Shout Outs

Tales of Transparency: Time for a Breather

This month, we managed to get out a bunch of orders that had been languishing for some time because we were waiting for the products’ arrival from our distributors. This included Calibre Wings, Corgi, Hobby Master and Panzerkampf. A second batch of Hobby Master products are expected by the middle of February, so we’ve decided to take a step back and catch our breath for now until this new flock arrives. This next shipment includes a re-stock of their first issue YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter along with their eagerly awaited second issue, which is decked out in a charcoal-like skin color. A number of other important aircraft are expected, which are currently listed in our In Transit section. Interestingly, our distributor indicated that Hobby Master was contemplating more of the first issue YF-23. Great news if you were still holding out hope for a YF-23 — not so wonderful if you thought the first batch might increase in value for the foreseeable future. Still, if demand warrants the production of additional models, who am I to turn up my nose accumulating more models?

Anyway, this should do it for now since Chinese New Year is right around the corner. Typically the lengthy holiday slows down production of new models for several consecutive weeks despite Hobby Master having moved its manufacturing to Bangladesh several years ago. Corgi, Panzerkampf, Legion and a handful of others are still working out of China, so expect to see slowed production from them as well. As a result, March is forecast to be somewhat dry for new arrivals at least until everyone returns to work and companies can establish their next moves. New models are still being announced, as evinced by our February 2026 New Additions section, but don’t expect to see them for some time. Take a peek when you have a chance and make sure to get n your pre-orders at your first opportunity.

Takeaway: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. After examining our March 2026 schedule, it appears as if we are expecting an incredibly heavy lineup of merchandise to hit our docket this March. Hobby Master, for example, has a doubled-up roster of new items slated to arrive, both at the beginning of the month and again towards its end. A number of new items are also expected from other suppliers, meaning we get to do a lot of shipping throughout the entire month. So much for a break!

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Calibre’s “In-and-Out” Belly Bombers

Well, we received our allotment of Calibre Wings B-58 Hustler bombers and out the door they went. We had several people waiting for what seemed like an eternity so we wanted to process their orders as quickly as possible and get them into the USPS slipstream tout-de-suite.

While I would’ve loved to have opened one up to see what they look like in the “diecast flesh”, we thought better of it and decided to get them ready for shipment first thing Friday morning. So, if you were lucky enough to have ordered one from us, keep one eye on your tracking information and the other on the USPS truck cause they’re headed out for the final leg of their journey.

Takeaway: Despite its price relative to other models of its size and standing, Calibre’s inaugural B-58 Hustler sold like hotcakes. We could’ve easily sold more models had we been permitted to obtain them, and had to turn away orders far in excess of what we actually sold. We anticipate Calibre will be announcing a second B-58, perhaps in a Southeast Asian camouflage scheme, very soon. While it likely won’t be as popular as the first release (second issues never are), we should continue to see brisk sales once its announced, built and inspected for imperfections. Will it carry the same price tag and come in the same presentation box? At this point its anyone’s guess and we can only hope Calibre will continue to offer subjects collectors have been requesting for several years on end.

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Hobby Master Acquires the Century Wings Molds

Recognizing that the Century Wings line of military aircraft still has legs, Hobby Master has purportedly acquired the molds to many of the Century Wings aircraft models. The list reportedly includes the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft, A-6 Intruder attack aircraft, A-7 Corsair II light attack aircraft and F-8 Crusader air superiority aircraft. Additionally, the purchase includes their entire range of 1:144 scale military aircraft, which includes their A-6, A-7 and F-14 replicas. Word on the street says that the purchase does not include CW’s 1:72 scale F-14 Fleet Defense Fighter largely because Hobby Master already makes a model of the Tomcat.

