Product Announcements

Solido Throws Down the Gauntlet a Day Ahead of Nuremberg

Solido’s 1:72 scale Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VI Night Fighter attached to a USAAF squadron based in Corsica, France, during 1943

With one day to go ahead of the opening to the Nuremberg Toy Fair, Solido decided to shed some light on their 2018 lineup. Four new 1:72 scale vehicles were shown in their 2018 catalog, including a German Flakpanzer Coelian Anti-Aircraft Vehicle (SOL7200010), US M12 GMC 155mm Self-Propelled Artillery (SOL7200009), French Giat AMX 13-75 Light Tank (SOL7200013) and a German Kfz. 70 Krupp Protze 6×4 Cargo Truck with 3.7cm PaK 35/36 Anti-Tank Gun (SOL7200012). In the air look for a British-built Bristol Beaufighter Mk.VI night fighter that was attached to a USAAF squadron deployed to Corsica (SOL7200005) as well as a German Dornier Do 335 Pfeil Fighter in British markings (SOL7200006). We thought it interesting that they elected to go with a British livery instead of the more desirable German scheme, but the die was cast nonetheless, if we can be so bold as to borrow an ancient Roman phrase.

LIkely the most sought after vehicle in SOlido’s early 2018 releases will be this US M12 GMC 155mm Self-Propelled Artillery piece in a flocked winter camouflage

No word concerning official release dates for this latest crop of military hardware that is produced by War Master for Solido, so we’ve tentatively listed them as Spring 2018 releases. We’ve posted all of the new items in their respective categories and are now accepting pre-orders for the entire bunch.

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Eaglemoss Extends its Five-Year Journey in the Star Trek Universe

Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Federation Yeager Class Starship – USS Yeager NCC-65674. Like its predecessors, expect it to come with a handsome, full-color collector magazine.

Its beginning to look as if Eaglemoss views a black hole as nothing more than a well it can keep priming to churn out an ever staggering array of Star Trek products. While we have no problem with this strategy, we can only wonder how long they can continue to maintain this course in the Neutral Zone, returning to Star Base only when the well has finally run dry.

Anyway, the 122nd starship in their standard-sized Star Trek range was unveiled yesterday: a Yeager class starship named, rather appropriately, the USS Yeager, no doubt paying homage to USAF test pilot, General Chuck Yeager. We’ve heard that the series has been extended to 160 starships, meaning another trip to Ikea just to obtain more display cabinets may be in order.

We’ve also learned that their newly minted Star Trek Discovery collection will include several over-sized starships, much like their Star Trek XL collection. Typically, these ships measure around 9-inches in length and come with a bit more detail than their lilliputian counterparts. Frankly, if you’re looking to collect every single ship in the Eaglemoss Star Trek universe, expect to lay out several hundred bucks each month just to keep up.

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Modelcollect Kicks it Up Another Notch

Modelcollect’s German Jagdpanzer E-100 Heavy Tank Destroyer with 170mm gun – Grey, 1946

Lately, I’m getting the feeling that the only two diecast modelmakers willing to throw the dice and take a chance in this day and age are Hobby Master and Modelcollect. While some of the other leading manufacturers seem to be making the same old, same old, month after month, it seems like these two companies recognize the need for new blood in the hobby and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Take Modelcollect. Late last week they announced a bunch of new 1:72 scale diecast military vehicles due out this spring, which will include, among other things, a pair of Jagdpanzer E-100 heavy tank destroyers. Mounting an utterly fearsome 170mm main gun that likely would have outclassed anything the Allies could have fielded late in the war, the latest two heavy tank destroyers will come in a feldgrau (field grey) and a summer camouflage pattern (AS72096 and AS72099 respectively). As part of the same announcement, Modelcollect showed off a new Waffentrager (weapons carrier); this one mounting, of all things, a V-1 buzz bomb (AS72100). Whether or not a V-1 could have been launched from a mobile gun platform is anyone’s guess, seeing as how it needed a launch ramp in the Low Countries to get airborne.

German Jagdpanzer E-100 Heavy Tank Destroyer with 170mm gun – Camouflage, 1946

Now lets get back to the new Jagdpanzers. With such a huge main gun, the vehicle’s superstructure had to be moved aft, located behind both the engine block and driver’s compartment, largely to balance out the weight of the gun and provide some support to it while in transit. From a modelling stand point, therefore, we are going to assume that the vehicle will come with a travel lock for the gun, otherwise it will likely suffer from persistent barrel droop and do no one any good.

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Air Force 1 Unleashes Another Salvo of F-35s

Air Force 1’s newsest US Navy Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – VFA-101 “Grim Reapers,” Eglin Air Force Base [Low-Vis Scheme] will no longer have a blue painted helmet
A few years ago, Air Force 1 released a squadron’s worth of 1:72 scale F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, eventually selling out of both the “B” and “C” variants thus leaving collectors high and dry. Happily, the Company has revisited the F-35 hangar, producing another B and now a second C version, sporting new squadron markings and, if you can believe it, the correct helmets for the pilot figures. Will wonders never cease.

