Product Announcements

Here’s Your Coat, What’s Your Hurry

To borrow a phrase my late mother-in-law oftentimes used when she felt as if a family gathering had run its course, Air Force 1 seems intent to produce the first diecast replica of a Chengdu J-36 Air Dominance Fighter. You may remember that the actual prototype was flown for the first time on December 26th, so getting a model of the aircraft out the door in such a short time frame is no mean feat even for the best of engineers. Interestingly, they are calling this first 1:144 scale offering a stealth drone, even though its clear from these images that the aircraft will be manned and quite possibly carry a crew of two, if the aircraft is intended to carry out long-range strike missions as some hypothesize or work in conjunction with multiple collaborative combat aircraft.

Nevertheless, we’ve passed along this information to our distributor and they are currently working on getting information about this product along with any buzz surrounding an even larger 1:72 scale version. Its also a good bet that this same manufacturer is working on developing scale versions of the Shenyang J-50 Strike Aircraft as well as the AVIC White Emperor Air Dominance Fighter. Air Force 1 is headquartered in China, so even if preliminary information is available, we don’t know if these products will be offered at an affordable price to make it worth the while of importing. Stay tuned…

Share This:

Enter the J-16

In a move that will likely be seen as shaking up the industry, Hobby Master announced plans to replicate the Shenyang J-16. The Shenyang J-16, also known as Qianong (NATO reporting name: Flanker-N) is a Chinese all-weather 4.5 generation, tandem-seat, twin-engine, multirole strike fighter built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and operated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). It is developed from the Shenyang J-11, the licensed production variant of the Russian Sukhoi Su-27.

Thus far, no official SKU designation has been assigned to the prototype model, nor has pricing, background information and a release date been discussed. Still, its refreshing to see Hobby Master building new models again when it seemed as if they were content to re-hash existing molds. While the J-16 may not be as sexy as say a US-built F-47 stealth fighter or some of the classified US Air Force projects still under wraps, it represents an important step in fleshing out all of the aircraft currently in service with the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force. We will have further information regarding the J-16’s inaugural model when Hobby Master provides additional details.

Share This:

Panzerkampf Grips the Collective on the CH-53 Sea Stallion

No stranger to the world of rotary-wing aircraft, Panzerkampf announced this week their intent to model the ubiquitous CH-53 Sea Stallion heavy lift helicopter. Five versions are to be offered according to the Company’s Facebook page, meaning there’s lots to choose from when they take on the diecast community later this year. Because Panzerkampf is headquartered in China, its not clear when these models will actually make it to our shores given the uncertainty swirling around the administration’s tariff policy. Should things change, we will update our web site accordingly.

Share This:

Corgi Flies High this Summer

Earlier today, Corgi revealed their May-August Aviation Archive lineup of new aircraft models. Leaning heavily on the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain along with the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe, four of the six new introductions are tied to the pivotal days of the war over England, while the remaining two offerings represent a pair of “heavies” that pay tribute to both the US and UK bombing campaign over Nazi-occupied Europe. We’ve added all six new aircraft to our Corgi Aviation Archive section and are now accepting pre-orders for the entire batch.

In a related story, Corgi also provided a development update on their soon-to-be released Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse destroyer. The Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse (Hornet) is a heavy fighter and Schnellbomber (“Fast Bomber” in English) designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt. It was flown by the Luftwaffe during the latter half of the Second World War. Work began on producing a successor to the Bf 110 in 1937, however, the resulting Me 210 proved to be unsatisfactory, leading to production being halted in April 1942. Various options were considered, including the ambitious Me 310 derivative. Officials favored an incremental improvement which was represented by the Me 410. Although visually similar to the preceding Me 210, and was sharing sufficient design similarities that incomplete Me 210s could be converted into Me 410s, there were key differences between the two aircraft. Chiefly, the Me 410 was powered by larger Daimler-Benz DB 603 engines, had a lengthened fuselage, and automatic leading edge slats. The Me 410 is widely regarded as the best heavy fighter produced for the Luftwaffe.

While no pricing information was discussed nor a particular subject indicated, we anticipate taking delivery on their latest addition to the Aviation Archive before the year is out, unless tariffs prevent it from being sold on an economical basis.

