Waltersons updated 1:72 scale Tiger I heavy tank model kit
Just like its predecessor, Unimax, Waltersons will apparently test out the model kit market with its soon-to-be-released Model Kit 999 Series. Twelve 1:72 scale kits are set to hit the streets, most based on World War II era machines of war. At first blush, these look to be the same 12 kits that Unimax produced roughly ten years ago. Interestingly, the Forces of Valor logo does not appear on the updated packaging. Its not clear, at present, if our distributor will stock the series or remain focused on the pre-assembled range of vehicles and aircraft that make up the Forces of Valor line up.
Unimax’ 1:72 scale Tiger I heavy tank model kit bearing the Forces of Valor logo
Speaking of Forces of Valor, the manufacturer intends to use the upcoming Shizuoka Hobby Show held in Japan this April to display much of their wares and hopefully provide everyone with a production schedule for the balance of the year. Despite falling behind schedule we are still hoping for some good things to appear in 2019 that will rekindle our passion for the line.
Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale German E-50 Super Heavy 38cm Assault Mortar
After several false starts and a snow storm to boot, we received confirmation today that our Modelcollect shipment is now en route to us and should arrive by the weekend, Monday the latest. Lots of goodies are included in this month’s covered chuck wagon, spanning everything from rail cars to missile launchers. Its going to take us a couple of days to review our outstanding orders and ship out everything already allocated so please bear with us during this time frame. If you haven’t already checked out the cache, we recommend you do so and submit any orders to us before stocks run out.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC M60A1 Patton Medium Tank with Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) – “Genesis II”, “Task Force Ripper”, C Company, 3rd Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Operation Desert Storm, 1991
If there was ever any doubt behind the saying “March roars in like a lion,” all you need do is look to Hobby Master and their latest batch of releases currently en route. Some items, such as this M60 Patton tank (HG5606), weren’t even expected until the end of the month, so all we have is this line art drawing bravely acting as a stand-in until pix are provided. Other key items are their first ever 1:72 scale F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (HA6201) as well as a handsome 1:72 scale F-22 Raptor bearing the markings of the 95th Fighter Squadron (HA2819).
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – VFA-101 “Grim Reapers”, CAG Bird, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 2013 [Low-Vis Scheme]
We’ve updated our Hobby Master sections accordingly and hope to have all of the in transit items shown on our site ready for shipment by the start of this weekend, or early next week at the latest, depending upon when they arrive from our distributor.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with Trailer – Deutsches Afrika Korps, El Alamein, North Africa, 1942 [Comes with Seven Crewmen and Rommel]
With
March just a day away, I sit here, yet again, having to explain why the eagerly
awaited Forces of Valor 88mm FLaK gun has been further delayed. Back in early
February, just before the start of Chinese New Year, we were told that our
shipment of 88mm FLaK guns could be expected to ship out in late February after
Chinese New Year had concluded. That meant we would see our merchandise in
early to mid-March, barring any shipping or customs issues. Earlier today, we
were told by our distributor that their shipment of FLaK guns was being delayed
again and could now be expected sometime in May, two months beyond the original
forecast date. Ordinarily, I hem and haw, but typically accept the news with a
grain of salt since there isn’t all that much we can do, except tell our
clientele that they must wait even longer to receive their order.
What
I find troubling is that for the past few weeks the manufacturer has been
selling the product online through Facebook while retailers and distributors
are left wondering when they will be receiving the product. I’m not sure why
this issue is playing out the way it is but it simply does not sit well with me
nor should it sit well with everyone that pre-ordered the gun. Moreover, I’m
not clear why the manufacturer has decided upon this course of action or can justify
their decision to sell it to interested parties while their distribution
network continues to wait.
