Product Announcements

Hobby Master Promises Loads of Treats for October

Hobby Master’s 1:72 USN Grumman TBF-1 Avenger Torpedo-Bomber – 8-T-1, VT-8, NAS Norfolk, Virginia, May 1942

Hobby Master is one of those companies that seems to enjoy soldiering on despite facing many of the same vexing issues that have plagued other model makers over the past year or so. Case in point. October 2022. While other manufacturers haven’t begun to look that far out yet, Hobby Master already has its ducks in a row with a bevy of new introductions ready to grace the harvest table. Of particular note are a pair of Dauntless dive-bombers commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, as well as a 1:72 scale reproduction of an Avenger torpedo plane. Here now what you can expect to lay out along side the pumpkin pie and apple cider later this year:

Hobby Master’s 1:72 USMC Douglas AD-3 Skyraider Attack Aircraft – 122743, VMA-121 “Green Knights”, K-6 Airfield, Pyongtaek, Republic of Korea, 1951
Hobby Master’s 1:72 Czechoslovak Air Force Sukhoi Su-25K “Frogfoot” Ground Attack Aircraft – 9013, 30th Combat Air Regiment, Zatec, Czechoslovakia, 1992
Soviet Sukhoi Su-25K “Frogfoot” Ground Attack Aircraft – “Red 03”, Lt. Colonel Alexander Rutskoy, 40th Army, Afghanistan, August 4th, 1988
Hobby Master’s 1:72 RAAF Boeing F-18B Hornet Strike Fighter – No.75 Squadron “Final Flight,” December 2021
Hobby Master’s 1:72 USMC Boeing F/A-18D ATARS Hornet Strike Fighter – VMFA(AW)-224 “Bengals,” MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, 2009
Hobby Master’s 1:72 USN Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 168843, NAWDC, July 2020 [Low-Vis Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 Polish Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29A ‘Fulcrum’ Fighter – “Grey 56”, 1 Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego, Minsk Mazowiecki AB, Poland, 2016
Hobby Master’s 1:72 Polish Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29A ‘Fulcrum’ Fighter – “Red 4103”, 41st Eskadra Lotnictwa Taktycznego, Malbork, Poland, 2012
Hobby Master’s 1:32 USN Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless Dive-Bomber – Richard Fleming and Eugene Card, “White 2” VMSB-241, June 4th, 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:32 USN Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless Dive-Bomber – LCDR Howard Young, Commander Enterprise Group, USS Enterprise (CV-6), December 7th, 1941
Share This:

Corgi Changes Up its Release Strategy with Mixed Results

Corgi’s 1:72 scale RAF Short Stirling Mk. III Heavy Bomber – “The Gremlin Teaser”, No.199 Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, 1943

In an effort to become more nimble in the face of stiffening competition, Corgi unveiled the first of three 2022 product roll outs on its parent web site, Hornby UK. In the past, the Company had shown off their entire annual catalog with one throw of the dice in January, roughly timed to coincide with the London Toy Fair, which oftentimes meant collectors would have to wait an entire year or more to actually lay claim to their prized possession. The new strategy means Corgi can now adjust their release schedule with relative ease, moving some items up and others back in the production pipeline should logistical issues, collector taste and other factors change over the course of a typical year.

Unfortunately, this strategy may have back fired some what as collectors, particularly those in the aviation ranks, were expecting a heavier dose of new introductions for the January-April time frame. Instead of twenty or more new aircraft they were accustomed to seeing, only three new warbirds were shown, none of which were new toolings many a collector had been longing for. As you might expect, this left “many a collector” in the proverbial lurch, feeling as if their requests continue to fall on deaf ears. On the other hand, motorcycle buffs will be happy to learn that Corgi is branching out into bikes with a 1:12 2020 Triumph Scrambler 1200 Bond Edition as seen in the feature film, “No Time to Die.”

Armor aficionados were greeted with a pair of new 1:50 scale tanks: another Tiger I heavy tank based upon a previous late 2021 release and its feared nemesis, a Churchill tank. Together with a robust price hike, we can only conclude that Corgi and its parent company, Hornby, are content to retrench for the beginning part of the year in an effort to deal with rising material costs, logjams in the supply chain, and the outlays associated with the recent acquisition of Oxford Diecast. Moreover, it would appear as if they are content to hold their key projects for later on when they can put their best foot forward with new toolings, important ranges, and other licensed properties that can better justify their new marketing strategy.

