Shout Outs

The Forces of Valor Update: Shermans March

Thirteen Sherman variants are scheduled to eventually come out, beginning with these four vehicles

Back in late 1864, General William T. Sherman famously marched his Union troops through Georgia in an attempt to cut the Confederate forces in two and, in so doing, sew terror in the South’s populace and devastate its’ logistical network. Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, is looking to achieve much the same results in the military diecast community with their first group of 1:32 scale M4 Sherman tanks. You may remember that Unimax, the previous owner of the FOV brand, released several M4A3 Sherman tanks several years ago, re-using a single mold over and over again for a variety of replicas. While this strategy certainly reduced manufacturing costs and sped up the release schedule, it was far from perfect, since it meant that collectors were essentially getting a “one-size-fits-all” medium tank that was both historically inaccurate and worse boasted less metal content with each ensuing release.

An M4 Sherman “Jumbo” tank boasting an elongated turret and more powerful main gun intended to go toe-to-toe with the German Army’s heavier battle tanks

Waltersons, well aware of the problems facing the original set of Unimax Shermans, have been hard at work revamping the original tooling — by not only increasing the vehicle’s metal content — but by making each of the many Sherman variants truer to form with their historical counterparts. To that end, the Company has made a number of different turrets, guns, adaptives and even suspension systems, all designed to give collectors what they have been politely demanding for almost twenty years. As can be seen in the accompanying photo, each model has been faithfully produced, including, but not limited to, travel locks for the main gun, entrenching utensils, hull and bow machine guns and even opening hatches just like the real things. Its not clear how many Shermans will make it to market by the close of the year given the current congestion issues still plaguing many of our nation’s ports, but suffice it to say that eventually these and other variants are in the works, meaning there will be no shortage of Allied armor set to storm our shores for the foreseeable future.

In other news, the Company has decided to split its 1:700 scale warship line into two segments: one designed to continue its legacy of making full hull capital ships while a separate segment is aimed at the wargaming community who are looking to recreate different naval engagements using waterline ships. Right now, several warships are slated to set sail in early 2022, including reworked versions of the USS Enterprise, the USS Missouri, IJN Yamato and the RN Invincible, and its a good bet that other previously released warships in the FOV armada will be similarly sent to the naval yards for a complete refit.

Finally, although the manufacturer did share with us some images of their 1:32 scale early production Tiger I tanks, they did ask us not to divulge them for now since they are still being worked on for technical accuracy, changes to the road wheels and other important facets of the vehicle endemic to its version. Suffice it to say we will pass along factory approved photos for all the world to see once the Company is satisfied that they have met all of their design goals and feel confident they can deliver a stunning replica that is both heavy in the hand and meticulously researched.

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USPS Suspends Service to Australia

While we were away on vacation we learned that the USPS has temporarily but immediately suspended all package service to Australia. According to a USPS blog post, the suspension is due to COVID-19 transportation cancellations and restrictions. Any shipments currently en route to Australia are being turned around and returned to the sender. Its not clear when service will be resumed to Australia and whether or not this suspension will affect other nations going forward. Previously, the USPS suspended service to other nations, among them Malawi, Mayotte and Liberia, as well as Afghanistan although service suspension to and from Afghanistan is largely due to the pull out of US troops and other assets from the country.

You may remember that apart from Canada we temporarily suspended ALL international shipments earlier this summer for different reasons but are willing to explore the issue once again in early 2022 should we feel that the global pandemic has changed for the positive. We apologize for having to take these measures and hopr you understand that some things are beyond our control.

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News Glorious News

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Republic F-105F Thunderchief Fighter-Bomber – 63-8301, Lt Col. Leo Thorsness, 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron “Dragons”, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, April 1967 (1:72 Scale)

Apparently everything isn’t doom and gloom for the dog days of summer. While a category one hurricane is bearing down on the northeast, gathering momentum as we speak, it seems to have brought good tidings as well, in the form of several new shipments. Recently we received a bunch of Hachette Collections 1:100 scale aircraft, two new Panzerkampf 1:72 scale Dassault Rafale multirole aircraft, all of the Solido 1:48/1:56 scale military vehicles, and Forces of Valor’s inaugural 1:72 scale Chance-Vought F4U Corsair fighter.