Hobby Master will reportedly thoroughly inspect each mold and make improvements where needed to keep them up-to-date and ensure they are capable of being used multiple times over the course of their reinvigorated lifespan. While no mention was made regarding which models will come out first, the announcement does claim that some models will start to show up towards the latter half of 2026. We are assuming that Hobby Master packaging will be used throughout so there is no confusion with previously released black-box Century Wings models. With its exacting attention to detail, its possible that the CW F-14 mold could end up with yet another manufacturer, although nothing firm has been indicated and several manufacturers, among them Calibre Wings and JC Wings, already possess their own F-14 molds.

The acquisitions solidifies Hobby Master’s position as the leading maker of diecast military aircraft models and rounds out their range of Cold War era subjects. Naturally, it would be nice to see models based upon some of the warbirds currently being developed and tested world over by a number of nations, among them several sixth generation fighters and other equally important aerial platforms. Likewise, it would be sweet to see them delve deeper into other sophisticated combat systems, most notably drones, collaborative combat aircraft, ground vehicles and even surface and sub-surface systems that comprise many of today’s military arsenals.

Takeaway: This is a great development for fans of both Hobby Master and Century Wings. While Hobby Master has slowed down its production of new aircraft types, the Century Wings acquisitions serves a dual purpose by completing Hobby Master’s pantheon of Cold War military aircraft and resurrecting the Century Wings molds many had thought were doomed after the manufacturer announced its closure this past December.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Its 2026 – Do You Know Where Your Tanks Are?

Its been awhile since we last spoke about Forces of Valor and with good reason — there wasn’t much to talk about. With the Trump tariffs still in doubt and companies such as Waltersons reluctant to produce new items because of how it might affect them, the line has been on hiatus for some time now. Several new items have been hinted at but nothing has been formally announced. That said, we contacted the manufacturer over the weekend to find out what’s in stock and where we stand with the Company now that the Christmas stampede has run its course.

Thus far, only a handful of new items are said to be in stock and ready to be shipped. These include several of the new 1:64 scale military vehicles and a handful of accessories, many of which have been shown on their site for months on end. The balance of the line has strangely not come in as yet so we assume they aren’t too far behind. Because of this, we’ve elected to hold off ordering them for now, largely because we want to get things started with them slowly then open up the spigots to bring in a number of items that had been on back order for the better part of a year and now show as being in stock. So, we’ve placed an initial order with them for several back ordered items, which will hopefully be received and ready to head off to the diecast front early next week. We’ve listed them in our In Transit section and will continue to monitor the situation once we review their initial shipment then go from there. Keeping our fingers crossed that this will lead to bigger and better things for the balance of the year.

Takeaway: Waltersons, the owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has always been a questionable commodity ever since they opened their North American warehouse/offices in the US over two years ago. Much of their focus still remains on Greenlight Collectibles, so it’ll be interesting to see where and when the Company decides to place added emphasis on their military range. Thus far, things are quiet but that could change with Toy Fair right around the corner.

Update to the Update: It looks as if Waltersons has gotten their act together, having taken and shipped out our opening order without incident. So, we’re getting set to place our second and larger order with them, which will contain three of their 1:64 scale military vehicles, a few accessory packs originally produced by Unimax and a bevy of back ordered merchandise that have been out-of-stock for several months. Still no word on any of the new items hinted at on their own blog or any of the products they announced years ago that have remained in limbo for some time. Their Facebook page is still mum, having gone dark over three years ago so no public information is being disseminated. As I mentioned earlier, the Trump tariffs are still acting as a headwind and the Company could be withholding new product announcements until the upcoming Toy Fairs have run their course. To sum up, we’re working in the dark and hope to have more concrete information to work with by the end of January. Maybe…

In the meantime, we’ve prepped our web site to reflect these changes, and made several amendments to our eBay store page so we can plug in the quantities available once we ensure that all of our pre-orders have been accounted for. We’re holding off indicating that the second shipment is available until we review its receipt. I’d like to ensure, first hand, that there are no discrepancies, gauge the quality of the new items and get everything ready in case we get beset by loads of orders. We are accepting pre-orders and quite frankly aren’t sure how quickly the new and back ordered merchandise will be received. Bear in mind too that we are expecting large Hobby Master, Corgi and Panzerkampf shipments by the end of the month, so getting ahead of these will be our mantra for the next couple of weeks.

