Look for Dragon’s first-ever Sturmgeschutz Ausf. F assault gun some time in June
After laying low for nearly two years, it would appear as if Dragon is back in the 1:72 scale armor game, releasing a bevy of new vehicles over the course of the last two weeks. Another pair of vehicles were announced last night, one based upon a previously released mold and the other a brand new caisson. The first is a Panzer IV Ausf. G medium tank, whitewashed and bereft of any side armor signifying it was attached to the 3.SS Panzer Division, then deployed to the Eastern Front during early spring 1943 (DRR60699).
The latter vehicle is an inaugural Sturmgeschutz Ausf. F assault gun, used by Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 201 during the opening stages of the War in the East (DRR60511). According to Dragon’s web site, both vehicles are scheduled for a June release.
Dragon resurrects their Panzer IV Ausf. G mold this summer with this handsome whitewashed tank
An over-sized Swarm ship from the movie Star Trek Beyond
While most Trekkies no doubt expected a rendition of the USS Franklin as part of the Eaglemoss Star Trek Universe, it was a bit of a surprised when the Company announced plans to offer an over-sized replica of one of the Swarm Ships. Measuring 8 inches in length and capable of carrying two crewmen, the Swarm ship were employed in large numbers on Altamid by the planet’s original inhabitants sometime prior to the 2160s. In the year 2263, Krall used his swarm to attack the Federation starship USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Approaching the Enterprise in orbit of Altamid, these ships initially appeared to be one large vessel, emitting an unidentifiable signal, but quickly separated and attacked in a coordinated effort to disable the Constitution-class ship. Surrounding and ramming it repeatedly, these ships inflicted serious damage on the Enterprise, first severing its warp nacelles before finally separating its primary hull from its secondary hull.
Look for the Swarm ship to make an encore appearance some time in September.
The first trio of F-14s collectors can expect to add to their Tomcat pantheon
Perhaps looking to catch up with Century Wings in one fell swoop, newcomer Calibre Wings posted an intriguing graphic to their Facebook page indicating they plan to offer six more F-14 schemes within the “forseeable future.” They also also indicated that their first pairing of F-14s — announced in early 2016 — have been delayed until May of this year, no doubt running into some unexpected production snags along the way, and that their second element has been pushed back to August. Apparently, they are very confident that their F-14 mold and its attendant accessories will unseat Century Wings as the reigning king of Tomcat producers, so we will have to see if the proof is indeed in the pudding some time next month.
The second trio of F-14s collectors can expect to add to their Tomcat pantheon
A trio of new WWI fighters from Wings of the Great War
Wings of the Great War has steadily produced a diet of fantastic WWI fliers, so it came as no surprise earlier today that they would get around to creating aircraft based upon some of the famous fliers of World War I. Three iconic aircraft have been added to the collection – a Fokker F1 flown by Lt. Werner Voss of Jasta 10 (WW12004), a Nieuport 28C.1 piloted by 2nd Lt. Ralph A. O’Neill attached to 147th Aero Squadron (WW13003), and finally a new tooling based upon a S.E.5a operated by Capt. Albert Ball of No. 56 Squadron. All three new aircraft have been posted to our site, with anticipated ship dates ranging from July to September.
Every so often, we receive press releases regarding new product announcements that give us pause for consideration but nevertheless take a pass on for any number of reasons. Yesterday we learned that our friends over at Aiken’s Airplanes had entered into a partnership agreement with Merit International to release a 1:18 scale Avenger torpedo plane that was flown by former President George H. W. Bush during the closing stages of WWII. According to the press release, “this model features a moving canopy with cockpit detail, movable flaps, movable landing gears, positional torpedo bay doors folding wings, and includes the pilot, top gunner and belly gunner.”
At long last, Dragon resurfaces with a new piece of armor: a 1:72 scale Pz. Kpfw. IV Ausf D. medium tank – – 3.Kompainie, Panzer-Regiment 3, 2.Panzer Division, Western Front, 1940 (DRR60693)
“The objective of offensive Yellow is to deny Holland and Belgium to the English by swiftly occupying them; to defeat, by an attack through Belgium and Luxembourg territory, the largest possible forces of the Anglo-French army, and thereby to pave the way for the destruction of the military strength of the enemy. The main weight of the attack across Belgium and Luxembourg will be south of the line Liege-Charleroi. Forces engaged north of this line will break through the Belgian frontier forces. Continuing the attack westwards they will parry any immediate threats to the Ruhr Basin from northeastern Belgium, and will divert to themselves the strongest possible Angle-french forces. Forces operation south of the line Liege-Charleroi will force a passage of the Meuse River between Dinant and Sedan (both inclusive) and will advance through the French frontier defenses towards the Somme estuary.”
