We’ve been in touch with our supplier for the AFVs of WWII series and passed along our suggestions for the next set of tanks for the coming year. Many of the vehicles are based upon requests we’ve received over the years, so sales should be brisk once they get the nod of approval and hit the production line. We will keep everyone informed regarding their progress as information is passed along to us.
Over the weekend, we learned that Oxford Diecast is bringing back two favorites that have long been sold out. The first is a 1:76 scale British BL 14-inch Railway Howitzer that was dubbed “Boche Buster” while the second is a more upscale version that includes the rail gun, Rod 2330 0-6-0 Locomotive and coal tender. In the past, both sold well at retail and we had been agitating for their return to the fold over the years. Apparently someone is listening and we are now taking pre-orders for both sets. Presently, we do not have a release date for either set, so we are presuming they’ll be rolled out in the latter half of 2024.
When they released a trio of CH-53 helicopters several years ago, rotary-wing collectors immediately sat up in their cockpits, wondering if Panzerkampf could go one step further by producing a Russian-built Mil Mi-24 Hind. Bristling with all manner of rockets, missiles and gun pods, the Hind is one of those iconic helicopters of the Cold War that came to symbolize the power the Red Army was attempting to project over their adversaries in the West, a sword of Damocles, if you will, that was never quite brought down upon their NATO foes. Looking back, the Hind was to the Soviet Union what the Apache was to the United States – a nap-of-the-earth tank killer that was capable of dealing out death and destruction at a moment’s notice, only to slip behind a tree or building to avoid being detected and destroyed itself. Heavier than the Apache and capable of ferrying troops to the forward edge of the battlefield, it was viewed by many as a flying tank, able to withstand all manner of ground fire while serving up a crescendo of firepower all its own.
Forty years after they first appeared in the Soviet’s inventory, only Easy Model has, to date, offered a Hind in fully assembled form. Nice to ogle, the Easy Model rendition was made of plastic and, as a result, never quite able to demonstrate the heft that came with a fully laden Hind. So getting a modelmaker — any modelmaker — to create one in diecast form became a clarion call from legions of rotor heads, who, as it turned out, waited patiently for a response from Panzkerkampf to see if they could answer the call to battle.
Fortunately, Panzerkampf picked up the gauntlet a year or so ago and decided they could not only build the monstrosity but offer it in multiple liveries. In fact, two Hinds are expected this January — one, quite naturally clad in a Soviet scheme indicative of its deployment against the Mujahideen in Afghanistan in the late 1980s. The second portrays a Czech-operated Hind, a former ally of the Soviet Union that still had them in their inventory when the Cold War ended in the early 90s. The Czech version was an interesting choice for Panzerkampf and portrays a chopper that took part in NATO’s regularly held Tiger Meet competition that has been drawn from different NATO nations for the better part of several decades.
As it stands right now, both versions are slated for a January take off. The pre-order window is now open and we expect both versions to sell extremely well at retail now that Panzerkampf has confirmed their imminent release.
Apparently vertical integration has different meanings to different entities. In the case of Waltersons, their acquisition of Greenlight Collectibles earlier this year has allowed them to become both a manufacturer and distributor, not to mention a peddler of their line of products through their own proprietary web site. It also appears as if they’re trotting out more of their older molds from cold storage to maintain momentum, improving them when ever and where ever possible to bring them up to today’s standards. Case in point their 1:72 scale vertical take off AH-1Z “Zulu” attack helicopter, a chopper originally produced by Unimax that has quietly been added to the burgeoning Walterson’s catalogue.
Waltersons’ Chinese web site now has the updated AH-1Z added to their helicopter section, which is bundled together with their hallmark helipad as well as a standard display stand. This new attack helicopter bears the markings of Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 “Vengeance” (HMLA-469), which was retired in 2022 at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California. We’re not going to stick out our necks and offer a release date since there’s a great many other products that were supposed to come out well before this helicopter was being tapped for re-introduction. As a guess, it will likely support small scale Marine operations sometime in early 2024, perhaps as part of a larger 1st quarter product roll out. So, in the meantime, keep planning your forcible entry options by savoring each of these close-up photos.
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Historic Aviation, owner of both the Wings of the Great War and Luft-X lines of resin military aircraft and our principal distributor, announced today that three new models are joining their rapidly expanding resin aerodrome. In the Luft-X range, look for a Heinkel P.1078 interceptor painted in a curious-looking blue, green and white camouflage scheme. Although never greenlighted by the Waffenamt, the P.1078 was created as part of a program to develop a high altitude interceptor capable of dealing with some of the new pressurized bombers believed to take to the skies over the Third Reich, most notably the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
In the Wings of the Great War series, two WWI-era aircraft were given the nod, among them a Fokker D.VII fighter that was piloted by Franz Buchner along with a Junkers D.1 Fighter that was deployed to the Western Front during Autumn 1918. According to the marketing hand out, all three aircraft are being vectored for a February landing.
With other modelmakers continuing to struggle to pump out new product, Hobby Master proved why they have become the dominant manufacturer of diecast military aircraft. Their latest leaflet shows a dozen new warbirds are being added to the mix, all supposedly slated for a June 2024 release. Interestingly, most of these new introductions are based upon US-built aircraft, most notably their second look at the experimental F-22 Raptor currently undergoing testing at Nellis AFB in Nevada.