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Tales of Transparency: Late to the Party

Air Force 1’s USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – “Man ‘O War II”, 323rd Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England, November 1944 (1:72 Scale)

We’ve got some especially good news for all of you collectors out there that didn’t mind waiting and likely have a fist full of cash from Christmas presents. There’s a bunch of new items that have either arrived this past week or in transit, most notably two months worth of Hobby Master products. These should be landing later this week, unless the holidays play havoc with the schedule or something else comes up that delays their arrival. Also headed our way are a number of Legion Models items, including a bunch of 1:72 scale Sherman tanks, a gaggle of Supermarine Spitfires and a squadron Curtiss P-40 Warhawks.

Air Force 1’s Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-36 Deep Strike Aircraft – Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, December 2024 (1:100 Scale)

Over the weekend, we took delivery of several Air Force 1 aircraft, including their highly popular 1:72 scale B-17G Flying Fortress bomber (shown above) that was out-of-stock for over a month. We also received models of two PLAAF sixth generation aircraft. Bear in mind the actual jets are still undergoing rigorous testing back in China and will likely get deployed in the next couple of years. Both aircraft have been the subject of intense scrutiny and conjecture and will likely continue to evolve based upon test results.

Corgi’s USAAF Boeing B-17F-45-VE Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – “Royal Flush”, Lieutenant Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, 418th Bomb Squadron “Bloody Hundredth”, 100th Bomb Group, Bassingbourn, England, October 10th, 1943 (1:72 Scale)

In other news, there’s still quite a few models expected in January that have faced delay after delay and are supposedly now on their way to our distributor. These include a shipment of Panzerkampf models (which includes a number of back ordered items as well as new products) and Corgi aircraft, as well as another batch of Hobby Master military aircraft models (both new and back ordered items). Beyond that, its not clear what else is in store for January or even February, seeing as how several distributors are awaiting news on the Supreme Court ruling on the Trump tariffs before bringing in new shipments. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the tariffs, then we can guarantee that this Spring will be especially dry with very few products making it to market. For instance, the recently announced Panzerkampf 1:64 Abrams tank is currently pegged at $85, making it far too expensive to entice most collectors into purchasing it. If the Supreme Court rules against the tariffs, then it will likely get rolled back to around $69, still pricey but within range of most collector’s budgets.

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Century Wings Says Sayonara

While we haven’t stocked the line in several years, we’ve learned that Japanese-based Century Wings will be shutting down operations at the end of December. Citing declining orders and deteriorating molds as two reasons for the change of heart, Century Wings had been weighing their options for the better part of the year. The current trade war between the US and the PRC, which culminated in exorbitant tariffs for goods being brought in to the US, no doubt also factored into their decision to close up shop. The Company has been is existence since 2006, producing primarily SR-71, F-14, A-6, A-7 and F-8 models, so collectors probably felt as if they had enough of each subject and were looking for other types of aircraft to add to their collection.

We’re not surprised by Century Wings’ decision to throw in the towel, which will certainly be taken into consideration by other model makers if the Trump tariffs aren’t rolled back to an acceptable level. As it stands right now, there’s only so much a manufacturer can charge for a new aircraft, tank or warship, before the collector balks and walks away to pursue other interests. It would be a sad way to say goodbye but one that is both logical and foreseeable given the current set of circumstances affecting both nation’s intransigence and reluctance to give in.

