Militaria Diecast US M40 155mm Gun Motor Carriage – 991st Field Artillery Battalion, Germany, March 1945 (1:43 Scale)
While other manufacturers seem to have fallen asleep behind the production wheel, Militaria Diecast claims they’re ready to break the speed limit by offering several new products for early 2026.Five new items were announced today: two in the air, two more on the ground and one for the high seas. As with their previous releases, each of these new items are affordably priced, especially when compared with some of the more prestige lines we sell
Militaria Diecast German Kriegsmarine Bismarck Class Battleship – DKM Bismarck, Operation Rheinubung, Gotenhafen, Poland, May 1941 (1:1250 Scale)
Militaria Diecast US Navy Grumman Avenger TBF-1C Torpedo Plane – “White 95”, VT-2, USS Bogue (CVE-9), August 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Militaria Diecast USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22A Air Dominance Fighter – 1st Fighter Wing, Langley Air Force Base, VA [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
Militaria DiecastUS Army Dodge WC6 1/2-Ton 4×4 Command Car – 2nd Armored Division, France, August 1944 (1:43 Scale)
We’re now accepting pre-orders for each of the items shown here, all of which are expected this coming March.
US Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Dive Bomber – 41-S-13, Lieutenant John M. DeVane, Jr., VS-41, USS Ranger (CV-4), November 1942 (1:32 Scale)
Another month passes by and even more models make it into the mix of Hobby Master military aircraft. For March, several scintillating models were tapped for production, including this 1:32 scale Douglas SBD-3 dive bomber shown here. We’ve culled the list of additions so as not to bring in some of their slower moving models and concentrate solely on the more popular models and liveries. The remainder tend to take up shelf space and oftentimes need to be price-adjusted to help get them airborne and into the collector jet stream.
Of note are several aircraft display bases that had been sold out for some time even though demand for them remained strong throughout the years.
Here now the list of models we plan to add to our ever-growing list of Hobby Master products.
USMC Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 170533, VMFA-533 “Hawks”, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, 2025 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 49-8759, 8th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, Japan [Notional Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
USMC Boeing F/A-18D Hornet Strike Fighter – 164874, VMFA-112 “Cowboys”, NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas, 2025 (1:72 Scale)
With the re-introduction of their aircraft base series, we plan to offer special bundles that combine a popular military aircraft with one of these highly sought after decks. The end goal is to create a separate value-added series that will help bring these aircraft to life and save you some money. Bear in mind that Forces of Valor will soon be offering a pair of 1:72 scale aircraft carrier deck handlers, that can be added to these bundles to both heighten the experience and give these models added realism.
USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter and Airfield Base Bundles (1:72 Scale)
Forces of Valor US Navy Aircraft Carrier Deck Crew [A] and [B} Figure Sets (1:72 Scale)
In a separate matter, our Hobby Master distributor has provided us with an updated list that shows the arrival dates for the balance of the year and into early 2026. Several models have been pushed back due to an Asian holiday as well as the adverse effects the tariffs have had on the production schedule for many of these models. We’ve updated our Hobby Master sections to reflect these changes. Our distributor also claims that after Chinese New Year — which typically plays out in early February — they should be back on track with monthly imports as opposed to combining shipments to best offset the effects of the recently introduced tariffs.
First hinted at several months ago on their Facebook account, Panzerkampf has officially announced plans for the addition of four more Hind attack helicopters to its growing fleet of rotary wing aircraft. This time around, four versions of the Mil Mi 24P gunship are being introduced, each based upon an important operator that runs the gamut from the Soviet Union to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Currently, the squadron is expected in November, although tariffs and other mitigating factors could have an effect on their true dates of arrival. We’ve listed all four new introductions to our Panzerkampf helicopter section and are currently accepting pre-orders. Interestingly, the MAP has been reduced to $124.99 from $129.99, so we’ve also lowered the price on our existing inventory of Mi-24 choppers.
