DeAgostini’s 1:1250 scale German Kriegsmarine Graf Zeppelin Class Aircraft Carrier – DKM Graf Zeppelin
When you get used to banging out base hits time and again, you really can’t fault a batter when he suddenly stands at the plate instead of running the bases, watching as his latest swing of the bat clears the center field wall. Such is the case with DeAgostini and their long awaited Kriegsschiffe series of 1:1250 scale warships, a home run if ever there was one and certainly a series that needs to be admired.
We’ve been waiting for this unique line to make it to American shores for what seems like an eternity and now we can happily report that the first wave of World War II era warships is finally making port. While there is a smattering of Allied warships included in the range, the vast majority of the warships are of German lineage since it was designed, by and large, to cater to the German audience and traces the evolution of the German navy through the twentieth century. Each scale warship is composed of both diecast metal with some plastic parts and comes with its own display base. Best of all, each comes bundled with a German language magazine explaining the ship in greater detail.
According to our distributor they have received their initial shipment of 26 different warships and will be filling retailer orders the first week of May. Several warships are in short supply, so if you’re interested in obtaining some of these naval vessels, run don’t walk to your computer and place your order as soon as possible.
Every so often, a handful of curious collectors take it upon themselves to ask the manufacturers directly about the possibility of offering a particular subject in replica form. Earlier this week, a member of the Model Hanger 3 board did just that, taking it upon himself to ask Hobby Master if they planned to replicate the B-58 Hustler in 1:72 scale. The B-58 is an iconic aircraft of the Cold War period, and, naturally enough, an oft-requested aircraft that seems to have eluded hobbyists and collectors alike. While no formal commitments were offered in the near-term by Hobby Master, the manufacturer did indicate that three more aircraft will be modeled in the not-too-distant future: a F-105G Wild Weasel Thunderchief, a Saab Draken fighter and finally a Eurofighter Typhoon. Its not clear when each of these aircraft will see the light of day, but based upon snippets of conversation posted to the forum it would appear as if all three will take wing within the coming year.
No stranger to the mobile rocket launcher category, Modelcollect announced their intent to resurrect the ignominious SCUD rocket that was the scourge of Coalition forces during the first Gulf War. Carried on a Soviet 9P117 mobile launcher, several variations of the SCUD are purportedly on the drawing board, although only two pre-assembled versions were announced thus far. Pictures are still in the offing and we’ll likely see these “scoot and shoot” replicas some time this summer.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics EF-111A Raven Electronics Warfare Aircraft – ECS/48th TFW(P), Operation Desert Storm, Saudi Arabia, Early 1991 [Low-Vis Scheme]
While some companies struggle to get product to market on a regular schedule, Hobby Master does so like clockwork, pumping out loads of product for the discriminating collector. This coming September, they have another dozen or so items scheduled for release, spanning everything from helicopters to armored vehicles, piston driven aircraft to jet fighters. Here’s a rundown of what you can expect when school returns from recess:
US M8 Light Armored Car – “C-30”, Unidentified Unit, Ardennes Forest, December 1944 (1:72 Scale) #HG3812
US M20 Greyhound Light Armored Car – Unidentified Unit, Ardennes Forest, December 1944 (1:72 Scale) #HG3813
PMA’s 1:72 scale German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf. E Heavy Tank – ‘311’, schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 101, Normandy, France, 1944
It isn’t often that Precision Model Arts announces a new product but when they do they typically come with a bit of fanfare. Earlier today we learned that they plan to offer a 1:72 scale replica of a mid production German Tiger E heavy tank (P0330). Based upon a vehicle that served with the infamous schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 101, their first ever Tiger comes with a detachable turret and hull so you can see the interior of the vehicle.
As a bonus, the vehicle features an opening engine compartment as well as a removable Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 engine. No doubt recognizing the significance of the upcoming 75th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion, the unit in question harkens back to the fighting in and around the bocage country of Normandy, France, during the fateful summer of 1944.
