Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USN Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter – Warrant Officer Donald Runyon, VF-6, USS Enterprise (CV-6), 1942
Per Hobby Master’s MAP guidelines, we have removed any price restrictions on all of the September 2022 Hobby Master arrivals. The price for each item has been reduced to their regular selling price and you may now apply any discounts we offer towards the purchase of these items. This process will recur on the first of every month in compliance with their updated MAP pricing program. You can tell if an item is no longer MAP protected if the blue MAP seal that appears alongside its image and just below its price has been removed. In effect, a retailer is no longer bound by the 6-month introductory MAP restriction policy and can sell the item for whatever price they deem appropriate.
In other news, our distributor reports that Legion has now arrived and is on its way to us. The first shipment encompasses most of their 1:72 scale military vehicles, a pair of Yorktown class aircraft carriers and finally all four F4U Corsairs. Again, this line is aimed at the collector on a budget and/or entry level aficionado who may be put off by some of the higher priced lines such as Panzerkampf. Also winging their way to us are a pair of the latest Oxford Frontline Fighters.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4(105) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension and Deep Wading Gear – “White 6”, 711th Tank Battalion, Okinawa, April-June 1945 [Bonus Continental (Wright) R-975, Radial 9 Engine]
After speaking with Waltersons earlier today, they are getting set to ship out our next order, which includes the fourth Sherman tank in their Engine Plus series. The shipment also includes metal tracks expressly developed for the previous Sherman release, an all-new 1:72 scale Chinook helicopter and lots of stuff that was on back order for several weeks running. We should have everything in-house around the second week of April since our order will be shipped out to us via freight instead of a standard ground carrier due to its sheer size and weight.
If you ordered the “Cobra King” Sherman along with this new Sherman tank with wading gear, then we will ship out both vehicles in one parcel to reduce shipping costs. Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long but we originally thought both vehicles would be sent out together instead of this staggered release.
Again, we would appreciate it if everyone refrains from contacting us to ask about their order. As I have indicated previously, it only ends up slowing us down and prevents us from getting your orders out as quickly as possible. If we have any questions regarding your order we will reach out and contact you – otherwise look forward to receiving an order completion notice followed by tracking information. That’s about it for now and hope you enjoy Forces of Valor’s latest diecast hardware.
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – “Christl”, Gerhard Barkhorn, II./Jagdgeschwader 52, Ukraine, September 1943
“For the last two and one-half years the bitter and costly struggle against Bolshevism has made the utmost demands upon the bulk of our military resources and energies. This commitment was in keeping with the seriousness of the danger, and the over-all situation. The situation has since changed. The threat from the East remains, but an even greater danger looms in the West: the Anglo-American landing! In the East, the vastness of the space will, as a last resort, permit a loss of territory even on a major scale, without suffering a mortal blow to Germany’s chance for survival. Not so in the West! If the enemy here succeeds in penetrating our defenses on a wide front, consequences of staggering proportions will follow within a short time. All signs point to an offensive against the Western Front of Europe no later than spring, and perhaps earlier. For that reason, I can no longer justify the further weakening of the West in favor of other theaters of war. I have therefore decided to strengthen the defenses in the West, particularly at places from which we shall launch our long-range war against England. For those are the very points at which the enemy must and will attack; there–unless all indications are misleading–will be fought the decisive invasion battle.” – Fuhrer Directive No. 51, announcing preparations for a two-front war, November 3rd, 1943
Gerhard Barkhorn is credited with the second highest victory tally in WWII, and is only one of two pilots to have reached the 300 level, the other being Erich “Bubi” Hartmann. For most of his combat career, Barkhorn served with JG 52, although he earned his come uppance in July 1939 with JG 2.
While his unit took part in the Battle of Britain, he was never able to score any victories in the skies over England. Afterwards, JG 52 was transferred to the Eastern Front in July 1941, where Barkhorn earned his first victory on the second of the month. This tally soon grew, reaching an astounding 52 kills by August 1942. For this he was awarded “Das Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuz” (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross). His count continued to soar, reaching 175 victories in January 1943, at which point he received the Oakleaves to his Knights Cross.