Thus far, the new caretaker of the FOV brand has done a marvelous job of producing some fan favorites, taking existing tooling and tweaking them to bring them up to today’s standards. The problem is that they are promising the moon but delivering moon dust – continually changing the production schedule, delaying the release of certain items and generally not keeping up with requests for background information in any reasonable fashion. In years past, we heavily advertised the line in various enthusiast print publications and planned to do the same with the revamped range later this year. The problem is that putting together an ad campaign for FOV is akin to aiming at and attempting to hit a moving target, with information changing to the point where it becomes utterly useless. So, we’ve made the decision not to advertise the line at this time, which would have attracted even more buyers to the fold and likely would have led to even greater demand. We’ve also amended the timetable for previously announced FOV releases, pushing them out to the end of the year since no hard-and-fast information is still on the table.
Right now, its upsetting to have to share this information with you but I
thought you ought to know where things stand. It’s frustrating to be
sure, and we certainly hope that they get their act together soon before
we throw in the towel. It wouldn’t be the first nor the last time we
gave up on a line.
Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale German E-100 Waffentrager Auf. V-4 Short Range Tactical Ballistic Missile
Its been a few months since we’ve received a Modelcollect shipment, so needless to say quite a few new numbers shown on the manufacturer’s web site are slated to trundle down the February runway. The February cache is large and rather extensive, covering everything from standard WWII-era vehicles to deluxe two-piece sets from the Cold War. As such, we invite you to take a look at our Upcoming Release section for February then zero in on the Modelcollect group. Also expected are several out-of-stock items plus we’ve updated the Modelcollect section to reflect those items that are sold out and no longer available.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy McDonnell F-4J Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – VF-84 “Fighting 84”, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42), Vietnam, 1972
We’re a scant day into the new year and we’re already behind the eight ball. Three major shipments – Dragon, Corgi and Hobby Master – are upon us, each requiring a fair bit of attention to review, break down and ship out to everyone that had placed pre-orders for them way back in 2018. So, we’re going to ask that everyone remain patient while we get these orders processed and out into the shipping channel as quickly as possible. Please do not contact us asking about when you will receive your shipment since it takes us away from the order fulfillment process.
Dragon’s 1:72 German Sd. Kfz. 182 PzKpfw VI King Tiger Ausf. B Heavy Tank – “313”, schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Ardennes, 1944
As we hinted at earlier this month, there seems to be no shortage of new arrivals looking to pry open the 2018 door in an effort to still make it under the tree this holiday season. This weekend, Dragon announced that both of their long delayed 1:72 scale King Tigers are finally in the US and are now making their way to us as we speak (DRR60399 and DRR60400). With the holidays looming and shipping issues likely to kick in, look for both vehicles to become available the first week of January.
Corgi’s 1:72 German Dornier Do17Z-10 Kauz Light Bomber – Erich Jung, R4+AK, I/Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, Gilze-Rijen Airfield, Holland, October 1940
Corgi also announced that a flock of latecomers made port and are winging their way to us tout de suite. The haul includes:
AA38109 – RNAS Sopwith Camel Fighter – Flight Lieutenant Lloyd S Breadner, No.3 Squadron, Bray Dunes Aerodrome, France, 1918
AA38906 – German Fokker D VII Fighter – 4649/18 “Seven Swabians” Wilhelm Scheutzel, Jasta 65, September 1918 (1:48 Scale)
AA32820 – RAF De Havilland Mosquito Mk. VI Night Fighter – Flt. Lt. D A G “George” Parry, No. 105 Squadron [100 Years of the RAF] (1:72 Scale)
AA38808 – German Dornier Do17Z-10 Kauz Light Bomber – Erich Jung, R4+AK, I/Nachtjagdgeschwader 2, Gilze-Rijen Airfield, Holland, October 1940 (1:72 Scale)
AA36111 – RAF Consolidated Catalina Mk.IVA Flying Boat – JV928 ‘Y’ Flight Officer Alexander Cruickshank, VC 210 Squadron, July 1944 [100 Years of the RAF] (1:72 Scale)
The December Hobby Master shipment is reportedly on the high seas and could likely hit the streets in early January. While not exactly containing any stocking stuffers, the December shipment nevertheless includes a number of notable releases so don’t spend all of your gift card money just yet if you’re looking to nab some of these favorites.
