Product Announcements

Panzerkampf Calls Up the Leopard 1 for Frontline Service

Make no mistake about it, this blog post is a bit of a two steps forwards, one step back approach at defining what makes a good candidate for our expanding product portfolio. For starters, we’ve decided to pull down the latest batch of Leopard 2 main battle tank that Panzerkampf has in the hopper, all of which were scheduled to roll out later this spring. We’ve taken this unusual step largely because we don’t think very many collectors care about a Turkish, Finnish or Swiss Leopard 2 tank, despite their appearance and pedigree. To bring in all six vehicles, requires a large investment in capital, money we believe could be better spent in other areas of our business. While there are far fewer new releases coming out of late, we also believe that financing stillborn projects such as Leopard 2 tanks is a waste of resources and ensures manufacturers make a more well-informed decision as to which subjects they should replicate.

As I have stated previously, our job is to curate each line, bringing in those products we feel we can sell within a prescribed period of time. We are not here to carry EVERYTHING a manufacturer decides to make, and would rather limit our selection than stock an abundance of items that would likely need to be reduced substantially to help clear them out. Likewise, we’ve taken down both of their 1:64 scale M1 Abrams listings not because we already have an ample supply of Abrams but feel as if a $85 price tag for a “smallish” AFV replica is a bit much to swallow.

With that out of the way, we’re happy to report than Panzerkampf has decided to model the German-built Leopard 1 main battle tank, which we see as a better way of both moving the hobby forward, keeping collectors interested in their most recent releases and freeing up dollars for more cogent purchases. According to a Facebook posting, at least four new Leopard 1 tanks are on the drawing board, although images were provided for their inaugural vehicle. We’re pegging them at the customary price of $59.99 apiece, and anticipate taking delivery later this fall.

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Hobby Master Keeps Cranking Them Out for November

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Vought A-7D Corsair II Attack Aircraft – 70-0970, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1970s

Never one to miss a beat, Hobby Master debuted their lineup for November earlier this week. Of particular note is their Vought A-7 Corsair II attack aircraft, when the mold was acquired from Century Wings just before they announced they were closing up shop. Aircraft of all size and eras were included in the mix, so there should be something for everyone when these warbirds take flight.

Interestingly, two Avenger’s made the cut. We bring this up because many collectors had feared that Hobby Master was giving up on World War II, instead preferring to offer jets from the Cold War on up to the present day. Privately, it remains to be seen if interest is waning in World War II, what with the 25th Anniversary of the Unites States coming up, History Channel’s WWII with Tom Hanks series set to kick off this Memorial Day, and record crowds attending all of the WWII museums located around the nation.

So, without any further ado, here now the rest of the models we plan to bring in for Turkey Day:

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAAF North American P-51D-5-NA Mustang Fighter – Captain Leonard “Kit” Carson, “Mildred”, 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357th Fighter Group, RAF Leiston, England, June 1944

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USAAF North American P-51D-5-NA Mustang Fighter – George Preddy, “Cripes A’Mighty”, 487th Fighter Squadron “Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney”, 352nd Fighter Squadron, RAF Bodney, England, July 1944

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 170106, VMA-311 “Tomcats”, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, 2024 [Low-Vis Scheme]

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 161435, VF-103 “Jolly Rogers,” NAS Oceana, Virginia, 2002

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC Boeing Harrier II AV-8B Jump Jet – 165427, VMA-223 “Bulldogs”, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, 2025 [Low-Vis Scheme]

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman TBF-1 Avenger Torpedo-Bomber – “White 5”, Torpedo Squadron 4 (VT-4), USS Ranger (CV-4), September 1943

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman TBF-1 Avenger Torpedo-Bomber – “The First Avenger”, January 1942

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Corgi Beefs Up for 2026

Earlier today, Corgi threw back the curtains on their May-August 2026 releases, bringing back a range that had been dormant for several years running. According to their press briefing and accompanying video, two 1:32 scale WWII warbirds are in the offing, one for the Allies and a second for the Axis. Both represent mounts flown by two high-scoring aces — one in the ETO and the other in North Africa.

Corgi’s 1:32 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 (Trop) Fighter – Hans-Joachim Marseilles, “Yellow 14”, 3/Jagdgeschwader 27 “Afrika”, Egypt, September 1942

A number of other aircraft are also in the mix, most notably their third take on the Me 410 heavy fighter. Curiously, no mention was made of either the Commemorative Aircraft Collection they discussed in a previous video post or the Top Gun series they alluded to on Facebook just one day prior. Either no information was available at the time of this video blog or they could be waiting until later in the year to take the wraps off of both series.