In September, he was promoted to the rank of Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 52. He reached the magical mark of 200 kills in November, and gained his 250th victory in February 1944, for which he received the Swords to his Knights Cross with Oakleaves. He eventually claimed 300 victories at the beginning of 1945 and his final kill, an incredible 301 victories, on January 5th, 1945.
On January 15th, he was promoted to the rank of Major and became Geschwaderkommodore of JG 6. In April, he was moved to the “Jagdfliegerheim” for recuperation, before moving to JV 44 — “The Squadron of Experts” — under the tutelage of Johannes Steinhoff & Adolf Galland. Called upon to fly the jet-powered Me 262, he was forced to make a crash landing due to engine failure and heavy enemy opposition on April 17th, which left him seriously injured. The injury would put an end to his flying career, which stood at an incredible 1,104 combat missions, spanning much of Continental Europe.
Look for “Christl”, Gerhard Barkhorn’s Messerschmitt mount, to defend the skies over The Third Reich this April.
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKK “Flanker-C” Fighter – “Red 504”, Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia
Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi was a Soviet aerospace engineer and aircraft designer known as the founder of the Sukhoi Design Bureau. Sukhoi designed military aircraft with Tupolev and Sukhoi for 50 years, and produced many notable Soviet planes such as the Sukhoi Su-7, Su-17, and Su-24. His planes set two altitude world records (1959, 1962) and two world speed records (1960, 1962). Sukhoi was honored in the Soviet Union as a Hero of Socialist Labor and awarded the Order of Lenin three times.
In the postwar years, Sukhoi was among the first Soviet aircraft designers who led the work on jet aircraft, creating several experimental jet fighters. From 1949, Sukhoi fell out of Stalin’s favour and was forced to return to work under Tupolev, this time as Deputy Chief Designer. In 1953, the year of Stalin’s death, Sukhoi was permitted to re-establish his own Sukhoi Design Bureau. Sukhoi produced several major serial combat aircraft during the Cold War, including the supersonic Su-7, which became the main Soviet fighter-bomber of the 1960s, and interceptors Su-9 and Su-15, which formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Defence Forces. Sukhoi also pioneered variable-sweep wing aircraft, such as the Su-17 and Su-24. Sukhoi also started a number of projects that were not developed, including the ambitious Mach-3-capable Sukhoi T-3 attack aircraft. From 1958 to 1974, Sukhoi served as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Sukhoi died on September 15th, 1975, at the Barvikha sanatorium in Moscow, and was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery. The last fighter Sukhoi designed was the T-10 (Su-27) but he did not live to see it fly.
Panzerkampf plans to pay homage to the legendary aircraft designer with this Su-30MKK fighter that bears Sukhoi’s likeness on its tail. No firm date has been established concerning its release.
The Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) was an international peacekeeping force created in August 1982 following a 1981 US-brokered ceasefire between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to end their involvement in the conflict between Lebanon’s pro-government and pro-Syrian factions. The ceasefire held until June 3rd, 1982 when the Abu Nidal Organization attempted to assassinate Shlomo Argov, Israel’s ambassador to London. Israel blamed the PLO and three days later invaded Lebanon. West Beirut was besieged for seven weeks before the PLO acceded to a new agreement for their withdrawal. The agreement provided for the deployment of a Multinational Force to assist the Lebanese Armed Forces in evacuating the PLO, Syrian forces and other foreign combatants involved in Lebanon’s civil war.