Solido 1:56 scale US M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank – Desert Camouflage

And, if that didn’t tickle your fancy, we learned this morning that the July shipment of Hobby Master products has finally arrived at our distributor in Georgia and should be in stock at our facility by the end of next week. Right now, the only other major shipment that could appear by the end of the month is Corgi, although this could likely be pushed into early September if things go awry. All in all, not a bad way to end the month of August and the summer season given the state of things in the global supply chain.

Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale USMC Chance-Vought F4U-1D Corsair Fighter – Lt. Ira Kepford, VF-17 “Jolly Rogers”, 1944
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Port Congestion Continues to Worsen in US

We had hoped that by the end of the summer, the logjam plaguing most of America’s west coast ports would have abated and product intended to reach consumers for the holiday season would again flow in plentiful supply. As of today, that seems to be wishful thinking.

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that things have gone from bad to worse in the Port of Los Angeles, the principal port of entry for most goods bound for the USA from Asia. All sorts of reasons for the problems were cited in the report, from COVID to big box retailers attempting to bring in their shipments ahead of schedule. What this means for a smaller retailer such as ourselves is anyone’s guess as the holiday shopping season looms and consumer expectations begins to rise. Many of the items we are currently anticipating for a November and December releases will likely be shunted into the new year, and items we are pinning our hopes on to arrive in the next 60 days may instead show up just before the close of the holiday season. At least that’s how we see things stacking up for the next few months unless things continue to worsen.

As always, we strongly recommend ordering those items either listed as being in-stock or expected within the next 30 days or so if they are intended to be gifted away to a friend or family member. Otherwise, we urge you to remain patient and stay abreast of the issues continuing to affect the global supply system since this is the best barometer of judging whether or not product will arrive as expected. The full text of the WSJ article can be found here.

Update: After speaking with a representative at Historic Sales, it does look as if the last couple of Hobby Master shipments will arrive much later than originally slated. Their December roster, for instance, will almost certainly arrive sometime in early 2022 and their November spate will likely show up some time after the new year. No word if the October HM shipment will arrive in time for the holiday season or if it too will be pushed back into 2022. Our guess is that it won’t be ready for the holiday season although this could change if herculean efforts to clear the ports meet with overall success.

We haven’t received any updates from Corgi regarding their third and fourth quarter shipments, but here again its likely these too will be affected by the port congestion problems previously highlighted. Although they receive shipments further north and nowhere near Los Angeles, the port congestion issues discussed affect virtually every major port of entry up and down the length of the west coast. Likewise, smaller manufacturers such as PMA, Panzerkampf and others are in the same boat, figuratively as well as literally, and may or may not materialize in time for the holiday season. I know this is tough news to hear but better you should learn it first hand before the holiday season commences than peg your hopes on receiving items that simply won’t be available for the holidays. We will continue to update our release schedule as further news continues to trickle in.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Thing’s are Looking Ship Shape for 2021

Hinted at for over two years, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, have finally revealed pre-production images for their upcoming Flight Deck Series. Unlike their 1:72 and 1:48 scale helicopter series or soon-to-street 1:72 scale WWII-era fighter aircraft series, the Flight Deck series is, as its name implies, aimed at portraying the entire flight deck of a Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in 1:200 scale.

Rather than offering the flight deck and its attendant aircraft models as one entire model, Waltersons developed the range so that collectors can acquire and build out the upper deck one section at a time, complete with different aircraft models. Even the carrier’s superstructure is attainable. All told, 12 sections or modules are being created, from the aft of the ship to its stern, which are then locked into place so that they do not come apart if being played upon. Thus far, we do not have a firm release date, so we’re keeping our fingers and arresting gear crossed that they make it under the tree for the upcoming holiday season.

In other news, we’ve learned that Forces of Valor’s first 1:72 scale warbird is expected to make landfall this August. As noted previously, each aircraft comes with a decorative base that resembles a section of an aircraft deck or forward air base. Each model comes with a highly detailed engine and seated pilot figure along with a posable display stand meant to give the illusion of flight.

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Forces of Valor Trots Out its Second Sturmtiger Assault Mortar

Its a bittersweet moment when Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, begins to show off imagery of their newest products. That’s because it oftentimes takes them many months before we can actually put the product into the hands of the collector, who must anxiously wait an eternity to lay claim to the latest 1:32 scale FOV vehicle. Nevertheless, we thought you might like to see the first pix of their next vehicle in the conga line: a late production Sturmtiger assault mortar. Unlike the first vehicle, the second vehicle is clad in a tri-color camouflage scheme indicative of seeing combat towards the latter half of 1944. It also comes with three crewmen who are seen here loading the over-sized ammunition onto the vehicle.