Corgi’s 1:72 scale RAF Avro Vulcan B.2 Strategic Bomber – XL426, The Vulcan Restoration Trust

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Corgi Lights the Candles on the Top Gun Cake

In a somewhat curious Facebook post, Corgi intends to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the showing of the feature film, Top Gun, with the announcement that they plan to bring back the classic to the diecast fold. Several years ago, the company produced a series of “fit-to-box” Top Gun models that paid tribute to the Top Gun Maverick film. By announcing their renewed partnership, its not clear if this diminutive range will be brought back or if the manufacturers plans to launch an entirely new lineup that could include much larger 1:72 scale replicas. If so, they could be in for a strong showing, seeing as how a third film in the franchise was just discussed and will likely materialize in either 2027 or the following year.

The manufacturer is supposed to pull back the curtains on their second trimester launches tomorrow, May 15th, so I guess we will have to wait another 24 hours to see what they have in store.Stay tuned.

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The Forces of Valor Update: The Future Revealed?

We’ve been pestering Waltersons, the owners of the Forces of Valor brand, for months on end regarding what they planned to do with their range of military vehicles, warships and aircraft. Typically, we take things at face value, but when it comes to this manufacturer, they seem content to leave people guessing, particularly after their acquisition of Greenlight Collectibles a couple of years ago.

This week, at the Chinese Hobby Show held in Beijing, images surfaced that show the manufacturer hasn’t closed up as has been rumored for several months. While nothing in the way of new tooling was put on display, the photos are indeed encouraging, and demonstrate — at least on paper — that they are still in the diecast game even though they are leveraging old tooling to see them through for the foreseeable future.

The photos show several older 1:32 scale military vehicles getting a new coat of paint, insignia and updated markings, along with supposedly a new Sherman tank that is based upon Creighton Abrams’ “Thunderbolt”. It remains to be seen if any of these vehicles will be made available to retailers such as ourselves or if the manufacturer has decided to go it alone by selling these vehicles.through their own web site. We hope to have more information shortly, provided the manufacturer is ready to open up about their future plans. For now, we wont’ list them on our web site unless we know for sure that we can sell them, and do so by having hard-and-fast information at-hand.

Forgive me if I sound jaded and a bit put off, but trying to provide our clientele with accurate information is exceedingly difficult, not just because of the tariff situation but because this manufacturer seems as if they are doing thngs on a lark instead of attempting to appease both their dealers and clientele who have stood by them for years. In our case, we basically put them on the map after running all sorts of print advertisements talking up the line. Its a bittersweet way to say thank you when others rode our coattails for year’s on end.

Update: Now that the Beijing Hobby Show has concluded, we asked Waltersons about the “new’ish” vehicles shown above, wondering if they had pricing and dates of availability information at hand. Oddly, nothing was provided, other than to say they are expected later this year. So, it’s your guess as good as ours when these 1:32 scale tanks are coming out, their price and whether or not they will be made available to retailers such as ourselves. I’m not certain why a manufacturer would display product at a show then remain mum concerning further details. It could have to do with the Trump tariffs, which are still in limbo, or it could have nothing to do with any valued added taxes applied to product coming out of China. Its a strange situation nonetheless, and one they need to address if they plan to remain a viable “force” in the military diecast business.

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Hobby Master Keeps Cranking Them Out

1:72 scale US Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder Attack Aircraft – 160428, VA-34 “Blue Blasters”, Late 1970s

Ever since they burst onto the scene way back in 2006, I’ve always been fascinated by Hobby Master’s ability to keep cranking out new product on a month-by-month basis. In twenty years time, the range has grown exponentially, oftentimes branching into new areas few diecast manufacturers would even consider testing. Earlier this year, it was announced that Hobby Master had obtained many of the molds once owned by the now defunct Century Wings, no doubt paying homage to the Japanese model maker and recognizing they still had plenty of life left within them. That said, the first pairing of former Century Wings aircraft are now getting the nod to be incorporated into the Hobby Master arsenal. And, if that weren’t enough to pique your interest, 15 additional models are set to roll off the assembly line, meaning November is going to be a very busy month when they all see the light of day. So without further ado, here’s what you can look forward to sitting beside the turkey come Thanksgiving:

