While they aren’t exactly known for producing cutting edge armored fighting vehicles, South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem is looking to change that equation by developing and building a next generation battle tank known simply as the K3. As explained in the accompanying video, the K3 is intended to both grapple with the latest drones and loitering munitions that have plagued tanks in recent years, but is looking to go things one better by incorporating an AI-enabled fire control system to seek out and destroy threats before the enemy even knows the K3 is operating on the battlefield. Boasting a clean, stealth-shaping configuration, hydrogen-powered engine, three-man crew, embedded sensors to detect ground and airborne threats, 130mm smooth bore gun, and both noise-quieting and heat-dampening systems to hide the vehicle from enemy detection, and other cutting edge features not previously seen in a main battle tank, the K3 is seeking to become one of the first next-generation tanks to both defend South Korea from a potential invasion from the north but also serve as an export option for those nations that border Russia should the latter decide to attack the eastern flank of NATO. Its not clear how much each vehicle will cost or when the first batch of vehicles will roll off the production line and demonstrate its prowess. Nevertheless, several nations are examining the vehicle for possible inclusion in their own armed forces.
In an age where many are questioning the value of the main battle tank, particularly when they are seen set upon by swarms of cheap drones, the US Army has not only forged ahead with plans to field a new battle tank but demanded that the first new vehicles roll out over the next couple of years. Currently, General Dynamics Land Systems, the creator of the Abrams tanks and all of its many iterations, is hard at work developing the so-called M1E3 main battle tank, the latest version of the Abrams that is not only chock full of both offensive and defensive gear but slimmed down to meet the challenges posed by a fluid battlefield far away from home.
In the accompanying video, Sandboxx, under its Firepower moniker, does an excellent job of tracing the evolution of the Abrams since its inception in the 1980s, then goes on to explain why the US Army still needs a 50-ton armored fighting vehicle that can stand-toe-to-toe with its newest rivals across the globe. Built to use less fuel, deal with all sorts of threats and resorting to an auto loader to cut down on weight and reconfigure the crew compartment so that the occupants have a better chance of survival, the M1E3 looks much like its predecessors, but packing a wallop and sensors few can match on today’s battlefield.
The lineage of the main battle tank, from the WWII era Sherman to the M1E3 Abrams. Sabot up, on the way!
While it may resemble an Abrams tank, the latest iteration of the venerable main battle tank is similar to comparing a Volkswagen to a Porsche. Sporting sensors for all-around exterior viewing, an auto-loader, an Israeli-created Trophy active protective system to ward off incoming missiles and other threats, a fuel efficient hybrid-turbine motor as well as other advanced systems, the newest version of the Abrams looks to soldier on at a time when many strategists and pundits question if the tank has seen its day.
US Army Air Force Douglas A-20G Havoc Medium Bomber – “Little Chief”, 321st Bomb Squadron, 1944 (1:72 Scale)
In a surprise announcement made late Friday, six new aircraft models were added to the Hobby Master air armada, all of which are tentatively scheduled to appear in May. Although no new toolings were shown, the roster did include a number of eagerly awaited warbirds by collectors world over, among them this handsome A-20G Havoc light attack bomber. So, without further ado or fanfare, here are the rest of the May introductions.
Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-7C Night Fighter – 69394, 2011 (1:72 Scale)
Czechoslovak Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21MFN Fighter – “Black 2500”, 41st Fighter Squadron, Caslav AB, Czech Republic, October 2002 (1:72 Scale)
USMC Boeing Harrier II AV-8B+ Plus Jump Jet – 164569, VMA-223 “Bulldogs”, MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, 2025 (1:72 Scale)
Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy Sukhoi Su-30MKK “Flanker-G” Fighter – 20694, 2013 (1:72 Scale)
Footnote: Incidentally, Hobby Master recently released preliminary photos for HA2826 (shown above), their newest F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter. As some have correctly pointed out, the model is far too bluish in color, particularly around the nose cone and surface edges, and we pointed this out to Hobby Master. They responded by stating that the blues will be significantly toned down and that the final production images will have a more traditional greyish quality about it. So, take heart and don’t let the pre-production photos get you down. Like the second YF-23, which had to be re-shot to show off its true dark grey colors, the next F-22 will be touched up, re-photographed and re-examined to gauge its accuracy.
To say that 2025 has been an incredibly tough year would be a terse yet severe understatement. Between my wife’s illness, her recovery, the new Administration coming to power, the recent government shut down and finally the effects of tariffs, all seem to conspire to work against us, particularly at this time of year when we should be up to our eyeballs in the latest and greatest product coming to market. I know our competitors feel much the same way, each dealing with the vagaries of business as best as they can, but it just seems to be hitting home at a time when we have to evaluate the world in which we play in discreet terms.