While the manufacturer’s web site claims it will come out in 2021, it could indeed be some time before it makes it to our shores since the distributors responsible for stocking the line must bring in container loads of FOV product to help mitigate the increased cost of trans-oceanic shipping. Still, we thought you might like to see the fruits of their labors and we can only hope that additional imagery of both this vehicle and other long talked about products begin to materialize and hopefully make it under the tree this holiday season.

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When Darkness Falls: An A-10 for the Ages

Earlier this year, one of Hobby Master’s F-16 Vipers, painted up in an ominous dark black scheme to make it resemble a venomous snake, sold out almost as quickly as they came in, an instant hit among collectors and Viper aficionados that have left them clamoring for more. While we await word to see if Hobby Master plans to introduce a second version of this critically acclaimed hit, we learned recently that a USAF A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft was unveiled in a similarly conceived scheme, no doubt piggybacking off of the success of the “venomous” Viper.

Attached to the Indiana Air National Guard, the so-called “Blacksnake” was created to honor the 100th anniversary of the Indiana Air National Guard (1921-2021). Its certainly a beauty, and represents a marked departure from previous anniversary schemes that typically conjure up images from the past such as the invasion of Europe in 1944. Naturally, we’ve passed along this information to the powers that be and wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Hobby Master and possibly other modelmakers decided to recreate this aircraft as part of their 2022 product roll out. In the meantime, it might be wise to make space in your diecast hangar so that this model can be displayed in all its glory.

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Dragon Returns by Making a Forcible Entry

Dragon’s Neo Armor 1:72 scale USMC AAVP7A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle with Enhanced Applique Armor Kit – Desert

Its been seventy years since the US Marine Corps has had to take and hold a beachhead, thereby making it one of the riskiest if rarest forms of taking the battle to the enemy. So, it makes sense that Dragon is taking the same route in 2021, re-introducing its line of Neo Armor vehicles to the diecast community with the imminent release of two armored amphibious assault vehicles.

Dragon’s Neo Armor 1:72 scale USMC AAVP7A1 Amphibious Assault Vehicle with Enhanced Applique Armor Kit

Expected in mid June, both DRR63019 and DRR63073 are long over due, initially slated for a mid 2020 showing, but they’re soon-to-ship status hopefully signals Dragon’s renewed interest in the pre-assembled military vehicle category. While no new “chase” vehicles are included in either assortment, its been a very long time since Dragon offered up an AARV as part of their military vehicle series. Not quite 70 years, but awful close. Happy Memorial Day!

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Panzerkampf Proves its More than Panzers

No stranger to producing a wide array of diecast tanks, Panzerkampf recently posted a montage image to their Facebook account indicating that several projects are in the works, none of them having to do with tanks. Perhaps worried that they’ll be seen simply as a maker of armored fighting vehicle, the portrait shows a number of CAD images, one of them a combat helicopter while the remaining four depict differing types and makes of multi-wheeled vehicles. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which projects are in the offing but we will certainly keep an eye on both their Facebook page and web site for further information and hopefully some finished images of the upcoming prototypes.

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The Forces of Valor Update: The ABCs of R/C

Forces of Valor’s 1:24 scale radio controlled US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank – Tri-Color Camouflage

At long last, we’ve finally received an update concerning Forces of Valor’s line of 1:24 scale radio-controlled military vehicles. Two tanks, the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank and the M26 Pershing heavy tank are slated to make land fall in June. That’s the good news. As for the original four vehicles released a few years back — the Tiger I, the Panzer IV, the Sherman and the T-34/85 tanks — don’t expect them to return to stock anytime soon. They could be in the cards for a late 2021 return date, or they could be pushed back into 2022.

Forces of Valor’s 1:24 scale radio controlled US M26 Pershing Heavy Tank

At this point, we simply don’t know their fate. On the plus side, the prices for the two upcoming tanks haven’t changed so if you’re interested in adding these vehicles to your stable of radio controlled tanks, we strongly suggest you jump on this opportunity before they disappear like the dinosaurs.

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