Normally, around this time of year, Corgi takes the wraps off of their latest lineup of Aviation Archive aircraft. Thus far, they’ve been mum, perhaps because they would like to include the latest “heavy” in their full-color catalog. Earlier today, the manufacturer released a work-in-progress shot of their upcoming 1:72 scale Short Sunderland Flying Boat, bereft of its final coat of paint, insignia and other accessories. Still, its does give collectors some idea as to the size of this beast, which comes hot-on-the-heels of the release of their first ever 1:72 scale Avro Vulcan bomber. Our guess? Expect the catalog some time in November and the Flying Boat towards the latter half of 2015.
Shout Outs
Dragon: The M1 Makes a Return Engagement
Some times we’re left scratching our heads when long sold out inventory mysteriously reappears. In the case of Dragon, the manufacturer has indicated that they are receiving a restock of their highly sought after 1:144 scale M1 Abrams tank assortment later this month, perhaps the first indication that their Can.Do lineup could be reinvigorated. Even if it doesn’t signal the range’s return, the fact that the Abrams tanks will once again become available is certainly good news for collectors, making excellent stocking stuffers this holiday season.
In other news, Dragon has confirmed that their 1:72 scale Ka-Mi amphibious vehicle with pontoons (#DRR60607) is now en route to us and expected later next week. A similarly constructed light green variant will likely show some time in November.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines
You can now find our 2014 holiday shipping deadlines on our Calendar of Events page. If you plan on ordering during the hectic holiday time frame, we would appreciate it if you could consult the December Calendar of Events page to determine if we can get an in-stock item(s) to you in time for Christmas.
Eaglemoss Informs and Delights
We were pleasantly surprised to see how the packaging turned out for Eaglemoss’ new Warships of the World Series. Nestled in a bookcase style outer box, each ship also comes complete with a multi-page, full color magazine which discusses the warship in question. While it is written in Japanese, the magazine has loads of pictures and charts that come as a free value-added feature with each purchase. We hear that the entire line may span some 100 ships or more, making this one of the most prolific looks at warships of the twentieth century.
Panzerstahl: Tanks for the Memories
Maybe I’m dating myself, but the very first fully assembled replica caisson I remember purchasing some fifty or so years ago was a Roco Tank depicting the British Conqueror heavy tank. It was plastic, needed to be painted and could easily be trampled by the family pet, but still there was something about it that captured my heart and imagination. Needless to say, the keepsake has since gone the way of my baseball cards, Matchbox cars and comic books, but it nevertheless made an indelible mark on my childhood memories that I won’t soon forget.
It is therefore with some trepidation and a fair bit of anxiety that I await the arrival of Panzerstahl’s rendition of a 1:72 scale Conqueror. Constructed out of sturdy resin and bearing all of the hallmark details that have come to be associated with their highly successful World of Tanks line, the Conqueror, along with the Russian Object 704 heavy tank destroyer and restock of the US T-28 super heavy tank form an especially strong lineup for our October releases, and will no doubt be sought after this holiday season by collectors worldwide.
Hobby Master: Ever Vigilant(e)?
According to one popular diecast collector forum, Hobby Master intends to produce 1:72 scale replicas of the North American A-5 Vigilante Nuclear Strike Bomber. Deployed aboard several aircraft carriers during the 1960s, the Vigilante saw extensive service during the Vietnam War in the tactical strike reconnaissance role. If the rumor can be substantiated, it appears as if the Vigilante is scheduled to release in early 2015, with other new carrier-based aviation assets not too far behind.
Eaglemoss Continues to Boldly Go
We’ve got wonderful news for all of you Trekkies out there. Beginning with the next wave of Eaglemoss Star Trek releases scheduled for October, each will come will their accompanying magazine, which discusses in detail the ship being profiled. Each multi-page issue contains loads of diagrams, photographs, annotations and information about the ship in question, so collectors can further appreciate each purchase. Best of all, the magazine comes free-of-charge with the purchase of each replica, our way of saying thank you for your patronage. Enjoy!
War Master Revisits Some Fan Favorites
If you missed out on some of War Master’s high-flying warbirds, then you can probably take comfort in knowing that the Company plans to bring back some of them as part of their 2015 lineup. Expected in the first quarter of the New Year, the proposed reintroductions include the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, Heinkel He 162 People’s Fighter, Mitsubishi A6M2 Rufe floatplane, and Kawasaki Ki 61 Tony fighter. The price for these hot sellers remains at $24.99, making them ideal candidates to start off any diecast aviation collection.
Enterprise Meets Einstein
Forces of Valor has acknowledged that their second take on the USS Enterprise is about to make port in mid-September (#UNI86017). This particular version comes with a set of sailors that spell out “E=MC2 x 40”, which, in Einsteinian terms, signifies the 40th anniversary of the ship’s sailing under nuclear power.
Collectors can stow the sailors in a safe place if they prefer not to display the phrase on the deck of their prized carrier.
Space, The Final Frontier
We’ve had great success with the Eaglemoss range of military vehicles and warships so when word reached us that a new line of collectibles was now available we jumped at the opportunity. Later this month, we will be receiving the first squadron of Star Trek-related merchandise, which replicates many of the most iconic ships seen in the TV series and feature films. While there is no set scale for these items, we believe that their intricate detail, affordable price and collectible nature will more than make up for any size deficiencies. We should have the entire range listed on our web site by August 6th and can be found within our Military Science Fiction section. Live long and prosper!