Late last week, Corgi announced their Aviation Archive introductions for the balance of 2025. While there were no major surprises in the accompanying video, the lineup did include a pair of 1:48 scale World War I efforts, along with an all-new 1:72 scale Beaufighter and a 1:48 scale USMC Harrier jump jet that pays tribute to the Black Sheep squadron of WWII fame. Now that Hornby has indicated that they are shuttering its US Corgi operation, it is possible that these new aircraft models may appear from our US distributor in early 2026. The prices we are currently listing for these models do not reflect any tariffs being applied to product coming in from China so we may have to increase these prices shortly once our distributor has officially announced their addition to the Corgi range.
Royal Flying Corps Sopwith Camel F.1 Fighter – B7190/C, Walter ‘Hinch’ Hinchliffe, “Donner Wetter!”, No.10 Squadron RNAS, Teteghem, Dunkirk, February 1918 (1:48 Scale)
Royal Flying Corps Bristol F2B Fighter – C4636 – Lieutenant Anthony Arkell, “Devil-In-The-Dusk”, No.39 Squadron, England, May 1918 (1:48 Scale)
RCAF Bristol Beaufighter TF.X Torpedo Bomber – LZ451 / EE-M, “The Ancient Mariner”, No.404 “Buffalo” Squadron, RAF Dallachy, Scotland, October 1944 (1:72 Scale)
USMC Hawker Harrier AV-8B+ Jump Jet – VMA-214 “Black Sheep”, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, 2022 [Commemorative Scheme] (1:48 Scale)
You may remember that a couple of months ago, I created a couple of blog posts indicating Air Force 1 had already produced models based upon some of the latest Chinese aircraft that have come to the fore. Today we learned that these models will be made available for North American collectors thanks to an initiative by Historic Aviation.
Slated to buzz our airfield in early 2026 are a 1:100 take on the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-36 Stealth Fighter along with a 1:72 scale rendition of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force’s Shenyang J-50 Stealth Fighter. While the J-36 isn’t available in 1:72 scale, its dimensions adds up to a fairly substantial model, measuring about 13-1/4″ wide by 13-1/4″ long. Should they offer up a 1:72 scale version, then we will ascertain its costs and notify everyone about the development. Both models have been listed on our web site and are now available to pre-order.
Additionally, a 1:72 scale USAF General Atomics MQ-1 Predator drone is anticipated this November. The Predator was released way back in September 2021 and is finally being re-introduced as part of the AF1 product portfolio. Look for the Predator to take wing this November.
The jury is still out regarding the 1:72 scale Avic White Emperor stealth fighter being offered by KDW. Its not clear if KDW is an arm of AF1 or a completely different entity, so it may be some time before we learn if they can be imported at an affordable cost due to the tariff war currently being waged by the United States and the PRC.
Looking to build out their assemblage of diecast military aircraft, Hobby Master debuted their February 2026 list of military muscle. While no new toolings were among their latest introductions, several significant models were included in the mix, among them two new General Dynamics F-16 Vipers including “Play to Win”.
Here now the balance of the recently announced models we plan to stock:
USAF North American F-86F Sabre Jet Fighter – 25333, 461st Fighter-Day Squadron “Deadly Jesters”, Hahn Air Base, West Germany, 1955 (1:72 Scale)
USAF General Dynamics F-16A Viper Fighter – “Golden Bat Viper”, 185 Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, 2022 [Commemorative Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 166817, VFA-136 “Knighthawks”, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), 2024 (1:72 Scale)
Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy Sukhoi Su-30MK2 “Flanker-G” Fighter – “Blue 08”, 2012 (1:72 Scale)
Admittedly, the prices of many of their newest introductions seem to be reaching stratospheric levels, in part due to the tariffs being applied to Bangladesh where the Hobby Master product range is currently manufactured. As a result, we are careful as to which of their newest introductions are included in our product mix, largely based upon past sales performance and the need to discount slow-moving items to improve turn. For instance, Typhoons and Red Arrows aerobatic aircraft seem to appeal more to European collectors than they do to home-grown collectors here in the US. Couple that with increasing international shipping costs and we end up being reluctant to carry these types of models in favor of what we feel would appeal to domestic collectors. We’re not happy about this situation but its one we have to abide by to prevent inventory build at our end and keep our stock levels to within reasonable limits.
There seems to be no shortage of sharp, pointy things coming out of the Hobby Master camp. All kidding aside, the Company announced their intent to model the Chengdu J-10 multirole aircraft as part of their effort to introduce every new warbird to their adoring public.