Share This:

Hobby Master Returns to School with a Semester Full of Product

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Harrier GR7A Jump Jet – No.1 (F) Squadron, “Exercise Snow Falcon,” Norway, 2004 (1:72 Scale)

Even though they seem to have withdrawn from the military vehicle ranks, Hobby Master remains intent on solidifying its position as the preeminent aircraft model maker. Their September release schedule is chock full of new aircraft, further demonstrating they are in this for the long haul despite rising costs and logistical issues. Here’s whats in store for the aviation aficionado next September:

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Army Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow “Tigershark” Attack Helicopter – 1st Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Afghanistan, 2011
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale UAE Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter – Dubai, 2015
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Block 30 Viper Fighter – 86-0295, 18th Aggressor Squadron “Blue Foxes”, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska, 2018 [Aggressor Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Block 30 Viper Fighter – 86-0290, 18th Aggressor Squadron “Blue Foxes”, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson AFB, Alaska, 2018 [Aggressor Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Royal Saudi Air Force Panavia Tornado IDS Fighter-Bomber – 7 Squadron, Saudi Arabia, 1995
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Air Force Douglas B-26K Counter Invader Attack Aircraft – 609th Special Operations Squadron “Nimrods”, 56th Special Operations Wing, Nakhom Phanom, Thailand, 1969
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Air Force Douglas B-26K Counter Invader Attack Aircraft – EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 2018
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing E/A-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – 166856, VX-9 “The Vampires”, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, 2008
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-27SM “Flanker-B” Multirole Fighter – “Blue 26”, 2016
Share This:

The Motor Pool Sails into Harm’s Way

Legendary Warships of WWII 1:1250 US Navy Iowa Class Battleship – USS Missouri (BB-63)

First there was the Armored Fighting Vehicles of World War II. Then came the Warbirds of World War II. Next, as you might imagine, are the Legendary Warships of World War II. Scaled at 1:1250, this all new diecast range examines some of the most iconic warships of the second world war, from the earliest aircraft carriers to the huge Iowa class battleships. Portrayed with their full draught and sitting atop a handsome decorative base, each battleship features rotating main gun turrets and a highly detailed superstructure. Meanwhile the aircraft carriers come with an equally detailed island as well as a complement of aircraft lining the flight deck. The first five warships are posted to our web site and we anticipate taking delivery in early 2022 with more surface ships to follow. Go Navy!

Legendary Warships of WWII US Navy Yorktown Class Aircraft Carrier – USS Hornet (CV-8)
Share This:

Panzerkampf Continues to Climb the Diecast Ladder

Panzerkampf 1:72 US M1083 Medium Tactical Vehicle with Gun – Desert Camouflage

We’ve been impressed with the manner in which newcomer Panzerkampf has addressed the military diecast market, both listening to advice given and product unleashed. While other manufacturers seem to have fallen off the radar, Panzerkampf has, to date, released a wide array of ground vehicles, aircraft and helicopters that have both been well received and, just as importantly, sold very well.

We’re in possession of their 2022 catalog, which contains a number of new product introductions both on the ground and in the air, along with their first ever foray on the high seas. Unfortunately, at this time of year, we’re still inundated in orders that have to get out over the next few days in order to make the holiday deadline. And, with 2022 looming, other manufacturers are starting to spill the beans on what’s ahead as they look towards the 2022 toy fairs to hawk their latest wares.

Panzerkampf 1:72 Russian Pantsir S1 Self-Propelled AA Weapon – Winter Camouflage

Thus far, we’ve been able to list several of Panzerkampf’s newest introductions, including a Pantsir S-1 antiaircraft weapons system, US M1083 medium tactical vehicle and even a Sea King H6 medium lift helicopter. Over the coming days we hope to have the remaining list of new introductions up on our site and available for pre-order. Naturally, we’ll have actual product imagery up on our site in lieu of these line art drawings once they get posted by the manufacturer. So, don’t be alarmed by how few new items have been added just yet since there’s lots more in the pipeline from this prolific manufacturer.