1:72 Scale

1:72 scale US Navy Grumman KA-6D Intruder Refueling Aircraft – 149951, VA-35 “Black Panthers”, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), 1975

1:72 scale RCAF Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VIF Fighter – No.405 “Vancouver” Squadron, Warwickshire, England, 1943

1:72 scale Israeli Defense Force Bristol Beaufighter TF Mk.X Fighter – RD446, 103 “Elephants” Squadron, Nevatim Airbase, Israel, 1948

1:72 scale USAF Douglas A1-H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – 52-139738, “The Proud American”, 1st Special Operations Squadron, Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, June 1972

1:72 scale Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Mitsubishi F-2A Multirole Fighter – 13-8514, 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, Japan, 2017

1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 91-0348, 79th Fighter Squadron “Tigers”, 20th Fighter Wing, March 2026 [Have Glass Scheme]

1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 86-0334, 93rd Fighter Squadron “Makos”, 482nd Fighter Wing, Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida, 2025 [Have Glass Scheme]

1:72 scale USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 78-0164, 23rd Operations Support Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group, March 2026

1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 156601, VFA-37 “Ragin’ Bulls”, USS Gerald R Ford (CVN-78), March 2026

1:72 scale USAF Lockheed U-2S “Dragon Lady” Reconnaissance Aircraft – 80-1077, 5th Reconnaissance Wing, Osan AFB, Japan, 2025

1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 159434, VF-143 “Pukin’ Dogs”, NAS Oceana, Virginia, 1976

1:72 scale Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKK “Flanker-G” Fighter – 66153

1:72 scale Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25BM “Foxbat-B” Interceptor – “White 43”, Ahtubinsk AB, Russia, 1987

1:48 Scale

1:48 scale RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb Fighter – W3257, Flight Leftenant Eric Lock, No.611 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, England, July 1941

1:48 scale RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb Fighter – W3320, Pilot Officer Donald Kingaby, No.92 Squadron, RAF Biggin Hill, England, July 1941

1:32 scale

1:32 scale US Navy Grumman F6F-5P Hellcat Fighter – VF-84 “Wolf Gang“, USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), August 1945

1:8 scale

1:8 Chinese Astronauts’ High-Tech Spacesuit for 2030 Moon Landing

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Calibre Kicks it Up a Notch

At the China Beijing Hobby Expo Show, which is due to throw open its doors on April 117th, Calibre Wings drew back the curtains on their second rendition of their best-selling B-58 Hustler strategic bomber. Dubbed “Old Grandpappy”, the next iteration is based upon one of the XB-58 prototypes that took to the air in 1956. Decked out in a natural metal finish with orange tips, the latest version of Calibre’s B-58 will likely come in a handsome presentation case, which became the hallmark of the now sold out first version.

No official release date was given, so we’re assuming its due out towards the end of the calendar year, likely in time for the holidays. Also on display was a new F-14 Tomcat, perhaps based upon the aircraft depicted towards the end of the feature film, Top Gun: Maverick.

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JC Wings Returns to the Fore

JC Wings 1:72 scale Iraqi Su-22M4 “Fitter-K” Variable-Sweep Wing Fighter-Bomber – 1989

Every so often we drop a line for one reason or another, particularly if we feel it is either under-performing or presenting more problems than its worth. For nearly a year, we decided to withhold purchasing any products from JC Wings for two very important reasons. Firstly, they continued to sell in lots of six pieces, meaning it took quite some time before an SKU was exhausted. Secondly, and possibly more importantly, their rate of return was becoming problematic with people reporting missing or defective parts at an alarming rate. This issue was compounded by the fact that the manufacturer did not have its own web site to both promote their products and interact with their clientele. So, when you make it difficult for a customer to correspond about a problem, they naturally head back to where they purchased the item to seek some sort of corrective measures.

Fortunately, the manufacturer seems to have taken several proactive steps to head off our concerns. For starters, they have reduced their carton count to two pieces instead of six, making it far easier to purchase stock from our distributor. Second, they launched their own web site several months ago, all in an effort to better market their products and stay in touch with their customers. And finally, they seem to be more willing to listen to the customers at both the retail and end-user level, providing parts, where needed, to keep everyone in the loop happy.

