USS Saratoga, one of the first US Navy ships to grapple with the Imperial Japanese Fleet
Ordinarily, Memorial Day Weekend signifies the start of Fleet Week here in New York City, but it looks as if the warships have entered port a bit early this year. This week, we received no less than eight new 1:1250 scale capital ships from DeAgostini’s Warships of the Second World War collection. Priced at just $21.99 apiece, these warships have been flying off of our warehouse shelves since they started arriving a few years ago and represent fitting tributes to the men and machines that prowled the high seas during World War II. The new ships include:
Royal Navy Vanguard Class Battleship – HMS Vanguard (23)
Imperial Japanese Navy Kongo Class Battleship – Kirishima
Royal Navy King George V Class Battleship – HMS King George V (41)
Royal Navy King George V Class Battleship – HMS Anson (79)
Royal Navy Renown Class Battlecruiser – HMS Renown (72)
US Navy Pennsylvania Class Battleship – USS Pennsylvania (BB-38)
Royal Navy Nelson Class Battleship – HMS Nelson (28)
US Navy Lexington Class Aircraft Carrier – USS Saratoga (CV-3)
As promised, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has put the final touches on their revamped warships series and indicated the first shipment should be setting sail for their distributors this month.
This means we expect them to arrive around the middle of May, which coincides with our full-page advertisement in WWII History’s Band of Brothers special edition magazine. They are currently working on the first group of 1:32 scale vehicles, which, barring any unforeseen delays or problems, should make it to market in June.
As a long time seller of preassembled diecast military memorabilia, we oftentimes watch with fascination some of the trends that grab the attention of collectors and would-be collectors. Over the last couple of years, one such curious change occurred with the proliferation of what we call “Historical Bricks”, which enables the end user to create vehicles, figures and dioramics rooted in history. I guess the trend took off with all of the Lego Star Wars sets, which command ever higher prices in the after market sales venues.
Lately, more and more manufacturers are getting into the creation of WWII-themed historical brick sets, which includes Lego’s Brickmania sets, Cobi and Oxford Blocks. In fact, some resourceful collectors have gone to great lengths cobbling together animated vignettes on YouTube and elsewhere using sets produced by said manufacturers. And, online reviews, such as the one shown above, go a long way towards explaining the features of each kit and why builders might want to consider them as potential add-ons.
So what’s your thoughts on the matter? Should we start selling these types of sets on our web site or should we remain focused on what we do best?
Eaglemoss’ inaugural large scale take on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701
Apparently, late March is shaping up to be a big month for all things Star Trek. Not only were a number of new Star Trek-related merchandise announced by Eaglemoss last week, the Company also primed the pump and is now delivering on several products that were announced several months ago.
Perhaps the most noteworthy newcomer is their inaugural large scale starship, which is based upon the iconic USS Enterprise NCC-1701. Measuring some eleven inches in length (as compared with a 5-inch standard-sized Enterprise) and packaged with the customary collector magazine, we predict this one to sell out quickly, no doubt forming the cornerstone to an entirely new segment of the Eaglemoss universe. Also arriving is their first Designing Starships reference guide, a 160-page full-color, hardbound book detailing the creation of many of the earliest standard-sized starships. Of course, no discussion would be complete without a survey of the newest standard-sized ships to join the Eaglemoss navy. They are, in chronological order:
EMST0086 – Star Trek Gorn Starship [With Collector Magazine]
EMST0087 – Star Trek Federation Aeon Timeship [With Collector Magazine]
This picture released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Sunday, March 12, 2017, shows domestically manufactured tank called “Karrar” in an undisclosed location in Iran. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency is reporting that the country has unveiled a domestically manufactured tank and has launched a mass-production line. (Iranian Defense Ministry via AP). The Karrar bears a striking resemblance to Russia’s T-14 Armata, so it would not come as a surprise if the Russians helped them to design the vehicle
In a move aimed at preventing reliance on foreign made weapons systems, the Iranian military unveiled its first domestically produced tank. Associated Press reports that it has been dubbed the Karrar (“Striker”), which is strange, in and if itself, since Wikipedia claims that the Karrar is a UCAV, not a tank. No matter, Iran’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan says that “the tank has the capability to fire missiles and precisely guide them.”