In addition to the Tiger tank, three new figure packs were unveiled. There’s a German engineer set (P0407), the perfect accompaniment to the German Tiger and useful for depicting a field repair depot overhauling a damaged vehicle. Also shown are a set of German Officers (P0408) as well as a group of German Wounded Soldiers (P0409). All of the sets will likely oppose the Allies’ invasion some time this summer.
As we near the 75th Anniversary of the D-Day landings which occurred on June 6th, 1944, several manufacturers have marked the date by releasing commemorative versions of some of their most popular subjects. Corgi, affectionately known by many as “the Pooch”, has certainly seized the day, if you don’t mind us capitalizing on a phrase, by offering a complete stand-alone collection of some of the most iconic aircraft to participate in the battle. In no particular order, here’s what you can expect from the boys at Corgi over the course of the next few months:
Corgi’s 1:72 scale USAAF Lockheed F-5E-2 Lightning Photo Recon Plane – 43-28619 “Rita/Ruth”, 27th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 7th Photographic Group, Eighth Air Force, Mount Farm Airfield, August 1944 [75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion]
One of the most crucial elements of the D-Day air campaign was the gathering of detailed reconnaissance photographs of the entire intended invasion area, which included the assessment of previous bombing raid effectiveness and the identification of future targets. In lessons learned during the disastrous Dieppe raid of 1942, military planners knew they had to have the very latest intelligence information in order to prepare for invasion, disrupting enemy communications and destroying defensive strongholds overlooking the invasion beaches. One of the most effective aircraft in securing this information was the Lockheed F-5E-2 Lightning, the photographic reconnaissance version of the distinctive twin boom P-38J variant. Undergoing modification at squadron level, these aircraft featured enlarged camera windows for more effective information gathering, with this bigger window featuring a teardrop fairing to minimize the impact of addition drag. Lightning 43-28619 was unusual in that it made a feature of this enlarged eye in the sky by the artistic addition of sharks teeth, with the camera windows serving as eyes for the flying beast. Wearing its overall PRU blue color scheme, nose artwork and D-Day identification markings, this must have been one of the most distinctive aircraft in the skies above the Normandy beaches, even though its mission profile was for the Lightning to remain undetected. On November 26th, 1944, this aircraft was intercepted and shot down by a Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter flown by Luftwaffe ace Hermann Buchner, with its unfortunate pilot becoming a prisoner of war.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XIV Fighter – RM740, No.322 (Dutch) Squadron, Deanland, England, August 1944 [75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion]
The aviation pedigree of the
Supermarine Spitfire is second to none. Produced in greater numbers than
any other British aircraft, the Spitfire was in constant production
throughout the Second World War, with the basic air frame capable of
readily accepting upgrades and improvements which maintained the
aircraft’s position as one of the most capable single-engined fighting
airplanes of WWII. The combination of the classic Spitfire air frame and
the new powerful Rolls Royce Griffon engine produced a “Super Spitfire”
and what was regarded by many aviation historians as the finest low
altitude interceptor available to Allied air forces during WWII.
Having contributed to offensive operations in support of the D-Day landings, the speedy Spitfire Mk. XIVs of RAF No.322 Squadron were given a dangerous new task in the weeks which followed, intercepting the indiscriminate V1 “Doodlebug” flying bombs which were hurled against Southern Britain from their launch sites in France, in the weeks following the successful Allied landings in Normandy. The squadron proved extremely proficient in these ‘Anti-diver’ sorties, with no fewer than 108.5 Doodlebugs falling to the guns of their mighty Griffon powered Spitfires, before advancing Allied ground units could overrun the launch sites, thus taking these terrifying weapons out of range of their intended target areas. Released from their Doodlebug duties, the Griffon Spitfires of No.322 squadron were sent to operate from recently liberated bases in Europe, as Allied air forces continued to take a heavy toll of German forces, both on the ground and in the air.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale RAF Hawker Typhoon Mk. Ib Ground Attack Aircraft – MN625/MR-B, No. 245 (Northern Rhodesian) Squadron, Homesley South Airfield, Hampshire, June 1944 [75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion]
If the Douglas
C-47 Skytrain is considered the most famous multi-engine aircraft of
D-Day aerial operations, then the single-engine equivalent must be the
fearsome Hawker Typhoon. Agile and extremely heavily armed, the Typhoon
was to see plenty of action during the summer of 1944, either attacking
strategic targets in the weeks prior to invasion, such as German radar
sites or providing invaluable close air support to ground units breaking
out from the landing beachheads.