While specific information in the press release was rather light, Hobby Master was kind enough to supply us with photos of the prototype. The inaugural aircraft is likely due out in early 2026.
For those of you unfamiliar with the J-10 “Vigorous Dragon”, the accompanying video does an admirable job of showing the capabilities of the aircraft. Enjoy!
Well, not exactly but try telling that to Legion Models. Earlier today, the manufacturer indicated that they were getting into the Sherman game with the Firefly medium tank, due out by year’s end if you can put stock into their marketing material. Legion, a budget-minded producer of military diecast models and an offshoot of Panzerkampf, seems to like the British Firefly tank — so much so that five models will be offered when they roll out for front line duty this holiday season. Why they have a penchant for releasing so many versions of any given subject all at the same time is anyone’s guess apart from economies of scale, no doubt an effort to keep the retail price as low as possible. Be that as it may, we’re in the process of listing the quintet to our web site, and should have the diminutive platoon ready for pre-sale by the close of business today.
And, if you’re wondering about the difference between the standard US-built Sherman medium tank and the British conversion, check out the accompanying video that was produced by the British Tank Museum:
Diecast sometimes makes for strange bedfellows. Take the case of Militaria Diecast, who recently indicated that two more 1:72 scale warbirds were joining their growing pantheon of military aircraft. According to our distributor, two new fighters are winging their way to us, each, in its own right important additions to the Allied war effort in World War II. As it turns out, both are the mounts of two high-scoring aces, one in the ETO, the other halfway around the world in the PTO.
USMC Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair Fighter – “Lucybelle,” Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, CO of VMF-214 “Black Sheep,” Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands, November 1943 (1:72 Scale)
The first aircraft represents Francis “Gabby” Gabreski’s P-47D Thunderbolt fighter, a plane that made him one of the top scoring ace’s facing the Luftwaffe over the western front. And, if that weren’t enough, collectors can look forward to a rendition of Greg “Pappy” Boyington’s F4U Corsair, who famously went on to become the leader of the “Black Sheep” squadron operating against the Japanese in the vast Pacific Theatre of Operations.
Pegged at just $39.99, these replicas have become synonymous with quality at an affordable price, at a time when just about everything else in the diecast military space seems headed towards the stratosphere. Both models are on their way to us and we should have them in stock and ready for outbound shipping by the middle of August.
Like clockwork, Hobby Master recently announced a gaggle of new aircraft models that are slated for a January release. While no new toolings debuted, the roster includes a number of fan-favorites that have demonstrated a strong sales history among collectors world over. Included are two models from their SkyMax Models range — a separate budget-mind line that has largely been ignored over the last few years., Both introductions are based upon the Grumman F8F Bearcat fighter, a highly respected if late-to-the-party warbird that ended up being pressed into service at the start of the Cold War.
Here now what you expect to place on your diecast tarmac in early 2026:
SkyMax Models US Navy Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Fighter – 121717, VF-61 “Jolly Rogers”, 1949 (1:72 Scale)
SkyMax Models US Navy Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Fighter – 121714, Duxford, England, 2014 (1:72 Scale)
USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 09-4190, 90th Fighter Squadron “The Diecemen”, 3rd Fighter Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 2017 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 80-0283, 25th Fighter Squadron “Assam Draggins”, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Force Base, Japan, 2015 (1:72 Scale)
USAF Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 88-0705, 90th Fighter Squadron “The Dicemen”, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, August 2005 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
French Dassault Rafale B Multirole Fighter – “113-1E”, EC 01.007 Provence, Libya, 2011
US Navy Boeing E/A-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – 168256, VAQ-139 “Cougars”, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, 2025 (1:72 Scale)
Additionally, Hobby Master is bringing back a fan-favorite with the re-release of HA33003. This aircraft sold out quickly when it was first issued earlier this year, so its encore performance will certainly be viewed with great fanfare.
USAF Northrop F-5C Tiger II Fighter – 64-13332, 10th Fighter Squadron, Commando “Skoshi Tiger”, Bien Hoa AFB, Vietnam, 1965 (1:72 Scale)