Share This:

Hobby Master Looks to Sizzle Next Summer

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15EX Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 20-0001, 40th Flight Test Squadron “Fighting Fortieth”, 96th Operations Group, Eglin AFB, Florida, 2021 [Low-Vis Scheme]

With the holiday shopping season in full stride, Hobby Master seized the opportunity to announce their release schedule for August of 2022, which, as they like to do, covers just about every era and scale they offer up. Of particular note is their first ever Lockheed F-15EX, the latest in a long line of upgraded air dominance platforms in the longstanding and highly regarded series of Eagle twin-engine fighters. While stealth is still of paramount importance to the US Air Force as we head into the mid 2020s, its clear that we still need an effective aircraft capable of carrying a huge load of air-to-air missiles to the FEBA should the stealth aircraft run out of weaponry. The F-15EX, working in conjunction with more stealthy aircraft such as the F-22, F-35 and upcoming sixth generation fighter, fits that bill nicely demonstrating that older air frames still serve a useful purpose on the aerial battlefield. Here now the rest of the August line up:

Hobby Master’s 1:72 RCAF Canadair CF-104 Starfighter Interceptor – 104733, 1 Canada Air Group, West Germany, 1964
Hobby Master’s 1:72 Imperial Japanese Navy Nakajima B5N1 “Kate” Torpedo Bomber – 9-348, Sanzao Dao, 14th Kokutai, South China, 1939
Hobby Master’s 1:72 Imperial Japanese Navy Nakajima B5N1 “Kate” Torpedo Bomber – A11-311, Lt. Ichiro Kitjima, Aircraft Carrier Kaga, December 1941
Hobby Master’s 1:72 USMC Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless Dive-Bomber – Major Lofton Henderson, VMSB-241 “Sons of Satan”, June 4th 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Dive-Bomber – Commander Howard Young, Commander of the Enterprise Air Group, 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:72 USAF McDonnell YF-4E Phantom II Reconnaissance Aircraft – 65-0713, Air Force Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, 1985
US Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter – Warrant Officer Donald Runyon, VF-6, USS Enterprise (CV-6), 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter – Lt. Commander John Raby, VF-9, USS Ranger (CV-4), November 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:72 USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22 Air Dominance Fighter – “Cripes A’ Mighty,” 192nd Fighter Wing, Langley-Eustis, Virginia [Low-Vis Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye AEW Aircraft – 168599, VAW-121 “Bluetails”, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), September 2018
Share This:

JC Wings Continues to Soar

JC Wings USAF Vought A-7D Corsair II Attack Aircraft – 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1972 (1:72 Scale)

Over the last few months, we’ve slowly been building out our JC Wings military diecast aircraft section aimed at reflecting some of their newest warbirds looking to take wing. Earlier today, we added a batch of new models that were first announced back in September but, for various reasons, we had to wait until December to list properly. Currently we do not have firm release dates for any of these models, so we are assuming they’ll reach us some time this spring, which of course, could change if the issues with the supply chain haven’t been remedied. Anyway, here now the latest models added to our catalog:

JC Wings US Navy Grumman F-14D Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – VF-2 “Bounty Hunters”, 2002 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings US Navy Grumman F-14D Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – VF-2 “Bounty Hunters”, 2002 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings USAF Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 4th Fighter Wing, 75th Anniversary Edition, 2017 [Anniversary Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings Vietnamese Sukhoi Su-30MK2V “Flanker-G” Fighter – 923rd Fighter Regiment, 2012 (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings USAAF North American P-51D Mustang Fighter – Raymond S. Wetmore, 370th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group, 1945 (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings Israeli Defense Force General Dynamics F-16I Sufa Fighter – 253 Squadron “The Negev Squadron”, 2015 (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-14 “Tophatters”, 2019 [Anniversary Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
JC Wings Ukrainian Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29MU1 ‘Fulcrum-C’ Fighter – 2019 (1:72 Scale)




Share This:

The Forces of Valor Update: Time to Break Out the Tweezers, Glue and Magnifying Glass

Back when they were first offered about a dozen or so years ago, Forces of Valor’s model kit line didn’t exactly light the world on fire, perhaps because they concentrated on the smaller 1:72 scale category instead of the more lucrative larger sized category where they had a more loyal following. While we stocked their armor line, we backed off of their aircraft line since the vehicles weren’t selling all that well.

Fast forward to today and Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, has decided to both re-launch their 1:72 scale model kit line as well as kick off a brand new series: 1:32 scale armor kits. While we’re going to beg off the 1:72 scale category for reasons already mentioned, we believe that their 1:32 scale range will do quite well in today’s market, since a great many of our clientele continue to build models, provided they still have the patience, expertise and eyesight to turn bits and pieces of unfinished raw material into works of art. FOV’s first foray into the 1:32 scale build category is based upon their first pre-assembled Tiger I tank – an early production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E that served with schwere Panzerabteilung 505, then deployed to Kursk, Russia, during July 1943. While model makers can certainly compare their skill and prowess against what FOV has produced by duplicating the vehicle in every sense of the word, they also have the ability to portray a completely different vehicle from a completely different unit that served on a completely different front. Ah, the joy of model making!