From a personal standpoint, part of the problem for their closure was self-inflicted. While I don’t have an excel spreadsheet that lists every model they’ve produced to date, the fact remains that most collectors do not need or want the same items over and over again. Sure, there are some collectors who would like nothing more than to show off every single Tomcat Century Wings ever built; a like number of Blackbird enthusiasts who can display every Mach 3 jet in their oversized glass cabinets. But the fact remains that most collectors are on a budget and will buy an example or two of any given subject before moving on to other models. By bombarding the hobby with the same aircraft type ad nauseum is, at best, a poor business plan that will come back to haunt any model maker.

As it stands right now, Century Wings decision to ring down the curtains could be a precursor for other diecast manufacturers that have largely halted production to see how the US Supreme Court would rule on the Trump tariffs. Should they be overruled, then many will likely resume production and look back on 2025 as an aberration. Should they be upheld, however, then you can expect more manufacturers, distributors and retailers to follow suit and call it a day, unable and unwilling to sell product at inflated prices that few can afford. Guess we’ll have to see what the Court decides to do when they take up the matter in January. In the mean time, it may already be too late for several companies to await the decision.

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Calibre et al Continues to Push Back

On Friday morning, Calibre Wings produced a YouTube video claiming their eagerly awaited B-58 Hustler strategic bomber has been delayed yet again and is now expected to ship out within the March/April 2026 time frame. Noel Lee, owner of Calibre Wings, claimed there were several quality control issues with the production run, more specifically paint spray problems and assembly misalignment, that plagued several of the models. He also pointed to the upcoming Chinese New Year, which typically slows things down even further as workers head home from the factories to see their loved ones and take a break from work.

We’re not certain why this problem is now bubbling to the surface, seeing as how they were probably halfway through the quality control process that was designed to ensure that the models were in top-notch condition prior to being shipped out. We recognize this is a major source of income for the diecast aircraft manufacturer so we hope that this delay will be the last and enable them to get back to business producing first class models. Needless to say if Calibre intends to produce a second B-58 Hustler, they will need to devote more time to inspecting each model before announcing a release date, particularly since these models are fetching what can best be described as a king’s ransom in today’s market.

Moving on to other matters, it appears as if 2025 will go down as the driest year for product releases on record, with many manufacturers either delaying the release of their merchandise or continuing to take a wait-and-see stance to gauge what happens with the Trump tariffs now being ruled on by the Supreme Court. Bear in mind that even if the Court strikes down the tariffs, it will be some time before manufacturers can ramp up production and tackle the new year. Workers were laid off or sought work elsewhere, meaning it will be awhile before they can ratchet up production and resume business as usual.

Earlier today, we learned that Corgi’s last set of 2025 releases are now slated to arrive in late December, barring any further delays. Likewise, the latest items from Hobby Master and Panzerkampf are supposed to arrive in late November, although nothing is set in stone. As we have indicated in our newsletters and web site posts, please do not hang your hat on the arrival of fourth quarter releases as gifts for the holidays. We don’t want to disappoint, but the fact of the matter is we are being as forthright as possible and aren’t going to field complaints when we have absolutely nothing to do with these endless push backs.

Takeaway: Manufacturers and distributors alike are feeling the impact of the Trump Administration tariffs. Product is being delayed and prices are being increased to reflect the additional import charges.

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Calibre’s B-58 Delayed

We’re about to head off for vacation but noticed this recent Facebook post that was created by Noel Lee, head of Calibre Wings. While he is currently conducting Quality Control for over 1,500 B-58 Hustler bombers, he states that at a rate of 50 models per day, he should have the entire batch completed by the end of November, barring any further delays such as the recent typhoon that struck Hong Kong. Since they’re coming to us direct from China and still have to pass through customs and potential delays stateside, we estimate that our shipment will likely arrive some time in December, pushing their original estimated date of delivery back by sixty days. We’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this is obviously beyond our control.

Convair B-58 Hustler bombers undergoing final inspection before being approved for shipment

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Wow! Wowee, Wow, Wow, Wow!