But then there’s the intangibles to consider. Earlier this month, Hornby USA shuttered its doors, all in an effort to consolidate its business and reduce costs. If you aren’t familiar with Hornby, they’re the blokes that sold us all sorts of Corgi merchandise, from 007-inspired motorcycles and copters to the complete Aviation Archives collection. Some lines we never carried, such as Wallace and Grommet kid-oriented products that has/had a devoted following over in Europe to the Thunderbirds puppet-based line of high-tech conveyances. Now I don’t know about you, but the Thunderbirds first appeared on television way back in the sixties when I used to watch it, so the license is a bit long-in-the-tooth for my taste. I’m sure it sold well, but I prefer something a little more current, such as Top Gun models or Star Trek starships, which help to define our industry to both old timers and newcomers alike.
Which leads me to the point of this post. Hornby decided to break up the distribution of its many US lines as a means of remaining in vogue with North American collectors. Unfortunately, this has led to several problems, most notably both pricing and pack sizes. While there’s no way of getting around the tariff situation unless the Supreme Court decides to put the kibash on the Trump-imposed taxes which many feel will occur in 2026, we’ve had to increase prices across-the-board to adhere to the latest bump up in MAP changes. But we’ve also noticed that the discounts we once received from Hornby have vanished and, along with it, an eye-popping increase in pack sizes. Whereas we were once able to purchase smaller aircraft in four-packs, we’ve now witnessed a threefold increase in some of the very same models, such as their Spitfires or World War I fliers. In one instance, their upcoming Stuka dive-bomber can only be obtained if we purchase in 36-piece lots, which is far in excess of what we feel we need in a standard business cycle. I’m not certain why they cannot be broken down further into smaller lots or re-packaged to accommodate the typical US re-seller beset by higher-priced merchandise. Now, the odd thing here is that the upcoming Me-410 destroyer can be obtained in single-serving packs, which makes the Stuka buy all the more problematic if we plan to continue stocking the line in 2026 and beyond.
To sum up, we cannot bring in some of their newest merchandise unless the pack counts decrease dramatically. While some dealers can no doubt handle these larger buys and tie up dollars for extended periods of time, we’ve decided to make camp along the banks of the Rubicon and wait it out until something is worked out between Hornby and our US distributor to make it worthwhile selling their products. Right now, something smells foul, and it isn’t my wife’s cooking.
Takeaway: While times are tough, manufacturers and distributors need to explore ways to make it as convenient as possible for dealers to sell their products before the clock strikes twelve and the coach in which we’ve rode in and reveled about reverts to an ordinary pumpkin. The mice have spoken…
USAF Northrop F-5N Tiger II Fighter – “Red 117”, VFC-111 “Sundowners”, Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, 2014 [Aggressor Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
Earlier this week, Hobby Master indicated that a slew of new aircraft were in the works for an April release. While the list was indeed long, there weren’t that many new models that caught our eye, the bulk having to do with foreign air force’s that typically don’t sell all that well in the North American marketplace. For instance, while a Royal Thai F-16 looks promising, three are in the offing, meaning we have to tie up big bucks watching them sit for months on the shelf until we have a buyer. While it would be nice to stock everything under consideration, the fact remains that we have to be judicious in deciding which models fit our overall product portfolio. That said, only six new warbirds will be added, all of which have now been listed on our web site under the April 2026 release section. So, without further ado, here now the military muscle we’ll be offering to our esteemed audience this spring:
Militaria Diecast US M40 155mm Gun Motor Carriage – 991st Field Artillery Battalion, Germany, March 1945 (1:43 Scale)
While other manufacturers seem to have fallen asleep behind the production wheel, Militaria Diecast claims they’re ready to break the speed limit by offering several new products for early 2026.Five new items were announced today: two in the air, two more on the ground and one for the high seas. As with their previous releases, each of these new items are affordably priced, especially when compared with some of the more prestige lines we sell
Militaria Diecast German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship – DKM Bismarck, Operation Rheinubung, Gotenhafen, Poland, May 1941 (1:1250 Scale)
Militaria Diecast US Navy Grumman Avenger TBF-1C Torpedo Plane – “White 95”, VT-2, USS Bogue (CVE-9), August 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Militaria Diecast USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22A Air Dominance Fighter – 1st Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, VA [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
Militaria DiecastUS Army Dodge WC6 1/2-Ton 4×4 Command Car – 2nd Armored Division, France, August 1944 (1:43 Scale)
We’re now accepting pre-orders for each of the items shown here, all of which are expected this coming March.