Presently, we do not have a price for the kit or a firm release date, nor do we know if it will come with an engine, metal or vinyl tracks, or the commander figure, all commonplace in their pre-assembled vehicles. And, since FOV is hawking the fact that their 1:32 scale armor now contains more metal, its not clear how much metal will be used in their model kit line, if at all. We hope to have more complete information shortly as well as insight concerning other vehicles, aircraft and/or warships that will also be available in kit form.

Share This:

Hobby Master Keeps Clearing More Warbirds for Take Off

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN Douglas A-1H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – VA-176 “Thunderbolts”, USS Intrepid (CV-11), 1966

Despite extensive shipping delays here in the North American market, Hobby Master announced yet another batch of new warbirds, this one purportedly set to arrive in July 2022. The “July” shipment contains a number of models that haven’t been made available for some time, including a Douglas A-1H Skyraider and a Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor. Its not apparent if these new models will actually arrive as advertised considering the huge logjam of ships still waiting to dock and be offloaded. At this point, July may be an optimistic forecast since a great many aircraft that were previously touted are taxiing onto the diecast tarmac awaiting their own clearance for takeoff. To be clear, the incessant delays aren’t the fault of either Hobby Master or our distributor, since the product is being made on time and can oftentimes be found in other parts of the world. The culprit, as has been pointed out by the media, is the current breakdown in the global supply chain, which has played havoc with the release schedule here in North America, If cargo ships are sitting idle for weeks on end and there aren’t enough truckers available to transport the containers from the ports to the distributors, two key bottlenecks that still haven’t been overcome, then the net result is incessant delays in being able to ship out product to retailers.

In any event, I’ll get off my soapbox and offer up the rundown of what the “July” roster entails:

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F-18A Hornet Strike Fighter – “Red 02”, VFA-127 “Cyclons”, NAS Lemoore, California, 1995 [Aggressor Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD “Flogger-K” Fighter – “Green 03”, Bagram, Afghanistan, July 1987
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale East German Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML “Flogger-K” Fighter – “Red 340”, Jagdfliegergeschwader 9 “Heinrich Rau”, Peenemunde-West, East Germany, 1990
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Lockheed F-104F Starfighter Interceptor – “BB+377”, Waffenschule Der Luftwaffe 10, 1961

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Lockheed F-104J Starfighter Interceptor – “TAC Meet”, 46-8587, 202nd Squadron, Nyutabaru AB, Japan, 1980
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 Multi-Role Fighter – RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands, 2015 Note: Two versions will be made available – one with a light weapons loadout and the other with a more robust loadout
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale JASDF McDonnell F-4EJ “Kai” Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 501st Squadron, 2020 [Retirement Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM “Flanker-C” Fighter – “Blue 34”, “Russian Knights”, 2019
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 03-4046, 19th Fighter Squadron “Gamecocks”, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 2018 [Low-Vis Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc Fighter – No.43 Squadron, RAF Acklington, England, August 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc Fighter – Flt. Lt. Karel Kuttlelwasher, No.1 Squadron, RAF Tangmere, England, 1942
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc Fighter – Squadron Leader James MacLachlan, No.1 Squadron, RAF Northold, England November 1941-June 1942
Share This:

Schuco Pays Tribute to the Tante Ju this December

Schuco’s 1:72 scale German Junkers Ju 52/3m Tri-Motor Transport – AZ-JU, Crete, 1941

As the week closed out, we learned that no fewer than three Junkers Ju 52 transports are set to fly-in this December. Schuco has always been one of those hard-to-obtain manufacturers, at least here in the States, largely because they haven’t had a dedicated distributor willing to import the line from Germany. As a result, there’s been loads of products we would have gladly added to our product portfolio over the years, that never made the cut since they were difficult to get. No matter, one of our distributors was able to procure three different 1:72 scale Junkers Ju 52 transports at an incredible price, so we’re therefore able to pass along the savings to you this holiday season. Besides the operational scheme shown above, the other two versions expected include:

Schuco’s 1:72 scale German Junkers Ju 52/3m Tri-Motor Transport – D-ABIK “Manfred von Richthofen,” Hermann Goering’s Personal Transport, 1936
Schuco’s 1:72 scale ScSwiss Junkers Ju 52/3m Tri-Motor Transport

We’re hoping that more of Schuco’s military aircraft will be made available going forward and that this isn’t a “one-and-done” anomaly meant simply to reduce inventory. Time will tell….

Share This: