Product Announcements

Dragon Plows Ahead

One of the most successful offerings produced by Dragon under their Neo Dragon Armor sub brand has been their extensive line of M1 Abrams tanks. While the Abrams may be dated from a historical standpoint, eclipsed by other more recently developed AFVs as well as the US Army’s latest variant, the M1A2 E3 Abrams, the vehicle has, nevertheless, done very well at retail in all of its many forms and versions. It therefore comes as no surprise that Dragon would return to the diecast killing field yet again by planting an Abrams tank equipped with, what else, a mine plow.

Two versions will be made available — one replicating an M1A2 SEP painted in a desert sand motif with its plow configured in a travel mode while the other portrays an older M1A1 AIM in a tri-color camouflage pattern with its plow shown in a plowing mode. Its entirely possible that other vehicles will eventually be added to the mix, as is customary with this manufacturer, so if you have your heart set on other versions you may want to stay abreast for further developments.

The Plow, better known as a Mine Clearing Blade, is a supplementary piece of equipment necessary for the M1A1 Main Battle Tank to breech minefields during routine operations. It is electrically operated, and is capable of clearing surface or buried mines up to 6 feet in front of the tank’s path without the aid of supporting forces or additional equipment. The system’s track-width mine plows can clear 42 inches on each side of a path as well as magnetic-fused mines between them with the Improved Dogbone Assembly. In loose sand, the plows can operate at a rate of 30 km/h. The maximum safe operating speed for this system is at least 10 miles per hour.

Look for both vehicles to breach the diecast defensive belt in early 2025.

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You Got to Give ’em Props

Hot on the heels of their 1:35 sale military vehicle announcement comes news that Panzerkampf plans on adding the CH-53 Sea Stallion to their rapidly expanding airborne arsenal. Previously, the Company had released three different versions of the MH-53 Sea Dragon heavy lift helicopter, all of which have long since sold out at the manufacturer’s level. The Company has responded by now offering four different versions of the Sea Stallion, a bulwark of US naval and Marine Corps aviation since the 1960s.

Thus far, its not clear which units will be represented, since none of the helos have had their unit markings and insignia applied. The Company has stated that they will likely go on sale towards the end of the year, meaning they should hit streets in early 2025. Like their MH-53 cousins, the CH-53s are big and beefy, large by anyone’s standards, and composed of both metal and plastic. So, its entirely possible these will be priced in the mid $100 range, thereby overtaking both the recently released Mi-24 Hinds and MH-60 Black Hawks that took the hobby by storm earlier this year.

The CH-53 Sea Stallion (Sikorsky S-65) is an American family of heavy-lift transport helicopters designed and built by the American manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The Sea Stallion was originally developed in response to a request from the United States Navy’s Bureau of Naval Weapons made in March 1962 for a replacement for the Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave helicopters flown by the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

We apologize for the quality of the accompanying images. Better pictures will likely become available as we near the product’s intended release date.

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Panzerkampf “Ups” its Game

We’ve got terrific news for all you tread heads. Earlier today, Panzerkampf indicated they were getting into the larger scale end of the military vehicle business by offering its first ever 1:35 scale tank. Photos were posted for two mid production Tiger I tanks, although its not clear which units they represent since both were bereft of any unit insignia and markings. According to the Facebook post, the Company is still working on their overall game plan, which includes pricing and dates of release. What is known is that the vehicles will be made of plastic not metal and we’re not certain if the tracks will move or remain static. The manufacturer may decide to slug the vehicles to give them more perceived weight so they don’t feel like a model kit. Its not clear if the vehicles will be bundled with other accoutrements or if they’ll come with figures.

To date, Panzerkampf has offered a wide range of 1:72 scale military vehicles and recently offered a limited series of slightly larger 1:64 scale Humvees. There’s still plenty of collectors who fondly remember both the now defunct line of 1:35 scale military vehicles Minichamps once produced as well as Dragon’s complementary range of 1:35 scale tanks and siege mortars. Having a newcomer step back into the vacant larger scale space is certainly welcome news provided, of course, that Panzerkampf gets it right and doesn’t peg these vehicles beyond the $150 price barrier.

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Luft-X and Wings Receive Valuable Reinforcements

Late yesterday, Historic Sales, the owners of both the Luft-X and Wings of the Great War series, announced an additional aircraft for each of their longstanding series. In the case of Luft-X, the range will now come with its first 1:144 scale model — an Arado E.555 I long-range strategic bomber, meant to wreak havoc on the shores of the US and Canada. Its an impressive model if smaller than their predecessors, largely because of its wingspan, which measures nearly 8-inches in length. While ten different versions of the E.555 were being worked on at the Arado Flugzeugwerke, located at Warnemunde, in Mecklenburg, Germany, none took flight, victims of bureaucracy and precious resources needed elsewhere. In fact, all of the E.555 projects were abandoned, following a December 22nd, 1944, order by the Reich Air Ministry.

For the Wings line, Historic chose a subject that, in actuality, could better be positioned as a WWII aircraft than a WWI model since it was built years after the War ended. LZ 129 was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of her class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. She was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company (Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei). She was named after Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, who was President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934. The Hindenburg famously went down in flames over New Jersey way back in 1937, a victim of its hydrogen-propelled fuel being ignited by an onrushing thunderstorm.

While the finished model won’t sport the German swastika on its tail to remain PC compliant, it will come bundled with decals so that collectors can apply them to make it more historically accurate. Like all of the other aircraft in both series, the new models are composed of resin, making them far heavier than they would ordinarily appear. Both models are slated to take to the skies in January.

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The Flight of the Valkyries

The XB-70 Valkyrie is one of those aircraft we’ve been pestering modelmakers to replicate for a very long time. Its an iconic aircraft that most warbird enthusiasts would give an arm to add to their collection even if it never made it pass the testing phase and would likely tip the scales in the ubiquitous 1:72 scale.

For those unfamiliar with the aircraft, the North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie is a retired prototype version of the planned B-70 nuclear-armed, deep-penetration supersonic strategic bomber for the United States Air Force Strategic Command. Designed in the late 1950s by North American Aviation (NAA) to replace the B-52 Stratofortress and B-58 Hustler, the six-engined, delta-winged Valkyrie could cruise for thousands of miles at Mach 3+ while flying at 70,000 feet (21,000 m).

As it turns out, our prayers may have been answered. Recently, we learned that JC Wings plans on tackling the Valkyrie, posting an unpainted prototype image of well, the prototype aircraft. Granted, no plans are underway to replicate the bomber in 1:72 scale, largely because of its size and concomitant cost. So, they plan on putting the Valkyries to flight in both a smaller 1:400 and 1:200 scale, the latter still tipping the scales in both weight and size. We don’t as yet have a timeline as to when this warbird will be ready for pre-order much less available for shipment, not to mention its length and heft, but we can presume it’ll be a whopper when its completed and ready for ogling. Keep your fingers crossed that it satisfies everyone’s appetite.

Update: Apparently, Dragon once offered the XB-70 in 1:200 scale several years back although it was composed of plastic not metal. The model measured almost 12-inches in length and boasted a wingspan of just under 7-inches, roughly the size of a 1:72 scale F-14 Tomcat. So, we’re guesstimating the model will clock in at around 4-pounds, give or take a few ounces. Still a pretty nice-sized bird of prey.

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Panzerkampf Sounds the Jericho Trumpets

One of the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War was the Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive-bomber. Responsible for providing aerial support for advancing Wehrmacht forces in both the east and west during the early stages of the War, the Stuka was regarded by many as an integral part of the Blitzkrieg that, when taken in conjunction with armor, motorized forces and artillery, were responsible for overrunning much of Europe.

Recognizing its importance to collectors and historians alike, Panzerkampf decided to pay tribute to the Stuka with an array of 1:72 scale replicas, all of which are expected before the year is out. Thus far, four versions are in the hopper, and we’re certain that more are in the offing as is customary with this manufacturer. Interestingly, Panzerkampf has included them within their Panzerkampf range as opposed to their budget-minded Legion line because they are new toolings created from scratch as opposed to previously released builds that may have been developed by other entities. That said, here’s a pictorial of what we know thus far.

Rumor has it that the Company has been looking at expanding their WWII aircraft range by offering a Henschel Hs 129 “Panzerknacker” ground attack aircraft. The Henschel Hs 129 saw combat in Tunisia and on the Eastern Front.

A key requirement of the original specification was that the aircraft be powered by engines that were not in demand for other designs. Prototypes with low-power German Argus As 410 engines of 465 PS (459 hp; 342 kW) failed acceptance test, a more powerful replacement was found with the French Gnome-Rhone 14M engine of 700 PS (690 hp; 515 kW).

The design was relatively effective when it was first introduced, and saw service on the Eastern Front in a variety of front-line roles. As the war continued and anti-tank support became the main goal, the aircraft was continually up-gunned, eventually mounting a 75 mm anti-tank gun. Only a small number of these B-3 models were produced, late in the war. Production ceased in September 1944.

The Hs 129 would be a good choice for this fledgling aircraft manufacturer since there have been relatively few examples produced to date by just a handful of lesser known companies that have utilized the same mold over and over again. Bear in mind that as the industry matures and more manufacturers enter the fray, choices such as this help to ensure that the manufacturer is charting a path of profitability by selecting subjects few companies have addressed to-date. Given the number of aircraft that took part in the War and the wide appeal of WWII-era machines of war, there are still plenty of warplanes still crying out for replicas to be made. Twin-engined aircraft such as the Russian Pe 2 dive-bomber, Japanese Betty bomber and Grumman F9F Tigercat spring to mind and would make for obvious choices, provided, of course, sales were strong for their initial offerings and they build a loyal following. In any event, its refreshing to see them explore their options by introducing historically accurate models at truly affordable prices.

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Corgi Draws Back the Curtains on Their Remaining Aircraft

As promised, Corgi unveiled the balance of their 2024 Aviation Archives aircraft over the Labor Day weekend. While no new toolings were debuted nor was anything hinted at for the coming year, several existing models received important updates, which helps to round out their yearly roster and clear the way for their eventual 2025 line up.

Two models were included in the roll out that we haven’t as yet included on our web site largely because we aren’t sure about their relative worth to the average aircraft collector. These include a rather eclectic Heinkel He-111 medium bomber that was designed for the rock band Motorhead, and features their logo emblazoned on the underside of the model as well as adorning its nose art. Similarly, there’s a Spitfire dubbed “Aces High” that was created for the group Iron Maiden. Interestingly, the Spitfire could easily fit into anyone’s aircraft collection since it features a more traditional scheme than say “Motorhead” with its more risque exterior graphics. For those of you unfamiliar with the group, “Aces High” is Iron Maiden’s eleventh single release and one of their most famous tracks. So, for now we’ll take a pass on both new models to see if diehards are willing to integrate either or both of these models within their Aviation Archive collection.

We invite you to watch the September-December 2024 video Corgi uploaded to YouTube that more ably discusses what you can expect to see for the final three months of 2024.

Note: Hornby, the parent company of Corgi, has indicated that as of September 1st, they are increasing prices across-the-board for all of their products in an effort to offset recent increases in costs associated with the production and transport of their models. For now, we have not changed our prices for the entire line although as soon as Corgi passes along their September-December product line up we will be revising prices for both older and newer releases. So, if you’re interested in pre-ordering anything posted to our web site, we suggest doing so now before the changes are put into effect.

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Dragon: It’s a StuG Life

Earlier today, we woke up to check out the various manufacturer web sites we do business with to see if anything new had been posted. Lo and behold, Dragon added six more 1:72 scale Sturmgeschutz III assault guns to its growing lineup of Neo Dragon Armor vehicles. If you’re counting, that makes a total of 16 vehicles now on their ready-for-battle assembly line, including two Cyber Hobby releases that come complete with artificial branches. Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of StuG firepower ready to be unleashed, some looking awfully similar to one another. Keep in mind that there are other StuG III variants likely taking shape on the Dragon drawing board before we even get to the StuG IV assault guns they are sure to produce.

So, we’ll start up our engine and add these six new introductions to our web site later today, holding our breath that Dragon doesn’t have any more planned in the pipeline. Admittedly, we may not stock all of these different versions, since it represents a lot of money having to be tied up in inventory that could be better deployed elsewhere. In any event, its refreshing to see so many versions coming out, we just wish they weren’t all on the starting line at the same time and were released in a more staggered fashion.

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Forces of Valor Raises Another Ship from the Ocean’s Depths

Looking to complete its pairings of full draught and waterline models, Forces of Valor debuted a single picture of its upcoming waterline version of the US Navy Aircraft Carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), to one of their web sites. While additional images are likely forthcoming, it isn’t clear when the warship will actually sail out of Walterson’s home port and into the diecast sea. So, while we will begin accepting pre-orders for it and the full draught version, don’t expect to see either of the two models until 2025. Please understand that we play no role as to when these items will either be produced or made available through their dealer network, so if you have your heart set on either of these releases, make sure you have lots of blood pressure medication on hand until this model joins their diecast fleet.

In other news, our August shipment of mixed Forces of Valor products showed up this morning, unannounced and without any advance notification. Great way to start off the week. Frankly, it is since we have been out-of-stock of many of these items for months on end. So, we’re in the process of going through the shipment, re-listing items as being back in stock on both our web site and our marketplace sites. We expect to begin shipping out these items on Tuesday.

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Panzerkampf Takes a Page from Today’s Headlines

If you’ve been following the news lately, you’ll know that last week Ukraine invaded Russia near the historically significant town of Kursk, scene of the largest tank battle in history that pitted the forces of Nazi Germany against those of the Red Army. This comes at a time when Russia’s land forces are continuing to apply pressure further south, in a bid to expand their foothold along the eastern flank of Ukraine.

Perhaps because of this, Panzerkampf seized upon this headline and announced the addition of two new Mi-24V Hind attack helicopters to their growing stable of mid-sized rotor craft. Both of the new Hinds bear Russian insignia although its not clear if either of these new choppers were meant to replicate Hinds used to turn back the Ukrainian attacks.

No definite time frame was announced for either of these new helicopters, so we are going to presume they will out be out for the holidays.

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