Air Force 1’s USMC Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – VMFAT-501 “Warlords”, Fleet Replacement Squadron, MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, 2015 [Low-Vis Scheme] will no longer have a blue painted helmet
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Modelcollect Enters the Nuclear Age

Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale M1014 Man Tractor and BGM-109G ground launched cruise missile set, locked, loaded and ready to bear against any would-be opponents.

Perhaps taking a page from today’s headlines, Modelcollect has decided to add several of its multi-vehicle missile launcher kits to its pre-assembled range. Two sets will make the initial cut – a NATO-operated MAN M1014 tractor hauling a BGM-109G missile launcher and a US M983 HEMTT tractor carrying a Pershing II intercontinental missile and its accompanying stand and launcher. No word on pricing or dates of availability just yet but if they succeed at retail, collectors will likely be able to nab other over-sized modern vehicles in the coming months. While other companies are still making the standard fare 1:72 scale vehicles, you can’t help but congratulate Modelcollect for at least thinking outside of the box and offering something a wee bit different.

Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale US M983 Hemtt Tractor With Pershing II Missile Erector Launcher
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Corgi Fires Up the Furnaces for the First Half of 2018

The box art for the new “100 Years of the RAF” collection has been tweaked a bit to make it stand out a bit more from the standard Corgi packaging

Corgi has announced their Aviation Archive plans for the first half of 2018. No new toolings were shown, and many of the latest offerings left us a little underwhelmed considering some of the subject matter broached by other manufacturers in recent years. Still, the Company plans a new range called “100 Years of the RAF”, which, rather coincidentally, examines some of the more iconic aircraft that have waged war in the service of the Royal Air Force over the past century. Expect all of the new listings to be added to our own Aviation Archive over the next day or so.

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Modelcollect Re-purposes the Landkreuzer

Modelcollect’s P.300 mega tank developed for its Fist of War series

Looking to get as much mileage out of their molds as possible, Modecollect plans to port its soon-to-be-released Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte mega tank to its Fist of War series. Dubbed “Grendel”, the Panzkampfwagen Ausf A P.300 mega tank is designed to work in conjunction with some of the other recently announced Fist of War sci-fi vehicles, many of which are already available in kit form and likely to be developed as pre-built models. Still no price has been assigned to either the P.1000 or P.300 mega tanks, so the jury is still out concerning where they will end up on the retail price point spectrum.

A second take on their upcoming P.300 mega tank, this one boasting over-sized Schurzen side skirts.
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Hobby Master Adds the Frogfoot to its Stable of Modern Aircraft

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-25SM “Frogfoot” Ground Attack Aircraft – “Red 24”, Latakia Air Base, Syria, November 2015

One by one, Hobby Master has been adding all of the important aircraft in the Russian aerial arsenal to their modern aircraft foot locker. Earlier today, the manufacturer officially announced plans to produce a 1:72 scale replica of the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot (HA6101), the Russian equivalent of the famed A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft. Loaded with all sorts of ordnance, their first look at the Frogfoot will portray a warplane that recently saw action in Libya, which, along with other aircraft, have been assisting the Assad government against ISIS and other rebel factions. Look for the first Frogfoot to swoop in some time in June.

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Hobby Master Belts Out, “In the Navy”

Hobby Master’s 1:700 scale US Navy Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser – USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) (1:700 Scale)

Long a dominant player in both the military aircraft and combat vehicle segments of the market place, Hobby Master made a surprise announcement earlier today by indicating that they would finally dip their toes in the naval arena. Their first foray into naval warfare is a 1:700 scale replica of the US Navy’s USS Ticonderoga (HSP1001), the lead ship in her class of guided missile cruisers. A powerful component of the US Navy’ fleet operations in the latter half of the twentieth century, the Ticonderoga is an excellent choice as their inaugural warship and one that should sell very well at retail throughout its tenure.

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Modelcollect Hits the Rails Running in 2018

Modelcollect’s Railway Series rides the rails in 2018.

Collecting diecast military vehicles and building model railroads seem to have a synergy all their own – two pursuits that go hand-in-hand, year-after-year, much to the delight of hobbyists world over. So, it makes sense that in 2018 Modelcollect will attempt to combine the two hobbies by offering a line-up of military rail cars dubbed the Railway Series. Thus far, only a couple of flat bed rail cars are being shown on the Modecollect web site, but we’re inclined to believe that a lot more are planned for the balance of the new year. In fact, we’ve asked them to produce, what we believe, would be a number of sought after sets that would include Adolf Hitler’s personal train, Amerika, along with several WWII-era armored trains, offered in multiple configurations, liveries and nationalities. Its a grand request, but given the popularity of their vehicles thus far, we think these sets would do exceptionally well at retail, particularly if they were produced in conjunction with a number of different figure sets.

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