The four-nation MNF was created as an interposition force meant to oversee the peaceful withdrawal of the PLO. The participants included the U.S. Multinational Force (USMNF), which consisted of four different Marine Amphibious Units (MAUs); British 1st Queens Dragoon Guards armored reconnaissance regiment; the 1st inter-arm Foreign and French Brigade, 4 Foreign Legion Regiments, 28 French Armed Forces regiments including French and Foreign paratroopers, units of the National Gendarmerie, Italian paratroopers from the Folgore Brigade, infantry units from the Bersaglieri regiments and Marines of the San Marco Regiment. Additionally, the MNF was in charge of training various units of the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The relatively benign environment at the beginning of the mission gave way to chaos as the civil war re-escalated following the assassination of President-elect Bashir Gernavel in September 1982. Subsequent political and military developments on the ground caused the MNF to be viewed not as a peacekeeper, but as a belligerent. In early 1984, after it became apparent that the government of Lebanon was no longer able to impose its will on warring factions as they entered Beirut and hostilities renewed, the MNF ended its presence mission in Beirut and went offshore before completely leaving Lebanon in July of the same year in the aftermath of the October 1983 barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. and 58 French servicemen. It was replaced by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) already present in Lebanon since 1978 under the leadership of Ghanian Lieutenant General Emmanuel Erskine.
The involvement of British forces in the Multinational Force was agreed by the UK Government on December 15th, 1982. The American request for UK military support posed a dilemma for Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who was wary of entanglement in the complex conflict in Lebanon. However, she agreed to a small, limited commitment as a token effort to support the UK-US ‘special relationship’. The contingent of BRITFORLEB, code-named Operation Hyperion, was limited to an armored reconnaissance squadron equipped with Ferret armored cars with, at most, 115 deployed personnel. British Forces were based in the East Beirut district of Regie Hadath. The contingent did not suffer any fatalities and was withdrawn, with the other multinational contingents, in February 1984. BRITFORLEB consisted of three squadron-sized rotations from armored reconnaissance units: C Sqn (Feb-Aug 1983) and A Sqn (Aug-Dec 1983) from the 1st Queens Dragoon Guards, and A Sqn (Dec 1983-Feb 1984) of the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers.
Looking to pay tribute to the “special relationship” that continues to exist between the US and UK as well as the British contribution to the UN peackeeping mission, Waltersons will be releasing a 1:72 scale replica of a helicopter that participated in BRITFORLEB – the British effort to bring peace to Lebanon in the early 1980s. Their newest British-based Chinook proudly wears an over-sized Union Jack on its rear pylon as well as its fuselage underside and capitalizes on the success of Walterson’s range of CH-47 Chinook helicopters. Expect their newest rotary wing aircraft to soar over Beirut and the diecast battlefield this April.
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 “Friedrich” Fighter – Otto Kath, Stab/Jagdgeschwader 54 “Grunherz”, Staraya, Russia, December 1941
Few model makers are as forward-looking as Hobby Master. In fact, right around the middle of each month, Hobby Master trots out the latest models due out in approximately nine to ten months time. So, while others are still looking to get their ducks-in-a-row for the quarter before them, Hobby Master is toiling away at the drawing board for much further out, plying their drafting tools and expertise for months on end so they can beat their competition to the punch without looking back.
This month is no different, with lots of aircraft on the docket for every type of wartime interest and collector. While we are awaiting pricing for some of the latest warbirds still pending US Navy approval, here’s what you can look forward to placing in your curio cabinet come this December:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk Attack Aircraft – 160030, VMA-214 “Black Sheep”, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, 1989 [Low Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN Curtiss SB2C Helldiver ASW Aircraft – “White 208”, VB-83, USS Essex (CV-9), April 1945Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN Curtiss SB2C Helldiver ASW Aircraft – “White 62”, VB-18, USS Intrepid (CV-11), 1944Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC McDonnell F-4B Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 158378, VMFA-122 Squadron “Flying Leathernecks”, Da Nang, South Vietnam, 1968Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 07-4147, “Spirit of Tuskegee”, 477th Fighter Group, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, 2013 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 165926, VFA-122 “Flying Eagles”, Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, 2022Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon Multi-Role Fighter – 31+45, “Living the Spirit”, Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 71 “Richthofen”, Rostock, Germany, 2021Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale US Navy Grumman F9F-5 Panther Fighter – Captain Royce Williams, “Actions Speak Louder than Medals”, VF-781 “Pacemaker”, November 1952Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale US Navy Grumman F9F-5 Panther Fighter – Captain Royce Williams, “Actions Speak Louder than Medals”, VF-781 “Pacemaker”, November 1952Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – ZM149/015, 207 Squadron, HMS Prince of Wales, June 2021 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – ZM159/025, 617 Squadron, HMS Queen Elizabeth, November 2022 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Soviet Air Defense Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD “Foxbat-E” Interceptor – “Blue 20”, 146th GFAR, Vasilkov Air Base, Russia, 1990
To improve mobility in soft terrain, the Army came up with a field expedient solution called a “duckbill” end connector. This was an end connector with a sheet steel foot welded to it, and when bolted in place on the track, it added several inches to the tracks width
Apparently, Waltersons received the all-new M4 Sherman Tank Model T48 Duckbill Tracks at the same time they took in the new M4 Sherman Jumbo tank but neglected to tell anyone. Be that as it may, we have placed an order for them along with another cache of initial production Tiger I tanks, all of which should be in stock by the middle of this month. I believe the previously released Sherman track set should still work on the Jumbo tank, although these are the type expressly developed for the vehicle during the war by our defense industry.