So, we’re back from our week long trip to Dallas to see our children as well as their children (I guess that makes them our grandchildren barring any DNA tests). For the second year running, we got to take two of our grand daughters trick-or-treating through Highland Park and enjoy some well-deserved rest after an up-and-down year that saw the passing of my father-in-law and partner. Now, its back to work and quickly get ready for the all-important fourth quarter rush before contemplating any other down time.
AF-X 1:72 scale US North American X-15A Hypersonic Rocket-Powered Aircraft
Needless to say, we were deluged with orders and messages during our trip, along with lots of new product information that needs to get posted as quickly as humanly possible. Perhaps the most significant update is the launch of a new line of military aircraft from a company called AF-X. Designed along similar lines to both Luft-X and Wings of the Great War, AF-X is looking to fill a gap in the aviation sector by offering loads of experimental aircraft that might not see the light of day by other manufacturers. Constructed of resin and designed to sit atop a multi-poseable base, their first effort looks at the North American X-15A hypersonic rocket-powered aircraft, an iconic experimental plane which took wing in the 1960s and set all sorts of speed and altitude records ahead of the blossoming of the US-led space program.
Interestingly, the X-15A is expected to arrive in November, which shaves quite a bit of time off of the typical pre-order window. On the plus side, the X-15A will run you only $32.99, making it an affordable yet important entry-level aircraft that can also double as a wonderful gift for the holidays.
Eaglemoss Star Trek Federation Kerala Class Starship – USS Kerala NCC-1255 [With Collector Magazine]
We’ve got quite a bit of other information to post, just as soon as we knock out all of the in-house orders and take receipt of a rather large Hobby Master shipment currently en route to us. Most importantly, we expect a large array of Eaglemoss made Star-Trek products prior to Thanksgiving, which is certainly welcome news given that we haven’t received anything new from them in several months. We’ll leave the details regarding the delay for another time, although I do want to point out that several items have witnessed a price increase, particularly in the Star Trek Discovery range. We’re still not sure how the resumption of Eaglemoss shipments will shake out and whether there could be a temporary hole in the receipt schedule meaning we could receive them in non-sequential order. We recommend everyone keep a careful eye on our release schedule to better gauge when they can expect to see each new item arrive and take steps accordingly.
That’s it for now. We will post further updates once all of the new products have been added to our site.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy McDonnell F-4J Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – VF-102 “Diamondbacks”, USS Independence (CV-64), 1976 (1:72 Scale)
Late yesterday, we learned that Hobby Master planned to offer a 1:72 scale replica of a F-14 that was flown by VF-102 “Diamondbacks” (HA19006). Rather curiously, we discovered today that flight simulation maker DCS is coming out with a brand new flight sim that, you guessed it, is based upon an F-14B Tomcat operated by the very same squadron. What follows is a 10-minute long teaser aimed at showing off some of the hi-fidelity components of the game, along with some of its bullet points covering the game’s features, dynamics and fit within the DCS game world. Enjoy!
Several years ago, we were asked by one manufacturer if the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings held any significance to the collecting community as a potential marketing opportunity. Frankly, I didn’t think it mattered all that much since one could claim that it was just as important as all of the previous five-year marks that occurred prior, save, perhaps, the 25th or 50th anniversary celebrations in 1969 and 1994. However, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Western Europe by the Allies, certainly an epic event for those that took part in the campaign since many of these individuals are now entering their nineties and likely won’t be around that much longer to witness the next major milestone. It is also significant for historians, military enthusiasts and collectors alike, as the war to rid Europe of Nazi tyranny slowly starts to fade from memory and gets replaced by more contemporary conflicts.
Likewise, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of both the Market-Garden and Battle of the Bulge campaigns, two pivotal battles that were designed to wreak havoc on the enemy and possibly shorten the war entirely, depending upon your standpoint.
Having said that, we have asked a number of important manufacturers within the diecast ranks to examine their plans for the coming year and, where appropriate, denote the anniversaries on their packaging or even come out with exclusive limited edition collections that reflect the importance of the events. We hope that by promoting the importance of these campaigns, collectors will have a better sense of how they fit within the timeline of events of WWII and their critical importance on the path to victory.
