Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC McDonnell F-4N Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 15323, VMFA-531 “Grey Ghosts”, USS Coral Sea (CV-43)
Certainly one of the most prolific model makers of our time, Hobby Master has nonetheless kept one eye on the mill stone and one on the clock ever since they came into being back in 2006, releasing a steady diet of replicas month in and month out that have become the envy of aficionados world over. For April, collectors can expect to look forward to taking delivery on the following models:
Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Archer’s Toy Ship [With Collector Magazine]
At the Destination Star Trek event held in Birmingham, England, Eaglemoss unveiled a bunch of new items for several of their Star Trek product lines. Here’s a quick look at all of the new ships you can expect to see in the months ahead:
So, news has been flooding in of late concerning the release schedule. To begin with, we now have a fair idea of which Eaglemoss Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica items are expected in November, and which have likely been pushed back to a late year arrival. Rather than list everything here, we’ve updated our Eaglemoss sections and release schedule accordingly. Bear in mind that Destination Star Trek, which is currently being held in Birmingham, England, will undoubtedly show off some new items, which we’ll add to our web site the minute the news rolls in.
We were under the impression that both Wings of the Great War and Luft-X were terminally ill and on their respective death beds and that we weren’t likely to see anything new from either line, much less receive our back orders, which have been languishing for months on end. Well, we’ve been set straight, so-to-speak, and can now happily report that both lines are expected to resume production in early 2020. We’re not sure what is happening with their distant cousin, AF-X, a similarly conceived line unveiled earlier this year, that has received little in the way of further reinforcements beyond the lone X-15 produced to date. Reading between the lines, that means AF-X will likely take a back seat until both Luft-X and Wings of the Great War have resumed their aerial campaigns.
Modelcollect seems to be back in the swing of things after lolling about with their fantasy-based Fist of War series. Two BMP-3s are schedule for a late year release and we’re willing to bet that other more-traditional AFVs are probably falling in behind them. While the Company has been making 1:35 scale model kits, it remains to be seen if they are giving the go ahead to a pre-assembled line of military vehicles.
As we indicated in a previous post, Dragon has caught its breath and is finally resuming production of their iconic Dragon Armor line. Three replicas, all based upon the Stryker family of Infantry Carrier Vehicles, are slated for a November roll out, although the manufacturer has been known to delay releases for extended periods of time. Stiff upper lip and all that chums as we await their release and hopefully more new items as we head into the new year.
That’s it for now, but expect further updates as we transition to a November war footing.
My heart beat still. After headed the way of the Dodo bird over the last year, Dragon has seemingly risen from the ashes and posted three new Dragon Armor pieces to their web site this morning. All three are based upon the US Army’s family of Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles. We had pretty much given up hope that the Dragon Armor line would ever return to its former glory, so the news that not one but three new vehicles are in the offing comes as quite a bit of a shock to us and I’m sure to others.
Right now, all three vehicles are listed as rolling out in November, although this shouldn’t be taken as gospel just yet since Dragon has posted optimistic forecasts in the past. Still, its nice to know that they are back and in a big way, no longer ceding the market to several companies that have carved out respectable shares of the marketplace while Dragon snoozed.
We are keeping our fingers crossed that this is but the start of something big for everyone concerned, and that other product categories in the Dragon catalog, long dormant but never quite counted out, will begin to make a return to their illustrious past.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – 160432, VMAQ-2 “Death Jesters”, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina
Its no wonder that Hobby Master has established itself as one of the most prolific makers of diecast military collectibles. Operating like a well oiled machine even in the face of labor and trade issues, Hobby Master has consistently released a diet of eagerly sought after replicas that has earned it a special place in the hearts and minds of collectors worldwide. This March is no exception, with the following new models up for your consideration:
We’ve had our eye on several partworks lines that are currently available around the world but have yet to make their way to the North American shores. One of them happens to be the DeAgostini range of 1:72 scale WWII era aircraft, a staple of the Japanese home market for a couple of years running. To date, the manufacturer has now released a whopping 97 different replicas, each accompanied by a Japanese written magazine that explains the aircraft and its role in combat in exquisite detail.