That said, we have decided to once again carry their line of 1:72 scale military aircraft. While they still seem to have a narrow focus, both the packaging and subjects are first-rate, meaning that their models still seem to sell well despite price increases and the Trump tariffs tacked on. We’ve listed several of their upcoming projects on our web site — two are due some time in June while the balance are expected this fall. We invite you to take a look and now feel quite confident that the manufacturer is ready to stand behind their models from beginning to end, nose cone to tail.

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Panzerkampf Believes its Cheaper by the Half Dozen

No one can accuse Panzerkampf of not having a love affair with the Leopard tank. To date, they’ve released something on the order of 20 different Leopards, from the early version 2A4 to the venerable 2A7+. Throughout their production run, one common theme seems to be to release them en masse, offering as many choices as is possible to get the biggest bang for the buck right from the start.

Earlier today, Panzerkampf announced a further six models of the early version Leopard 2A4 main battle tank are in the works, all destined for a summer release. The six are shown here, all resplendent in differing camouflage schemes and operated by several user nations.

We applaud the decision to return to their roots by once again tapping the early version Leopard as their latest 1:72 scale release. The problem, as we see it, is that the 2A4 is getting a little long in the tooth, particularly when other more current versions of the tank are being fielded by several NATO nations (see accompanying video). Moreover, I’m not certain how many people are clamoring for either a Turkish or Finnish version of an older AFV, when other tanks, in particular the German Panther and MERTE tanks, are in development. Time will tell if this represents a good move for them as well as the hobby in general.

Takeaway: There seems to be a recurring theme going on over the last few blog posts whereby I have continually showed mixed emotions over the latest hardware coming out from several manufacturers. Don’t get me wrong. Its always refreshing to see new product in the pipeline — its just that certain manufacturers seem to feel as if they know better by releasing product THEY think will sell instead of asking dealers about their experiences with certain product or taking note of historical trends that influence buying decisions. Offering more 1:72 scale Leopard 2 tanks when there are so many other subjects to explore is lazy at best and leads to apathy that is difficult to reverse. If kits are needed to build a diecast product, then it may be preferable to wait for one to surface instead of going back to the well over and over again and re-using that which should be taken out back and shot out of mercy.

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Panzerkampf Bungles in the Jungle

Panzerkampf’s 1:35 Scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Reinhardt, “White S33”, 8./Panzer Regiment 2, 2.SS Panzer Division “Das Reich”, Kursk, Russia, 1943

About a year or so ago, Panzerkampf hinted that it was getting into the larger scale pre-built armor game when it posted a couple of preliminary photos of a German Tiger heavy tank. Today, more information surfaced concerning this endeavor.

While no pricing was offered, nor was there a list of the vehicles’ features, photos of two early production Tiger I tanks were shown off for the first time – one decked out in a feldgrau (field grey) pattern and the second in a summer camouflage pattern, based upon a vehicle that saw action with the 2 SS Panzer Division during the fateful battle of Kursk. We’ve asked Panzerkampf to provide additional details concerning both vehicles along with estimated release dates. Thus far, all they’ve said to date is that the schematics were based upon a popular model kit. As we’ve come to expect from Panzerkampf, they likely have at least 5-6 different versions in the works ( a common theme whether it be aircraft or helicopters), with more planned should their inaugural entries take off.


Panzerkampf’s 1:35 Scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “Red 332”, schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 “Feldherrnhalle”, Belgorod, Russia, 1943

On a personal note, while we welcome their entry in the 1:35 scale regime, it would’ve been nice if they had chosen a different subject to kick things off. Dragon released a bevy of 1:35 scale Tigers a few years back and Forces of Valor already has a number of larger 1:32 scale Tigers in their lineup, with more eventually planned. A better choice might’ve been either a Panzer IV or Panther medium tank, two vehicles collectors have been requesting for years on end. We’re certainly not looking a gift horse in the mouth but the fact remains initial sales will be based upon the vehicles’ interest amongst the collecting community, which shouldn’t be dampened by the fact that multiple versions of the Tiger already exist.

Takeaway: It’s hard enough to get new product into our country due to the Trump tariffs so while we welcome the announcement as well as their intent to play in a new sandbox, it would’ve been ideal had they chosen to pick a different vehicle to kick off the new range. Two entrenched players in the 1:32/1:35 scale market have already sewed the “seeds of destruction” by modelling the Tiger I tank, so it might’ve made more sense to go with a subject that would’ve been accepted with more relish instead of offering yet another Tiger I.

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