Share This:

Greenlight Feels the Need for Speed

According to a recent Facebook posting, Greenlight Collectibles, a sister company of Forces of Valor, announced that they have signed a licensing agreement with Paramount to produce a 1:144 scale replica of the F-14 Tomcat seen in the feature-film Top Gun Maverick. Its not clear if they will be producing replicas of some of the other aircraft portrayed in the film and whether or not they plan to up-size the models for the 1:72 scale market. We’ll pursue this story and post updates once they become available.

Share This:

Panzerkampf Says, “Its no Mirage”

When Panzerkampf shows off a new model, they tend to do it in a big way. Yesterday, we learned that they have not one but six different versions of their upcoming Dassault Mirage III interceptor in the hopper, all lovingly festooned in accurate markings and insignia. Currently we are awaiting pricing and release information to flesh them out so we’ll refrain from opening them up for pre-order on our web site. With Toy Fair right around the corner, it shouldn’t be too long before we obtain their background information and pricing so that we can begin accepting pre-orders.

Share This:

Oxford Continues to Fight World War II

Back when they were first announced in 2011, fourteen 1:72 scale aircraft were debuted with the promise that no new re-paints would ever be offered. Some fourteen years later, we’re now up to 128 releases, several of which have been pumped out over and over again to justify the cost of the initial tooling. Be that as it may, this British-based manufacturer recently added four new models to the line and will likely continue to produce more re-paints for the foreseeable future now that they are no longer under the Hornby umbrella.

Frankly, it will likely take Oxford some time before they can offer new tooling due to the fact that their owners paid a considerable price to take them private. On the plus side many of their introductions can still be had for around $30, while comparable models from other model makers are now two and oftentimes three times that price. So, if you don’t mind waiting or collect on a budget, then Oxford still offers excellent value for the price. Here now the four new models expected over the course of 2025.

Share This:

Calibre Wings Does the Hustle(r)

Its been a couple of years since we heard anything from Calibre Wings regarding their oft-promised Convair B-58 Hustler bomber. There’s all sorts of reasons for the delay but suffice it to say that the owner seems to finally be prepared to share news of their upcoming project now that its entering its final phase of prototype development..

The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons.

The B-58 entered service in March 1960, and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings: the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment. It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber, the B-58 became notorious for its sonic boom heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.

We’ve contacted Calibre Wings to express our desire to stock their B-58 provided its well within our selling regime. Thus far, Calibre hasn’t discussed pricing, dates of availability, packaging, and shipping costs from China to the US, in part due to the Trump administration’s willingness to place hefty tariffs on incoming goods from much of Asia to the United States and, in particular, the PRC. So, while we would love to stock and sell this model, it may be impractical due to higher-than-normal costs and the increasingly hostile relationship currently occurring between the US and China. As I’ve mentioned in a previous Tales of Transparency blog post, some things are simply out-of-our-control and could actually impede your ability to acquire this model should you choose to purchase this model from a US-based retailer rather than direct from the manufacturer. In any event, we will stay in touch with Calibre once they have a better idea regarding the ultimate costs associated with bringing this model to the US.

A video compendium showing the development of the Calibre Wings B-58 Hustler through the years:

Share This:

Panzerkampf Takes it to a New and Better Protected Level

Its a fair bet that few people saw this one coming. While they’ve built a great reputation for modeling several of the world’s current crop of military vehicles, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is one of those subjects that was likely shunted to the back burner until Panzerkampf could tackle some other more pressing projects.

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), known and marketed under Oshkosh development as the L-ATV (Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle), is a light utility/combat multi-role vehicle. The Oshkosh-developed JLTV was selected for acquisition under the US military’s Army-led Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program. In the very early stages of the program it was suggested that JLTV would replace the AM General High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) on a one-for-one basis. It is now suggested that the JLTV will partially replace the HMMWV.

The L-ATV was designed to deliver a level of protection comparable to that of heavier and less maneuverable Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) class designs, these having more protection from blast than up-armored HMMWVs which they were delivered to replace on deployed operations.

Recently, Panzerkampf decided to show off imagery of their prototype JLTV, bereft of any markings or camouflage schemes. Better images showing more complete insignia will almost certainly come in the weeks to come. Its not clear when these vehicles will be turned out for sale of their purchase price. So, hang in there a bit more as we await word on further product information.

Share This:

Corgi Shows Off its Early 2025 Launches

Looking to kick things off for 2025, Corgi showed off a wide range of upcoming products that are due out in the first half of 2025. Rather than attempting to steal the spotlight and keep everyone at bay for hours on end, we thought you might like to watch their user-created video which covers everything in the hopper from this prolific manufacturer. Enjoy!

Share This: