of Abrams main battle tanks earlier this week. The latest Abrams sports an active protection system designed to defeat incoming missiles at range to lessen the effect of collateral damage to nearby soldiers, and is fitted with a remotely operated machine gun atop the tank’s turret for close-in fire support. The Abrams-X is both lighter than its predecessors and more robust, able to fire many of the US Army’s latest types of smart munitions for greater lethality on the battlefield. The vehicle will reportedly feature a new armor package although no word as yet if that means its super secretive Chobham armor is being dispensed with in favor of a better, more up-to-date means of protection or modified with better ceramic plating. None of the tell-tale TUSK I or TUSK II urban survival kits were shown on the technology demonstrator nor were any other types of explosive reactive armor clad to the vehicle. The tank will carry a smaller crew, feature a new electrification system, state-of-the-art computers and work in conjunction with other soon-to-be-fielded tracked and wheeled mobile weapons systems that will form the tip of the Army’s armored spear for the better part of the 21st century.
Defense firm Honeywell has created a head-mounted display for drivers that can provide a 360-degree view around their vehicle, better allowing them to drive in poor weather or other low-visibility situations. (Honeywell)
Interestingly, the video hints at Abrams-X’s so-called “Silent Strike” capability which purportedly means the possibility of a hybrid propulsion system that could incorporate an electric battery in addition to the gas turbine engine that powers the M1 series of tanks. In effect, the tank would operate in a stealth mode, able to advance up to the edge of the battlefield area then perform simplified maneuvering without fear of being audibly detected by enemy forces. Whispering Death, as it was known during the Gulf Wars, personified.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the chassis looks much like a standard M1 Abrams tank, sporting jagged, slab-like side armor panels, padded tracks, and the driver’s position still situated immediately below the main gun. The turret, however, looks vaguely similar to a British Challenger 2 tank, with all sorts of forward-looking sensors and other apparatus studded along its angular exterior. The remotely operated machine gun will likely function much like those employed on the Stryker family of wheeled vehicles and therefore does not expose the user to close arms fire. Moreover, it appears as if a coaxial machine gun has been fitted above the main gun, and 360-degree situational awareness sensors are embedded around the turret’s outer surfaces, giving the crew better all-around field-of-view.
General Dynamics Land System’s Mobile Protected Firepower system, designed for use with the US Army’s Rapid Deployment Force. Could the Defense Department eventually call it the “Schwarzkopf”?
The down-sized, three-man crew means the new Abrams-X will likely come with an autoloader, more in line with Russian main battle tanks, although the tank will almost certainly incorporate blow out panels for ammunition storage in an effort to enhance crew survivability should the vehicle succumb to enemy fire. The US Army has always been loathe to downsizing a tank’s crew since it means one less person is available for in-the-field maintenance duties.
In a separate announcement, “Defense firm Honeywell unveiled a new head-mounted display it said will provide a 360-degree view around military vehicles and allow the drivers to see better in hazardous conditions that lower visibility. The Honeywell 360 Display, introduced at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual convention in Washington, uses a series of exterior cameras mounted on a vehicle, such as a Humvee, as well as sensors to give the driver a high-resolution picture of what is going on around the vehicle.” The new system will likely be worn by the tank’s driver to give him better situational awareness, particularly at night and in inclement weather, since the Army still plans on carrying out round-the-clock operations against any potential adversary to seize and maintain the initiative.
GDLS also indicated that they would begin building the US Army’s new Mobile Protected Firepower system, a light tank designed principally for Airborne forces as a means of bolstering their offensive punch and engage most adversarial targets at range. Initially 26 vehicles will be delivered, which includes retrofitting eight of a dozen prototypes originally built for testing and evaluation purposes to bring them up to field specs. In total, 70 vehicles will be procured under a low rate production plan over the next few years. Interestingly, the Army plans to buy 504 vehicles, which are projected to be in the inventory for at least 30 years. The bulk of procurement should be complete by 2035. In the wake of the current Russo-Ukrainian War, in which hundreds of Russian tanks have been destroyed by both man-portable and drone launched systems, the Army still feels there is a need for modern main battle tanks on the battlefield and determined that its newest entrants are more than capable of defending themselves against similar adversarial systems.