With forward air controllers installed with ground units throughout Normandy, RAF Typhoons were ready to respond to any request for aerial support, with aircraft not already engaged in strike missions holding off the coast of Northern France, ready to be called into action. These missions proved to be incredibly hazardous for Typhoon crews, not so much down to the attention of Luftwaffe fighters, but from the murderous anti-aircraft fire hurled in their direction from seemingly every German gun in the Normandy region. Indeed, in the weeks following the D-Day landings, more than 500 Hawker Typhoons had been lost, less than 10% of which were attributed to enemy fighter attack. Flying at high speed and at extremely low level, the opinion shared by Typhoon crews was that you had not experienced real combat flying until you had spent time on a Typhoon squadron.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U2 Fighter – “White 16”, 1./Jagdgeschwader 301, July 1944 [75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion]
The opportunity to capture and
evaluate the latest versions of your enemy’s aircraft was of great
interest to both Allied and Axis military planners throughout WWII, not
only in order to asses the technology itself, but also to develop
tactics which would be useful to squadron pilots when meeting the
aircraft in combat. Most of these aircraft would come into the
possession of their new owners following combat and usually after
suffering varying degrees of damage, however, there were rare occasions
when Luftwaffe aircraft were unwittingly delivered in tact to a grateful
Royal Air Force.
Such an occurrence took place on July 21st, 1944, when a pair of bomber hunting Messerschmitt Bf109G-6/U2 fighter pilots became disorientated and landed at Manston airfield in Kent. One of the pilots appeared to be distracted whilst approaching the unfamiliar airfield and fearing he was running out of runway, retracted his undercarriage and made a belly landing. The other machine, “White 16” flown by Horst Prenzel made a perfect landing and therefore presented the RAF with a pristine example of this latest variant of the Luftwaffe fighter. Later evaluated by famous test pilot Captain Eric Brown, it was destroyed only a few months later in a take off accident whilst serving with the Air Fighting Development Unit at RAF Wittering.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale USAF Douglas C-47A Skytrain Troop Transport – “That’s All Brother”, Lead D-Day Aircraft, 87th Troop Carrier Squadron, 438th Troop Carrier Group, June 5th/6th, 1944 [75th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion]
In order to ensure the defeat of
Germany and the end of the Second World War, the Allied powers knew that
they would have to launch a full scale assault against continental
Europe, an undertaking fraught with potential dangers. In support of
this plan, Allied aircraft began a concerted bombing campaign, targeting
aircraft and munitions manufacturing plants, as well as attacking
strategic targets in the intended landing areas, all designed to
diminish Germany’s fighting capabilities. These attacks were always
carefully masked by strong diversion raids, so as not to alert the
Germans to where the anticipated Allied amphibious assault would take
place, making D-Day as much about deception, as it was about
preparation.
Finally, after months of planning, the order was given to ‘Go’ and the invasion was on. At RAF Greenham Common in the late evening of June 5th, 1944, paratroopers of the US 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions climbed aboard hundreds of Douglas C-47 Skytrains, as they prepared to drop behind German lines in advance of the main seaborne invasion force, the spearhead of Operation Overlord. At the head of this mighty air armada and the aircraft which effectively launched D-Day, Douglas C-47A “That’s All Brother” would lead a force of over 800 Skytrains over the next few hours, as she navigated through thick cloud and German defensive fire to deliver her precious cargo of brave paratroopers onto their designated drop zones in Normandy and the opening combat operations of D-Day.