While most of the models in this range are based upon some of the better known fighters, seaplanes and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Empire of Japan, there is a smattering of releases from the aerial armadas of other nations, meaning you’ll need quite a bit of shelf space to collect them all from start to finish even if you have no interest at all in Japanese warplanes.
Ordinarily, partworks manufacturers wait until each subscription-based line has run its course before making them available as open stock releases that can then be sold outside the home market. Interestingly, we’ve learned that some of the earliest releases are now available at one of our distributors and that they should be in stock at our warehouse by the end of this month. So, if you’re looking for a new line to collect or are simply interested in cherry-picking the range, we strongly recommend you keep an eye out for these models over the course of the next few months.
Admittedly, we’ve never heard of Odeon, who, as it turns out, is a prolific maker of scale diecast automobiles that has cultivated a rather devoted following across Europe. Apparently, they too want to try their hand at military modeling, by offering up a pair of 1:43 scale WWII-era M4 Sherman tanks.
Currently, we’re not sure if anyone here in North America will be stocking the line or has any information concerning further releases beyond these two introductory vehicles. So, for now, we’ll post what we know right here and keep our fingers crossed that they are looking towards building out the category and hopefully inking a deal with one of our principal suppliers to carry their line of diecast military vehicles.
By the way, a special shout out goes to Achilletalon, a member of the Model Hanger III forum, for bringing these vehicles to everyone’s attention.
Our Panzerkampf category of diecast military vehicles has been lying fallow for several months now as we awaited news concerning the manufacturer’s release schedule. Apparently, several previously announced items have been pushed back by a few months into early 2020, no doubt to buy the manufacturer some time to fill production goals and work on other related projects. In the meantime, the following items are reportedly headed our way the third week of October, thereby making them available for the holiday rush:
Oxford’s 1:72 scale Royal Navy Grumman Avenger Torpedo Plane – No.855 Squadron FAA, Hawkinge, England, June 1944
Best known for their budget-minded line of WWII-era aircraft, Oxford Diecast announced three more entrants to their aerial armada. Due out some time in 2020, the three warbirds include:
Way back when, we did a fair business in the scale motorcycle category and, in particular, sold our fair share of Minichamps bikes. Several years ago, all of that changed when the manufacturer raised their prices substantially, cancelled a number of eagerly-awaited bikes, and generally took a wait-and-see attitude with the whole category that didn’t sit well with a number of folks. As a result, we decided to sell off what we had in inventory, cancel our orders, remove those listings that were no longer pertinent and focused on what we do best — sell diecast military products.
That said, Minichamps claims to be back in the motorcycle category and are looking to start up sales by reintroducing two of their previously sold out classics – a 1939 Triumph Speed Twin and a 1932 Brough Superior SS100 that was ridden by none other than “Lawrence of Arabia.” We’ve listed both bikes on our web site and have begun to accept pre-orders for each of them despite our reservations.
Minichamps’ 1:12 scale 1932 Brough Superior SS 100 Motorcycle – T. E. Lawrence “Lawrence of Arabia”
Now, anyone that knows Minichamps can immediately understand the predicament this course change put us in. While they make a terrific product that oftentimes appreciates in value once they are no longer available, they also do a less than stellar job of forecasting when their products will actually hit the market. Months have a habit of stretching into years, which means we have to constantly reassure our clientele that eventually they are going to happen. Presently, both bikes are slated for a fourth quarter 2019 release based upon information found on their own web site. The reality is that we do not know for sure if this is a pie-in-the-sky best guesstimate on their part or one that we can actually hang our hat on. So, if you’re willing to wait, sometimes years instead of months, and fully understand how this sometimes shakes out, then we are more than willing to accept your pre-order for either or both bikes and will do everything in our power to fill your orders in a timely fashion. Again, the ball is in Minichamps’ court — all we can do is wait for them to arrive on center court and serve the ball.