On a different note, we are holding those Sherman Jumbo tank orders that also called for the upcoming M4 Sherman tank with the wading gear. Bear in mind that our company policy expressly states that we do not split up orders in order to reduce our outbound shipping costs. Again, these are large, heavy models that can get quite expensive shipping across this great land of ours. So, if you ordered both vehicles on one invoice, hang in there and we will notify you when your order is ready to ship out complete.
Update: To mitigate the costs of shipping these large, oversized items from Waltersons’ locale on the west coast to our location in Florida, the Company will be shipping our re-stock order plus the upcoming Sherman with wading gear via freight instead of standard ground delivery. We will likely have to increase our orders down the road to avoid out-of-stock situations that are caused by excessive shipping costs. As with “Cobra King”, we strongly recommend submitting your order for the next Sherman tank as soon as possible so we have a clearer idea as to how many to order to fill our initial requirement. This will likely hold true for each new 1:32 scale tank the Company plans on rolling out at least for the balance of 2023.
Its been seven years since Waltersons first acquired the Forces of Valor brand from its former owner, Unimax. In that time, the Company has released a number of well-received projects that cut across the diecast spectrum, from big and beefy 1:32 scale tanks to pose-able 1:72 scale WWII-era fighters. To mark its seventh year of operation, the Company was gracious enough to share with us several new products that are in the pipeline, all of which are fairly far along and due out by the end of the second quarter.
For openers, two rather different 1:32 scale Opel Blitz trucks have been created, both of which sport medical markings but intended for use in vastly different theatres of action. As you can readily see, one is donning a desert sand motif, indicative of its ties to Rommel’s Deutsches Afrikakoprs. The second is clad in a winter camouflage pattern, and is likely based upon a vehicle that saw action in either the winter of 1941 or ’42 on the cold, snow-covered steppes of the Eastern Front.
Also passed along to us is this waterline version of the USS Missouri, which is wearing a Measure 32, Design 22D camouflage it was painted in during1944, in support of US naval operations against the Japanese Empire in the Pacific. The Company also plans to re-issue a full hull version of the ship and has a similar strategy in mind for the re-release of the German super battleship, Bismarck.
While no mages were included in the brief, plans for the first half of 2023 include a US M24 Chaffee light tank in two dissimilar paint schemes. Also being rolled out is “Julia” – a US M4A2(76) Sherman that was used by the 761st Tank Battalion “Black Panthers” – a segregated, all-black American unit involved in the the crossing of the river Rhine operations in early 1945.
Lastly, as can be seen here, is a 1:32 scale 10-wheeled US CKWW 351 cargo truck, similar to the type employed in the Red Ball Express operation to bring greatly-needed fuel and other supplies to the advancing US forces in their bid to race across northwest Europe during the summer and fall of 1944. Since these are the first soft-skinned vehicles being resurrected and re-purposed by Waltersons, it isn’t clear as yet if these upgraded trucks will come with removable engines thus making them a part of the Engine Plus series or perhaps members of a brand new sub brand within the Forces of Valor universe.
