Never one to say no to a good panzer, Dragon marked its return to the WWII battlefields of the eastern front with two renditions of a mid production PzKpfw IV Ausf. H medium tank. Expected in June, neither tank seems to have specific unit markings, but that doesn’t mean they still aren’t going to be widely accepted into the diecast armor ranks.
Featuring turret girdles and schurzen side armor skirts, both DRR60453 and DRR60654 have been posted to our web site.
We’ve been quietly watching from the sidelines as Eaglemoss’ Military Watch collection continues to gather momentum, tantalizing customers world over with classic time pieces from around the globe. Inspired by the foremost military forces from the early twentieth century onwards, we are now happy to report that we will be stocking a select group of watches, just in time for Father’s Day. Priced at just $19.99, each time piece features Japanese quartz movement and are water resistant, although we dare say a watch this handsome may be better off in a curio cabinet than out in harm’s way. Eleven time pieces are expected by the end of the month — including three special edition releases — and, if sales are strong, expect to strap on a bunch of other time keepers very soon. Enjoy!
There’s an age-old proverb that states what comes around, goes around. In the case of french manufacturer, Solido, it now appears as if they are once again entering the fray by offering a new line of diecast military vehicle and aircraft. When we first started out some sixteen years ago, Solido was one of the dominant players in the military space, offering a steady diet of 1:43/1:50 scale soft-skinned military vehicles and tanks that came in different patterns and schemes. Many were even used as the basis for the after market builders at Tank Museum and Gaso.Line, an excellent testament to their strength, durability and workmanship even to this day. As the years ticked by, however, Solido slowly withdrew from the military scene although you can still find some of their products on eBay and elsewhere.
Fast forward to 2016. Instead of rehashing these tired old molds that few might take an interest in, Solido has apparently entered into a partnership agreement with War Master, maker of a fine line of 1:72 scale military vehicles and aircraft that were themselves reinvigorated from a previously developed line of IXO Models molds. Anyway, to cut to the chase, they have quietly put together a brand new range of military vehicles and aircraft that will start reaching the market place some time this summer. What will happen to the War Master brand is anyone’s guess at this point, seeing as how it may make more sense for them to crank out greater numbers of product under the Solido marque than under the War Master label. It’s unclear if the new Solido range will come with limited edition packaging, like their War Master counterparts, which has greatly contributed to their success in the market place. We will keep you posted as more information is passed along.
We were beginning to wonder what happened to Hobby Master in the wake of February’s Chinese New Year. Turns out, they had several projects in the offing, all slated for an August release. Among them are their second portrayal of the Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft (HA5002), two eagerly awaited F-111 Aardvark Strike Aircraft (HA 3017 and HA3018), an Iranian F-14 Tomcat (HA5205), all-new 1:48 scale P-51B Mustang (HA8508) and another take on their 1:72 scale M48A3 Patton tank (HG5508).
All of these items along with several others have now been posted to our web site and we are now accepting pre-orders for them.
On their web site, Century Wings recently announced plans to build a special edition F-14 Tomcat that celebrates their tenth anniversary of diecast modelmaking. To no one’s surprise, they have elected to produce another 1:72 scale VF-84 “Jolly Rogers” warbird to commemorate the event, this time around boasting:
No images or production numbers have yet been provided, nor has a definitive date of release been given. For more information on the announcement, you can visit their News Page.
We close out the week with a rather intriguing product announcement – this May, we will be carrying our first ever set of Age of Sail warships. While not necessarily built-to-scale and crafted instead to accommodate a one-size-fits-all packaging, these fascinating replicas are nevertheless designed to bring the Age of Sail to life, smaller cousins, if you will, of some of the DeAgostini/Model Space warships you can build in weekly installments. These ships are already fully built, composed of plastic, yet offer such subtle details as cloth sails, wooden masts, and customized name plates. Priced at just $21.99 apiece, you can see why collectors are already singing swashbuckling songs in their honor!
When a long time model maker decides to enter the pre-assembled vehicle space, you would expect them to replicate what they do best, at least at the outset. Russian plastic kit maker, Zvezda, recently made a surprise announcement by doing just that, with plans to offer a pair of pre-built 1:72 scale models based upon their Russian heritage. Expected in April, the company’s initial offerings will comprise a Russian T-90S main battle tank along with a TOS-1A Multiple Rocket Launch System, both painted in torrid southern Asian camouflage schemes.
There’s already a rather wide array of competitive models to choose from, some fashioned in diecast metal, so it will be interesting to see how these vehicles fare in the market place. Th saving grace for Zvezda is that these models are being produced in cooperation with “URAL-VAGONZAVOD”, the manufacturer of the actual weapons systems, and aimed originally for the Russian market place, as can be seen by the Russian Cyrillic markings adorning the packaging.
Admittedly, its been a little slow of late when it comes to announcing new products. So, when DeAgostini announced that a new squadron of 1:1250 scale warships were due to make port in May, we instantly sat up and took notice. Three new warships are scheduled to set sail, including the Kriegsmarine’s Bismarck as well as His Majesty’s Prince of Wales and Hood. Priced at just $21.99 apiece, these warships have been selling like hotcakes, and go a long way towards proving collectors are interested in diecast that sailed the high seas as much as they are interested in military vehicles and combat aircraft.
April showers may bring May flowers but this year, they could also be helping to sprout T-14 Armata tanks. First debuted to the public last year at the Moscow Victory Day Parade on May 9th, the T-14 Armata tank represents the latest generation of armored fighting vehicle put forward by the resurgent Russian “Bear”, combining speed, mobility, firepower and armament into one combat platform.
We’ve known for some time that ModelCollect had a model kit of the Armata on the drawing board, but now we’ve learned that they have a pair of pre-assembled versions of the Armata being cranked out by their arms industry. Two versions will be offered, one in the standard green scheme bearing the new Russian Ground Forces emblem (AS72046), and a second painted in a desert sand scheme (AS72047). We’re hoping both versions will be available by May 9th, no doubt to celebrate the 2016 Victory Day Parade. With nine new vehicle types shown to the public at last year’s parade, its entirely possible that ModelCollect could also be working on replicas of these vehicles too, particularly the T-15 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which is designed to replace their aging BMP fleet.
While several products have now been delayed until July, Hobby Master did reveal detail concerning several new warplanes also expected that month. Among them are the first MiG 23M Flogger, which was announced previously but never assigned a firm price (HA5301). We’ve learned that its coming in at just $99.99, thereby making it affordable and a key release for 2016.
Also slated for July is a 1:48 scale replica of a P-47 Thunderbolt flown by a member of the Tuskegee Airmen (HA8454), a third example of their 1:72 scale F-14 Tomcat (HA5203), and a F/A-18C Hornet flown by VFA-25 “Fist of the Fleet” (HA3528).