I’m not certain what gets into some people, talking down to us as if we were misbehaving junkyard dogs for not listening to or acceding to their demands. Its something we’ve had to deal with ever since our inception — instances where a customer feels as if they are in the right despite what they are being told, shown or provided. I don’t think its a generational thing, since it emanates from every quarter and every demographic, nor do I think its directed at us personally, even though I sometimes have my doubts. In any event, their behavior is so abhorrent and/or despicable that we either have to close out their account with us on the web site or permanently block them from making any further purchases on our marketplace sites. Its sad, but I hear this type of behavior occurs with other dealers.
That said, once a year, usually on Thanksgiving, we temporarily remove any account blocks and permit these very same people from making another purchase from us. Mind you, if we still get an earful of ridiculous comments or they take unwarranted action such as cancelling the sale moments after they make it, they go right back on our “Naughty List” and are blocked from both communicating with us or making any additional purchases for an entire year. “Amnesty Day”, as we’ve come to call it, is our way of rolling out the welcome mat all over again to those individuals that, for whatever reason, go off on a tangent, rant or any other type of misguided attack but have promised to behave and follow the rules.
So, on November 27th, Thanksgiving Day, anyone that landed on our blocked buyer list can purchase an item(s) on eBay without any strings attached. Should that same person decide to unload on us all over again, then the sale is cancelled and their account is once again blocked. If the purchase goes through without any hitches, then they can resume purchasing from us after Amnesty Day, unless, of course, they decide to blow up all over again.
Takeaway: Amnesty Day falls on Thanksgiving. Anyone that may be on our blocked buyer list on eBay can make a purchase from us and demonstrate that they have things under control, thereby enabling them to make further purchases on eBay. Blow it, and you’re back on our Naughty List. In short, you can save the drama for your mama….
In recent months, we’ve noticed an uptick in eBay buyers placing orders with us only to cancel them within minutes. Oftentimes, this occurred with buyers who had little or no positive feedback and seemed to be relatively new to eBay. We wondered why this was occurring since the buyer can theoretically review the invoice prior to commitment and sending us their payment. initially we thought it was buyer’s remorse but have instead reached the conclusion that buyers were looking to get a positive feedback added to their profile to make them look better to other sellers.
Our policy has always been to block these types of buyers from placing further orders with us since they are essentially wasting our time and screwing with the system. To combat this growing problem, we decided to go one step further when it comes to leaving feedback. Going forward, we have changed our policy by leaving positive feedback only after payment has been made, the customer has received the item and they have first left us positive feedback so that they cannot game the system. Once they have done this, then eBay will automatically leave them a canned positive feedback on their profile.
If you are a legitimate buyer, I strongly suggest that you refrain from this type of behavior or at least notify us why you are looking to scratch your order before attempting to cancel the transaction. Once we hit the “Block Buyer” button, you can no longer communicate with us through eBay’s messaging system and we are not going to reinstate you unless you have a good explanation as to why you need to cancel your order. We’re sorry to have to make this change but quite frankly we aren’t here to play games with buyers since we are upfront with our listing and feedback history. We hope everyone understands why we have resorted to making this change but a few bad apples have made it necessary for us to keep up with these types of shenanigans by altering our feedback policy.
Takeaway: Expect to be permanently blocked on eBay if you submit an order only to cancel it within minutes of its being placed.
Hobby Master’s US Army Air Force Douglas A-20G Havoc Medium Bomber – “The Hell’n Pelican II”, 90th Bombardment Squadron “Pair-O-Dice”, 3rd Bombardment Group, Gusap Airfield, Papua, New Guinea, 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Ordinarily, commerce raiding is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging its combatants or enforcing a blockade against them. Privateering,, on the other hand, is a form of commerce raiding conducted by independent operators.
During World War II, elements of the United States Navy based in Brazil conducted operations in the Atlantic against German commerce raiders and blockade runners. In the Pacific, the U.S. Navy operated against Japanese merchant shipping, as well as engaging in offensive operations against ships of the Japanese Imperial Navy. The bulk of the Japanese merchant marine was sunk by American submarines. By the end of the war, only 12% of Japan’s pre-war merchant tonnage was still afloat.
The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Carrier Striking Task Force of the Japanese Navy from March 31st to April 10th, 1942, against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. It was an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II.
The staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to send some raiders to Indian Ocean waters from December 12th, 1941 to July 12th, 1942. The Germans had already been operating in the area and conducted mutual aid with Japanese submarines, in the form of re-supply and military intelligence. The Indian Ocean was the largest operating area involving direct contact between the two Axis partners, in which their primary objective was to keep pressure on the shipping lanes. The Japanese Navy participated in some commerce raiding, but concentrated its efforts toward a “decisive battle” in the Pacific, which never took place.