As a sidebar, its curious to see how the so-called “light tank” carries a crew of four while the heavier Abrams-X, no doubt better suited for tank-on-tank combat, will accommodate only three. I can only assume that the weight of the munitions plays into the equation. Its conceivable that the munitions for the Abrams-X is far heavier and therefore too much to bear for the average man to handle under the duress of combat.
As the wife and I were fretting about the approaching storm, and hot on the heels of being picked for the annual Top 40 under Forty Surgeons List by the Association of Women Surgeons, comes news that our daughter, Linda, won the UT Southwestern Rising Star Award. Only two people are selected each year from over 2,000 faculty members. She is currently being interviewed by a Dallas newspaper and the official awards presentation is scheduled for November 10th. The amazing part is that I have seen her sitting on their couch, laptop on her knees, with two and sometimes three young kids hanging off her neck and arms, fully composed and acting as if nothing is wrong, all the while writing a paper or preparing a presentation. This girl is on fire!
Forces of Valor’s German Initial Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 502, Leningrad, Russia, February 1943 [Bonus Maybach HL 210 TRM P45 Engine]. To quote Pink Floyd, “Wish You Were Here”
To borrow a catchphrase from HBO’s award-winning series, Game of Thrones, we finally received our opening allotment of Forces of Valor’s latest Tiger tank. Unfortunately, this new supplier could only send us a grand total of twelve pieces, which means we cannot even cover all of the pre-orders we’ve received to date, much less list the item for open sale in our store or any of our marketplace sites. We’ve placed a back up order with another distributor who will hopefully be able to fill our order for the holidays. If not, we will likely receive our next order after we have completed our relocation move to Florida. We apologize for not having more on hand but sometimes these issues are completely out of our control. On the plus side, we do have their 1:200 scale interlocking aircraft carrier set in stock, their inaugural 1:32 scale Tiger tank model kit, as well as a trio of 1:72 scale Spitfires. All have been listed as being available on both our site as well as on eBay. As I alluded to earlier, winter is coming, although it may be a tad late for their newest Tiger.
We’re still keeping our fingers crossed that both of their forthcoming Sherman tanks will be here for the holidays. Admittedly, it doesn’t help that we have to knock on the door of multiple distributors to see what news they can share about the Shermans’ fate. We’ve submitted our opening order with our more reliable source and await to news concerning when the ranks will show up.
Can the Waltersons Viper compete with so many rivals? Improvements in some areas and deficiencies in others means collectors will have to decide with their wallets.Engine and instrumentation covers are a nice touch but pronounced rivets have caused some to wonder if the FOV Viper is worth it.
Incoming items addressed, the manufacturer has started to hint at what’s ahead for 2023. Before they closed up shop several years ago, Unimax, the previous owner of the Forces of Valor brand, had been working on a 1:72 scale F-16 Viper. Waltersons picked up the gauntlet and has finished the mold, adding a few bells and whistles along the way to enable it to better compete with similar models produced by Hobby Master, Calibre Wings and JC Wings. For one the nose cone can be opened via a hinge, which exposes a fully fleshed out radar. Items such as a cockpit access ladder, differing engine nozzles, engine and instrumentation covers and a full complement of weaponry are apparently now standard, as is a section of paved runway. The maker claims that both a standard as well as deluxe version of the F-16 will be offered, although it isn’t clear what changes/additions will be made to the model to further enhance it.
While talk of a Japanese F-2 fighter has also begun — again designed to compete with an existing Hobby Master mold — so too has information slowly leaked out about an upcoming UH-60 Blackhawk, likely offered in multiple configurations, liveries and service markings. The Blackhawk should be a welcome addition to their stable of combat rotorcraft, although we’re not certain if its catering to the 1:72 or 1:48 scale markets.
While the virtual keel may have been laid way back in 2018, this is apparently as far as the manufacturer has gotten commissioning their latest aircraft carrier. Hang in there naval buffs. Salvation is waiting in the wings.
Finally, Waltersons has disclosed that three versions of the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier are being worked on, one for each of the three distinct eras of the Cold War. Apart from some CAD drawings, no photos were provided, which leads us to believe they are still a way’s off and likely to be surged across a staggered schedule, most likely beginning with the 1960-1980 version, although the jury is out debating the release order. Obviously, each version will come with different types of embarked aircraft based upon when they saw service and in which operation the Kitty Hawk took part in.
