Product Announcements – Page 68 – The Motor Pool

Century Wings Resurrects the Dead

On the plus side, Century Wings has gotten over its infatuation with the F-14 Tomcat to produce some additional aircraft for 2013. On the down side, no new tooling(s) have been announced thus far, instead more of their older aircraft types at vastly inflated prices. Don’t get us wrong, its nice to see a new Vought A-7E Corsair II attack aircraft parked on the tarmac for the latter half of this year (#CW001604), however, the choice of scheme, price, and proximity to the holidays could have been better planned. No offense to the Ohio National Guard, but an A-7E in southeast Asian camouflage would have generated a lot more interest, especially when their first SEA Corsair II is fetching big bucks in the after market. It also appears as if a $117 price point will be the new normal for Century Wings’ smaller aircraft types (A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair II), twice that of comparable Hobby Master jets, such as their F-16 and F-4 Phantoms. We’re happy to see that they are still in the scale aircraft game when others were giving up on them, its just that we have to wonder how they can justify their stance when some of their key competitors are doing well enough at much lower asking prices.

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Minichamps Gets Classy

With their second 1:18 scale Mullin Automotive Collection introduction expected at any moment, we’ve added a bevy of new 1:18 scale rides of yesteryear to our Minichamps Classic Cars section. While no definitive release dates have been provided by the manufacturer, we nevertheless thought it important to highlight these impeccable resin replicas, which have already become focal points for many a scale model car collector. Several new Delahaye, Talbot Lago and Delage vehicles have now been posted, all of which can be pre-ordered for 15% off their listed prices.

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Hobby Master Makes a Pass at the Pyramids

Every so often, even a died-in-the-wool military historian such as myself learns a thing or two about the world we live in. For instance, Hobby Master’s latest product announcement concerns an Egyptian-liveried McDonnell F-4E Phantom II fighter-bomber, which apparently arose as a byproduct from the Camp David Peace Accord in the late 70s. Flown by the Egyptian Air Force in the 1980s, this interesting if intriguing replica is painted in a startling desert camouflage pattern with day-glow orange sections adorning the top of the fuselage, wingtips and tail fin (HA1936). Look for this wonderful new entrant some time in August.

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Dragon Schedules Lift Off for July

As part of their burgeoning Project Cutaway range, Dragon has announced that their long awaited 1:144 scale replica of the Space Shuttle “Discovery” w/Solid Rocket Booster is slated to lift off this July (DRP47403). Like their previously released Air Force One, the upcoming Space Shuttle will feature sections that are transparent, allowing the collector to peer inside the model without taking anything apart.

The model comes with its own circular stand that allows the assembly to be safely displayed as though it is about to launch vertically on one last mission.

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Century Wings Sounds the Intruder Alert

Japanese model maker, Century Wings, has announced plans to produce two new 1:72 scale versions of the Grumman A-6 Intruder later this October. One model replicates a US Navy Grumman A-6E Intruder Attack Aircraft that was attached to VA-75 “Sunday Punchers”, then embarked upon the USS Independence.

The second depicts a US Navy Grumman KA-6D Intruder Refueling Aircraft that was attached to VA-145 “Swordsmen”, then embarked upon the USS Saratoga. While the new birds are priced substantially higher than their predecessors of years past, they do augment the steady diet of F-14s this company had been producing for the better part of a year.

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Falcon Models Professes ‘the Lion is King’

Hot on the heels of their announced Kfir Multi-Role aircraft comes word that Falcon Models will also be selling two versions of the F-21 Lion, which were Kfirs leased to both the US Navy and US Marine Corps during the late 80s. Twenty-five modified Kfir C.1s were used in the US arsenal to act as adversary aircraft in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). We’ve posted both models (FA729002 and FA729003) in the Falcon Models section and anticipate delivery in September.

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Falcon Models Professes 'the Lion is King'

Hot on the heels of their announced Kfir Multi-Role aircraft comes word that Falcon Models will also be selling two versions of the F-21 Lion, which were Kfirs leased to both the US Navy and US Marine Corps during the late 80s. Twenty-five modified Kfir C.1s were used in the US arsenal to act as adversary aircraft in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). We’ve posted both models (FA729002 and FA729003) in the Falcon Models section and anticipate delivery in September.

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Hobby Master Proves its Listening

Ordinarily, we take a pass when it comes to listing civil airliners on our web site, largely because this isn’t our core competency. Add to that the fact that we generally sidestep the smallish 1:200 scale sector, and you can readily see why we prefer to go with larger scale replicas with military overtones. However, when Hobby Master announced that it planned to offer a 1:200 scale Lockheed EC-121D Warning Star Aircraft (#HL9012), we were all ears, figuratively as well as literally. Measuring approximately 7 inches in length by about 7-1/2 inches across, a 1:200 scale representation of this iconic early warning flier seemed to fit the bill, offering unrivaled fidelity and decent scale at a price most collectors can afford. Expected some time in September, we believe aviation enthusiasts will enjoy adding this important aircraft to their diecast collection.

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Hobby Master Returns to MiG Alley

Even though tension on the Korean Peninsula seems to have subsided of late, that doesn’t mean diecast modelmakers can’t take an interest in the decades long hot spot. Hobby Master, for one, plans to reopen old wounds with their first ever 1:72 scale replica of the North American F-86 Sabre jet — the very jet that wrested control away from the North Korean Air Force during the early stages of the Korean Conflict. Other new aircraft and combat vehicles were also announced, all part of their September 2013 arsenal. We hope to have all of their latest product announcements up on our web site shortly.

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We’re Headed Off for an Oxford Education

We’ve had great success with Oxford’s 1:72 scale line of diecast military aircraft, so it makes sense for us to dig a little deeper and offer their accompanying range of diecast military vehicles. Crafted in 1:76 scale, which is a smidgeon smaller than a traditional 1:72 scale vehicle, the Oxford military vehicle range offers loads of options for the discriminating collector, again designed to help build your war museum on a shoestring budget.

Most of the vehicles are priced less than $20, with several contenders weighing in at just $7, providing good value and choices not previously available to the military enthusiast. The first wave of sixteen soft skinned vehicles are expected to storm the beaches some time in June.

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