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency indicates that the “Karrar” is equipped with an electro-optical fire control system and laser range-finder and is capable of firing at both stable and mobile targets day or night. Dehghan also says the tank can compete with the most advanced tanks in the world in the three main areas of “power, precision and mobility,” although its unclear if these claims can be corroborated by Western analysts. Still, the fact that Iran can produced its own main battle tank, much as it does for other equipment including missiles, fighter jets and submarines, comes as a stark reminder that they wish to control their own destiny should they become embroiled in another conflict.
It’s been awhile since we last conducted an interview, much less one with a company responsible for producing some of the collectibles we enjoy. Back in December, we were fortunate enough to sit down with Noel Lee, the owner and Director of Operations of Calibre Wings, a relative newcomer in the diecast aviation market. At that time, their most anticipated product being hyped was a pair of 1:72 scale Grumman F-14 Tomcats, originally due out for the holidays, but delayed due to a series of production issues. Now, with many of the teething problems rectified and product ready to be shipped out to their global distribution network, we share their thoughts on the hobby and unique struggle to get product to market. You can find the interview here: http://www.themotorpool.net/Manufacturer-Interviews-s/2496.htm
USS Enterprise (CVN-65), complete with its own embarked air wing and display plinth
Every so often, we speak with the manufacturer directly to get a sense of what collectors can expect in the coming months. We’ve been particularly keen on finding out how Walterson’s, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, plans to pick up where its former owner, Unimax, left off. We’ve already seen some evidence of where they are headed with the receipt of their four 1:24 scale radio controlled tanks, which will be augmented by several dozen new vehicles as we move further down the road.
IJN super battleship Yamato, flag ship of the post-Midway Japanese navy
In the case of their 1:32 static military vehicles and 1:700 scale warships, what some consider to be the cornerstone of their business, we’re starting to get a sense of how Walterson’s plans to proceed in 2017, and likely how they will handle themselves and each individual sub brand for the foreseeable future. Several legacy warships are expected this April, among them the USS Arizona, USS Missouri, USS Enterprise, and IJN Yamato, with several new molds not too far behind. In a previous blog post, we discussed how they have improved both the outer and inner packaging for each warship, thereby making it easier for the collector to remove and display their models, and take pride in their purchase. Yesterday, we received several images for each of the upcoming warships, demonstrating the newly-designed display plinth, name plate and repainted workmanship.
Iowa Class battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), currently berthed behind the USS Arizona Memorial, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
In regard to their 1:32 scale static vehicle line, many of the vehicles will not only feature better weathering, painting and, where needed, corrected improvements to bring them up to their correct historical standards, but will also come with more “useful” bonus pieces instead of the standard fare accoutrements that seemed to have no correlation and or redundancy with the vehicle in question. For instance, with their first Tiger I tank, the vehicle will come with a stand-alone Maybach engine, while the Sherman Firefly will be bundled with a Chrysler V-12 engine. Other vehicles might come with similarly conceived extras instead of “wine bottles, cats and road signs”, perhaps including transparent cutaways, vehicle crews or other more critical extras that should enhance the overall product and demonstrate they are listening to the consumer.
USN Pennsylvania Class USS Arizona (BB-39), decked out in its pre-war paint scheme and glory
Perhaps, most importantly, Walterson’s has moved into their own manufacturing facility, which reduces the overall cost for each product rather than having to subcontract each product to a third party manufacturer, which would build, assemble and paint their products with little in the way of quality assurance. Moreover, Walterson’s has a dedicated team of graphic designers and engineers devoted to each individual sub brand, thereby ensuring consistency across the entire spectrum of their product portfolio and guaranteeing a more uniform approach towards bringing new product to market. We expect big things from this Company and thus far they haven’t disappointed.
Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAF Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – “Nine-O-Nine”, 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, Bassingbourn, England, 1944
“Why, it’s a flying fortress.” – Richard Williams, reporter for the Seattle Times, upon seeing a B-17 heavy bomber for the first time
The Boeing B-17 is one of those iconic aircraft of the Second World War that instantly conjures up images of the Allied powers fighting back against Nazi aggression. Swarms of B-17s were used to take the war back to the Axis powers, striking their targets deep inside enemy territory under a campaign known as daylight precision bombing. As a result, many collectors can’t seem to get enough of the venerable “Flying Fortress”, despite their huge footprint on a typical desk, shelf or ceiling tie off.
That said, Air Force 1’s second look at the B-17 is due to arrive in late February, and is decked out in an olive drab exterior that seems to be more familiar to aviation buffs than their first reproduction, which was a cacophony of polished silver, yellow and burnished parts that made it look more at home in a salvage yard than as a front line bomber. Indeed part number AF10110A portrays a USAAF Boeing B-17G-30-BO Flying Fortress heavy bomber known as “Nine-O-Nine”, which was attached to the 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, then deployed to Bassingbourn, England, during 1944.
For those unfamiliar with this craft, “Nine-O-Nine” completed 140 combat missions during World War II, believed to be the Eighth Air Force record for most missions, without loss to the crews that flew it.
The original aircraft, a block 30 B-17G manufactured by Boeing, was nicknamed after the last three digits of her serial number: 42-31909. Nine-0-Nine was added to the USAAF inventory on December 15th, 1943, and flown overseas on February 5th, 1944. After depot modifications, she was delivered to the 91st BG at RAF Bassingbourn, England, on February 24th, 1944, as a replacement aircraft, one of the last B-17s received in factory-applied camouflage paint.
A former navigator of the 91st BG, Marion Havelaar, reported in his history of the group that Nine-O-Nine completed either 126 or 132 consecutive missions without aborting for mechanical reasons, also believed to be a record. M/Sgt. Rollin L. Davis, maintenance line chief of the bomber, received the Bronze Star for his role in achieving the record.
Her first bombing raid was on Augsburg, Germany, on February 25th, 1944. She made 18 bombing raids on Berlin. In all she flew 1,129 hours and dropped 562,000 pounds of bombs. She had 21 engine changes, four wing panel changes, 15 main gas tank changes, and 18 changes of Tokyo tanks (long-range fuel tanks).
After the hostilities ceased in Europe, Nine-O-Nine was returned to the United States on June 8th, 1945, and was consigned to the RFC facility at Kingman, Arizona on December 7th, 1945, and eventually scrapped.
“Nine-O-Nine” is now en route to us and expected the last week of February..
The American International Toy Fair is scheduled to throw open its doors this weekend and we will be attending the Show on Sunday. Frankly, the Show is a but pale glimmer compared to previous years, with few pertinent manufacturers exhibiting and little to crow about in terms of new items. Many manufacturers either cannot afford to exhibit or have nothing to display, so it doesn’t make sense for them to spend precious resources away from home where they can just as easily do business on the web or through a phone call. Still, we hold out hope, because new manufacturers occasionally do pop up making the day trip worthwhile. If anything of note does cross our path, we will certainly share the information with everyone concerned.
Waltersons brand-new Forces of Valor 1:24 Scale Tiger I Heavy Tank which now boasts a 2.4GHz FHSS radio system
We are pleased to announce that the first quartet of 1:24 scale radio controlled military vehicles from Forces of Valor are now in stock and ready for immediate shipment. Unlike the previous set of vehicles released by Unimax several years ago, the all-new Waltersons lineup utilizes a 2.4GHz FHSS radio system with a minimum coverage of 60 meters, making them more reliable, feature-rich and capable against other vehicles. Moreover, the new system allows up to 16 players to go at it in battle mode, facing off in either head-to-head fashion or team-based play. We’ve uploaded .pdf files for each of the new vehicles as part of their product details, which discusses the merits of the system as well as some background information for each vehicle portrayed.
Keep in mind, Waltersons has big plans for the new series, largely due to their ties to the radio controlled business. According to a recent sales brochure, several dozen new vehicles are planned for the near future, which run the spectrum from a British A41 Main Battle Tank to a Japanese Chi-Nu Heavy Tank. Other plans are also being developed that should make their approach to the hobby more versatile, appealing and current with today’s advances in computer science. Stay tuned for more details in the months ahead.