A release schedule has surfaced on one of the forums purportedly showing the build dates for many of the upcoming Forces of Valor products. Presently, this schedule hasn’t been confirmed by the manufacturer nor has our North American supplier any knowledge of its authenticity. Still, it looks somewhat official, so we are tentatively going to use it to map out the anticipated arrival dates for their 1:32 scale military vehicles as well as their 1:700 scale warships. We will hold off on some of the aircraft and helicopters for now. We’ve added sixty days to the supposed “ready” dates shown on the schedule to arrive at our tentative release dates. In all likelihood, that’s a bit optimistic based upon previous experience, so please don’t hold us to these dates since they could very well change as the year unfolds. You can view the schedule here: FOV Release Schedule
Incidentally, no word as yet concerning any of the newly tooled 1:32 scale vehicles so we are assuming they have all been pushed back into 2020.
Note: I’ve been told that the link we provided will not work if you aren’t a member of the forum in question. So, rather than ask you to join the site, we’ve updated our web site to reflect the “anticipated” dates of release for each item in the FOV military vehicle, warship, helicopter and aircraft lines. There are still several items up-in-the-air, if you will, and as the schedule moves further out, expect these dates to require some revision.
Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Excelsior Class Starship – USS Excelsior Prototype MK1 [With Collector Magazine]
We were under the impression that only ships-of-the-line and other noteworthy vessels that appeared in Star Trek films or televised series were to be included in the standard starships line and that experimental craft would make up their separate exclusives range. Apparently the lines are being blurred somewhat as Eaglemoss continues to dig ever deeper into the Star Trek universe to come up with even more out-of-this-world additions.
That said, their 152nd entrant in the series represents the USS Excelsior Prototype MK1, an Excelsior class starship in service from the late 23rd to (at least the last quarter of) the 24th century. Originally dubbed the “Great Experiment”, Excelsior was the first Starfleet ship fitted with transwarp drive (EMST0152). Though the “experiment” apparently failed, the vessel played a role in the historic Khitomer Accords and became the prototype for Excelsior-class heavy cruisers, serving the front lines of Federation exploration and defense efforts until the end of the 24th century.
Look for the Excelsior to put its neck on the line later this year.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Douglas A-1H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – 22nd Special Operations Squadron “Green Hornets”, 56th Special Operations Wing, South Vietnam (1:72 Scale)
Its been said that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Apparently, the same could very well hold true for Hobby Master, who ushered in the month with a bevy of eagerly anticipated models and looks to go out in much the same fashion although with a bang instead of a whimper.
According to our distributor, the March shipment of Hobby Master releases are expected to hit their loading dock late next week, meaning they’ve received two shipments of new products in a single month instead of the usual one. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also learned about their August shipment, which includes several models having been pushed back by a month along with ten or so new items not previously announced. We’re currently in the middle of listing all the new vehicles and aircraft and hope to have everything, including some eye-catching line art, uploaded by the close of business.
Occasionally, we have precious little to report, as difficult as that might sound to the untrained ear. Its not that we’re at a loss for words – Lord knows that will likely never happen in our lifetime. Its just that news concerning our hobby is some times few and far between, usually occurring just after Chinese New Year when the factories are getting back up to speed and still counting heads to see which of their workers have returned from vacation.
So, we thought we’d look at a line that we’d like to stock but haven’t been able to nab largely because its another partworks line that has eluded us. We have nothing against partworks ranges, which typically wed a vehicle with a full-color magazine designed to explain the vehicle in question and its use on the battlefield. Rather, these lines are usually available in Europe first and must run their course before becoming available to other international suppliers.
In the case of DeAgostini, they are now up to their 20th 1:43 scale tank, and show no signs of abating, which, of course, is a good thing. Their first 13 tank replicas were based upon Russian-made designs that saw service with the Red Army during and after WWII. Interestingly they have diverged a bit since formulating that initial strategy, and are now starting to offer vehicles built by other nations, such as this US made M4 Sherman and British constructed Churchill. Other notable vehicles, such as a French made Char 2C super heavy tank and Valentine have also been released, making this one of the more sought after lines of mid-sized diecast military vehicles released in recent memory. The problem, as I alluded to earlier, is that we still can’t lay our grubby little hands on them until the series has concluded. Drats!
We’ll keep our fingers crossed that this series will eventually make it to our shores and keep you apprised of any changes as the line bulks up. In the meantime, keep one eye on the line and the other on our site for the latest news concerning the series.