– Fuhrer Directive No. 10, February 1940
We were beginning to wonder if Dragon was backing out of the preassembled military vehicle space, much as they have done in other categories over the past few years. Then, this morning, we noticed that they posted a brand new piece of Dragon Armor diecast to their website, one based upon a Pz. Kpfw. IV Ausf. D medium tank (DRR60693). According to their web site, this new piece of long awaited military memorabilia is slated for a May appearance, perhaps in conjunction with the 77th anniversary of the Wehrmacht’s invasion of France and the Low Countries in 1940. Guess we will have to wait and see. Interestingly, the wholesale price for a typical Dragon Armor piece has dropped appreciably, which had been creeping up in cost for a couple of years. This could, perhaps, point to good things for Dragon Armor aficionados, who were forced to shell out more and more as the sheet cost inched skywards. Taking a page from their playbook, we expect Dragon will be announcing a bunch of other Pz. Kpfw IV Ausf. D medium tanks, so stay tuned for further announcements in the days and weeks ahead.
German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. D Medium Tank – 4.Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 7, 10.Panzer Division, France, 1940 (DRR60694)
Solido’s all-new FAMO prime mover and towed 88mm FLaK gun, likely reaching the diecast battlefield this summer
There seems to be some confusion of late whether to call the new 1:72 scale military range produced by War Master for french manufacturer Solido, War Master products or Solido, since both marques appear on the packaging. Be that as it may, we’ve caught wind of some of their newest models likely scheduled for a summer release, which continue to introduce a wide array of combatants and their weapons of war to the 1:72 scale regime. Among them are this German FAMO prime mover hauling a 88mm FLaK gun. Also expected is a German Wirbelwind Anti-Aircraft gun, a British Cromwell tank, a USMC LAV-25 Piranha light armored vehicle and French LeClerc T5 Main battle tank. In the air, look for a British De Havilland Mosquito and Grumman Martlet fighter.
Air Force 1’s brand new 1:72 scale look at the PLAAF Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter
It’s no secret that Chinese-based Air Force 1 has an affinity for modern aircraft fielded by the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), so when we received their latest sales brochure we were wondering what took them so long to offer up their latest fare? This May, no less than nine new models are slated for the collector’s market, all based on platforms used by the PLAAF. Perhaps the most intriguing new replica is this 1:72 scale take on the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter (AF10131), largely viewed by Western analysts as a pirated version of the US F-35 stealth fighter. Larger than the F-35, the J-31 may not be as capable or as stealthy as the F-35, so it remains to be seen how the PLAAF will operate their newest system.
The Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, offered up in splendid 1:144 scale
In addition to the J-31, AF1 will make available an octet of 1:100-1:144 scale fixed- and rotary wing aircraft, which we are in the process of uploading to our site. While some critics point to a few inconsistencies and inaccuracies with the AF1 models, no one can take issue with their pricing. Most of the new items weigh in at around $20-$25, with the J-31 topping out at $49.99, certainly a bargain compared to other new modern aircraft being rolling out by other manufacturers.
Hardbound Star Trek graphic novels will begin to appear in 2017.
Somewhat quiet for several months, our distributor shed light on what’s to come from Eaglemoss the first half of this year as it pertains to their Star Trek role call. Lots of new products were announced, covering everything from new special and larger scale starships to reference material, hard-to-find convention exclusives to graphic novels. The graphic novels represent a very nice tangential look at the Star Trek universe, essentially gorgeous, perfect bound, hard cover books that, in many instances, serve as superb compilations of previously related comics.
USS Yorktown NCC1717, a Star Trek show-exclusive, now becomes available later this year
Three Mirror Universe standard sized starships are also being offered up, each complete with their own full-color magazine. Best of all, many of these new introductions are expected to ship shortly, and carry us through the first six months of 2017.
Star Trek Constitution Class Cruiser – USS Franklin NCC-1743, the eighth special edition Eaglemoss Star Trek starship
Every so often, we’re forced to sit on the fence about a new line that may or may not do well with our collecting audience. Yesterday, we learned about a new range of large 1:24 scale unpainted figures and vehicles from Atlas Editions. What makes this line questionable for us is the fact that they come unpainted, are all based upon World War I subjects, and all focus on the french army. On the plus side, they are relatively inexpensive, given their size and heft. The vehicle seen here sells for only $29.99, while most of the two-figure sets can be sold for as little as $14.99. Each even comes with a certificate of authenticity as can be seen in the accompanying photograph, and attractive packaging to boot. If you’ll notice, the tank tracks and wheels are molded to the body, which means these vehicles are really designed to sit in a curio cabinet than on a wargaming battlefield. For now, we’ll take a wait and see attitude since they aren’t due to arrive for a few months but we’d love to hear your opinion concerning the range, which covers some 24 SKUs and even a wooden display base with a felt top.