While naval assets continued to play a pivotal role in World War II, commerce destroyers took on an added dimension with the introduction of military aircraft. One such aircraft that took on this task was the inimitable Douglas A-20 Havoc, an American light bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. The A-20G, as it came to be known, filled the role perfectly. Delivered from February 1943, would be the most produced A-20 variant, with 2,850 built. The glazed nose was replaced by a solid nose containing four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannon and two .50 in M2 Browning machine guns. After the first batch of 250, the less-accurate cannon were replaced by more machine guns. After 750 aircraft had been built, a power-driven gun turret fitted with two .50 in machine guns was fitted, with the fuselage 6 inches (15 cm) wider as a result, and the ventral tunnel gun changed from a .30 in to another .50 in Browning. The powerplants were two 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) R-2600-23. Many A-20Gs were delivered to the Soviet Union. Notably, U.S. A-20Gs were used on low-level sorties in the New Guinea campaign.
During World War II, the 90th Bombardment Squadron operated in the South Pacific, flying A-20 Havoc and B-25 Mitchell aircraft. Their main mission involved highly-dangerous skip bombings. In an effort to improve the effectiveness and protection of the 3rd Bombardment Group’s pilots, Major Paul ‘Pappy’ Gunn, 3rd Bombardment Group engineering officer, devised a modification to the B-25C. The modification replaced the forward bombardier with four forwards firing .50 caliber machine guns, supplemented with two twin .50 caliber gun packages side mounted on the fuselage. The lower turret was discarded. The A-20s received similar modifications. The modified aircraft were first employed by the 90th and proved exceptionally effective, receiving the nickname ‘commerce destroyers.’ During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, every aircraft in the 90th scored a hit on the Japanese convoy of 18 ships. It was the first sea-level attack by B-25 strafers in World War II and demonstrated that this tactic was extremely effective. The squadron also participated in the raids on Wewak, New Guinea, which were preemptive strikes that virtually ended the threat of enemy offensive air capabilities.
Expect Hobby Master’s newest A-20G to strafe the competition in late November.
The town of Velikye Luki in Russia was captured by German forces during July 1941. From the view of Heeresgruppe Mitte which was responsible for this sector, Velikye Luki was very important for several reasons. First, it formed a bridgehead across the Lowat River. Second, it was a major railroad junction, and third, it screened the vital Vitebsk-Leningrad railroad. The Red Army launched several attacks and partisan actions against Velikye Luki during the following 15 months, but failed to seize the town. By November 1942, Velikye Luki and the surrounding area was still in German hands, awaiting yet another storm of armor. While Velikye Luki would capture the attention of many on the eastern front, it was perhaps on the western front where it took on added meaning.
Legion’s British Sherman Firefly Mk. Vc Medium Tank – “Velikye Luki”, 3 Troop, A Squadron, Northamptonshire Yeomanry, Normandy, France, 1944 (1:72 Scale)
After being promoted to the rank of SS-Haupsturmfuhrer, legendary panzer ace Michael Wittmann was offered but refused a position as an instructor at an armored training school, instead returning to Normandy and his men on July 6th, 1944. His unit, sSSPzAbt. 101, took part in the Battle for Caen, which raged from July 3rd to the 10th. In August, Wittmann and his crew received a new Tiger Ausf. E tank, which was assigned the command identification number 007. Thereafter, Wittmann, along with the rest of sSSPzAbt. 101, was transferred to a region just outside Cintheaux, France. At the time, strong German forces attempted to recapture the crucial city of Caen, which had become completely destroyed by weeks of incessant fighting. On August 8th, 1944, a new battle raged near Cintheaux, which would later become Wittmann’s final engagement.
According to SS-Hauptscharfuhrer Hoflinger commanding Tiger #213, whose tank was positioned in the same field as Wittmann’s tank but towards the rear and to the right of Wittmann’s mount, at 12:55 AM he saw Wittmann’s tank explode as it sat near the road to Caen-Cintheaux, at Gaumesnil, apparently struck by a long-range tank round fired by a Sherman Firefly from the Northampton Yeomanry. Afterwards, Wittmann and his crew were laid to rest beside what was left of their burned out Tiger, sadly without any graveyard markings. The War’s most famous tank ace had paid the ultimate price in blood and iron, a fate awaiting many more tankers in the months to come.
We are currently expecting this vehicle, along with several other Sherman Fireflies, towards the end of November.