Years ago, actor/comedian Christoper Walken performed a sketch on Saturday Night Live, one in which he played a so-called sophisticate speaking to the camera as if there was a supposed woman in his apartment. Decked out in a smoking jacket and likely living in a simple and unremarkable one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, the performance struck a note with me. In fact, I oftentimes try to mimic his daffy performance for anyone who is willing to give me a moment of their time. Anyway, I’ve always been struck by that skit, both for its comedic value, his range as both an actor and comedian and its application in real-life.

USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter – 87-0781, Dave Maurice, “Gray Ghost”, PAV-2, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California, 1990 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

Which leads me to the point of this blog post. Last week, we finally got in our batch of Hobby Master 1:72 scale Northrop YF-23 air dominance fighters, after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the shipment to reach our shores. When we put this item up for sale on both our web site and on eBay, I couldn’t believe how quickly it sold out, even when we nudged up the price a bit to throttle sales. As you might imagine, the first batch is now gone and we obviously under-anticipated demand for this model and its legacy as a potential aerial platform.

We’ve since placed a large re-order with our distributor, who claims more are expected in November. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see another piece as they get gobbled up by collectors worldwide. I know they made quite a few of these models and even with the tariffs imposed on product coming in from certain countries still managed to break our sales records with inquiries about its availability still filtering in.

USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter – 87-0800, “Black Widow II”, PAV-2, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California, 1990 (1:72 Scale)

Anyway, we’re leaving this model up on our web site and are still accepting orders should they indeed materialize for the holiday rush. Just as importantly, however, is the second release of the YF-23, known rather surreptitiously as the “Black Widow II”. Painted in matte black, we believe this version will also sell like hotcakes, possibly even breaking the first model’s sell-through rate which, as I’ve already pointed out, may have been our fastest selling aircraft model in our 25-year history. Food for thought if you don’t mind waiting a bit, have space set aside for this beauty and have your heart set on what many believe should have been our nation’s fifth generation air dominance fighter.

Update: If sales are any judge of a model’s success, then I think we can safely assume that Hobby Master’s initial release of the YF-23 will be hailed as the 2025 model of the year, perhaps usurped by the dark grey/black follow-on release expected by year’s end. We don’t acknowledge runaway “runway” hits all that often but it certainly appears as if the YF-23 may indeed receive these honors when the year is out. We did mention to Hobby Master that a navalized version of the YF-23 was planned by the aircraft manufacturer back in the 90s, featuring, among other things, more robust landing gear, canards and other external improvements so there’s a possibility that they may examine its feasibility as a potential model come the new year. What follows is some information on the at-sea version, excerpted from, you guessed it, Wikipedia.

A proposed naval variant of the F-23, sometimes known unofficially as the NATF-23 (the proposed naval variants were never formally designated), was considered as an F-14 Tomcat replacement for the U.S. Navy. The original HSF configuration of the F-23 was first considered with the initial DP500 design but would have had issues with flight deck space (it was to be no longer than the F-14), handling, storage, landing, and catapult launching, thus necessitating a different design. By 1989, the design was narrowed down to two possible configurations: DP533 with four tails and DP527 with two V-tails and canards. DP527 was determined to be the best solution. The NATF-23 design was submitted along with the F-23 proposal for full-scale development, or engineering and manufacturing development (EMD), in December 1990. However, by late 1990 the Navy was already beginning to back out of the NATF program and fully abandoned it by FY 1992 due to escalating costs. A wind tunnel test model of DP527, tested for 14,000 hours, was donated (with canards removed) by Boeing St. Louis (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in 2001 to the Bellefontaine Neighbors Klein Park Veterans Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Corgi Passes the Torch

Earlier today we learned that Hornby Hobbies USA has decided to shutter its Corgi North American distribution channel in an effort to reduce expenses and bring about a more streamlined experience. The Corgi product range will now be handled exclusively by Motor City Classics, which is based here in Florida.

The following announcement was made in regard to the Corgi hand over:

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