The Company also hinted at several more 1:72 scale modern aircraft as being in the works, although its a good bet these are based upon molds first introduced by Unimax almost two decades ago. These will likely include a MV-22 Opsrey, F-14 Tomcat and possibly an F-22 Raptor. We’ve been promised clearer and sharper images to follow along with detailed information concerning product codes, pricing and feature lists.
One last bit of news should be taken at face value — the Company has categorically stated that some highly successful introductions will only be available for a limited time, pointing to the recently released “Cobra King” Sherman as a prime example. This means that while the Company is already running low on inventory thanks largely to incredible popular demand, they don’t plan to re-release it for upwards of 24-36 months and quite likely at a higher price point. Food for thought if you are still sitting on the fence considering whether to purchase this esteemed battle wagon.
Over the last few months we have noticed a significant rise in the number of abandoned orders placed through our web site whereby the customer cannot be reached so that we can review their billing information with them. Usually, this issue arises with new customers, who seem to think that by placing an order at the time they see the item on our site, that they will get the product right away. Usually they do not check the anticipated date of availability of said item, which can oftentimes arrive several months after the fact, in some instances years later. Friends, as I’ve said before, these are collectibles, most of which are made in Asia, that can and oftentimes are adversely affected by global market conditions, weather, logistical issues, et al. We have no control over when the product finally comes to market and if you do not understand this then I would suggest taking up a different passion and looking into a different hobby.
We are going on our 23rd year of doing business and our stated policy has always been that the customer is charged at the time of shipment and not before. From our standpoint, walking away from an order is no longer acceptable. When we receive product, we are essentially laying out money on behalf of the customer with the idea that we will be reimbursed at some point down the road once the item comes in and is ready for shipment. If a customer prepays for an item using either PayPal or AmazonPay, then it is with the understanding that they are paying for the item well ahead of us being able to ship out the item to them. We do not encourage this type of behavior nor have we demanded payment at the time the order is placed. If a customer feels more comfortable pre-paying for an item (which means they are not sharing their credit card details with the merchant) then so be it.
However, we have run into more and more situations where a customer places an order using their credit card, and then disappears at the time we require them to provide us with their complete details so we can obtain a new authorization code from the credit card provider. Sometimes, the customer can be reached, who them hems and haws over why they must provide us with their billing information or swears that the item has already been paid for without so much as checking their credit card statement. I’m not certain why this occurs, but this too is unacceptable behavior on the part of the customer.
Right now, we are mulling over different policy options that can potentially include taking payment from EVERYONE at the time their order is placed. Another alternative is taking a substantial, non-refundable deposit at the time the order is placed so that we are at least covered for the wholesale cost of the item. Or we could adopt the physician’s model, whereby the customer’s billing information must be provided first before services are rendered in the form of accepting a pre-order.
Naturally, selling collectibles that oftentimes do not come in until a later date presents a bit of a problem in its own right but so too does this issue of order abandonment. Thus far, we are contacting anyone that refuses to pay for an order that not only is their order cancelled but so too is their account with us. When an account is closed, you will not be able to purchase anything else from us ever again, including through our marketplace sites. Why do we resort to such draconian measures as to close a customer’s account. It’s simple. We feel that if a customer is unreachable the first time we request his or her billing information, then they will likely be unavailable a second or even a third time, and that is unworkable for us or for any business for that matter. That said, in the next couple of weeks we will decide what to do to combat this growing order abandonment problem. Stay tuned…
Per Hobby Master’s MAP guidelines, we are now able to remove any price restrictions on all of the August 2022 Hobby Master arrivals. The price for each item has been reduced to their regular selling price and you may now apply any discounts we offer towards the purchase of these items. This process will recur on the first of every month in compliance with their updated MAP pricing program. You can tell if an item is no longer MAP protected if the blue MAP seal that appears alongside its image and just below its price has been removed. In effect, a retailer is no longer bound by the 6-month introductory MAP restriction policy and can sell the item for whatever price they deem appropriate.
In other news, our distributor reports that the February Hobby Master container has arrived and that our shipment of new merchandise is well on its way to us. Oddly, we are still awaiting final imagery for several products, although these will likely be passed along in the coming days.