Unlike the first “Chrome” scheme that appeared on a previous F-22, this so-called “symbiote” scheme is far less reflective yet intended to attain the same effects – i.e. reduce the radar cross section of the F-22, which, as many experts claim, is already the size of a small bird on most radar apparatus. According to the Aviationist, “it features smaller, mirror-like tiles applied on the nose section, weapons bay doors, fuselage and also inner and outer face of the twin tails.” Apparently, these new schemes are also being tested on the US Navy’s F-35C Joint Strike Fighter as well as the USAF F-117A stealth fighter, meaning these aircraft will likely be around for far longer than was originally intended, even as the upcoming Next Generation Air Dominance fighter (NGAD) approaches its initial production run date. Moreover, its a good bet Hobby Master will eventually get around to releasing “chrome” versions of these aircraft types.
Feel free to visit our October 2023 introductions to review all of the other new replicas due out alongside their newest F-22. Incidentally, the accompanying video does an excellent job of explaining the current thinking behind the F-22’s new super-secretive stealthy cladding and its potential implications for both air combat as well as the forthcoming NGAD program, which is rapidly reaching the selection process in 2024.
In other news, we’ve received word that Hobby Master will be including a pair of interchangeable air intakes with each F-15 Eagle multi-role fighter – one version is canted at a downward angle while the other is angled horizontally. The air intakes on an F-15 jet are pointed slightly downward to prevent the ingestion of foreign object debris (FOD) while the aircraft is on the ground. This is known as a “ground bump” and is designed to keep debris out of the engine while the aircraft is taxiing or parked. Additionally, the angle of the air intake also helps to reduce drag and improve the aircraft’s overall aerodynamic performance.
Also scheduled for inclusion will be interchangeable speed brakes. This updated packaging will begin with the upcoming HA4536 and continue with each version of the F-15 (A through EX). No word if this modification will affect the price of each unit.
In a curious development, Panzerkampf announced over the weekend that they would soon be building out their product portfolio by adding 1:64 scale military vehicles to the mix. Two Humvees were shown on their Facebook account, both featuring four-wheel steering, opening engine bonnets and a detailed undercarriage. Its unclear if the doors and rear compartment will swing open as well. Earlier, we reported that Forces of Valor was planning on re-developing its own line of 1:64 scale military vehicles largely due to their take over of Greenlight Collectibles earlier this year.
No word was provided on the cost of the items, dates of availability and other products scheduled for inclusion in this new line. We are presuming that these vehicles will be marketed under their Panzerkampf label as opposed to their entry-level Legion Models line.
Hinted at some time ago when their family of Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles was first shown, Panzerkampf is now following up by beefing up their Russian arsenal with a gaggle of Russian-built VPK-7829 Bumerang APCs/IFVs. Two releases are based upon the K16 amphibious armored personnel carrier variant and a second pairing are based upon the K17 amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. Europe is well known for its litany of major and minor rivers that run in a north-south direction, so having a troop carrier on hand is important should they ever consider amphibious operations where bridges have either been blown or are nowhere to be found.
Since they are wheeled vehicles instead of being fully tracked, its not likely that the Bumerang will be of much service to the nation’s Arctic Defense Forces that are used to seeing snow ad infinitum in the northern reaches of Russia. As a result, the Bumerang will eventually replace older BTR-60s and BMPs that have been in service with the Russian armed forces since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.
Its not clear when the Bumerangs will actually become available, so we are listing them as early 2024 releases unless we hear otherwise.
As expected, Corgi unveiled its final set of aircraft introductions for 2023. The range cuts across a number of fronts in World War II, from early war night fighters to late war jet fighter-bombers. The manufacturer even put together this accompanying video, which does a terrific job of explaining each model in greater detail. We invite you to take a look and place your pre-orders as soon as possible.
Besides military aircraft, Corgi officially kicked off the start to their all-new Star Trek series. Models are designed to fit within a uniform sized box, so there is no set scale for each of the models. Two replicas of the USS Enterprise will initially make the cut: one based upon the original TV series and the second upon the Next Generation franchise. No word if non-Federation-based ships will be added to the range, nor the rate at which new models will be added, given the demise of the Eaglemoss Star Trek line of ships and affiliated merchandise.
In a rather startling development, Dragon announced today plans to move into the 1:35 scale pre-assembled market with no less than three different versions of the world-famous SAS desert raiders jeep. Each is a slight variation on the other, with the twin Vickers machine gun positioned towards the front of the vehicle in two examples and aft in the passenger compartment in the third. Jerry cans are abundant throughout as are spare tires and other paraphernalia that were utilized in the harsh desert sands of North Africa during WWII. Each vehicle is being sold separately, although no word as yet if figures will eventually be offered. Thus far, pricing and release dates are up for grabs. Its unclear if other 1:35 scale pre-built soft-skinned replicas are in the offing, such as Kubelwagens or Dodge light trucks, and whether or not the series will eventually encompass larger vehicles including heavier trucks, half-tracks and tanks, although a Jagdtiger was hinted at previously.
