Some dad’s hope for an iPad, haberdashery, or a quiet day alone napping in a shade-covered hammock. For me, I have my own set of simple dreams for Father’s Day – perhaps a copy of Tom Clancy’s latest tome, but more importantly, loads of new diecast replicas that are oddly missing from the market.
To begin, there are a number of new navy ships from around the world that are now setting sail or coming to the fore, including the HMS Queen Elizabeth, USS Gerald R. Ford, the USS Independence (LCS-2), which is a bold trimaran littoral combat ship, USS Zumwalt – a stealthy guided missile destroyer, an all-new nuclear-powered People’s Liberation Army Navy cruiser, and a littany of other warships.
In the air, there seems to be a dearth of 1:72 scale twin engine aircraft, including the Messerschmitt Me 410, the Pe-2 bomber, and all sorts of Japanese and Italian aircraft from WWII. As far as modern aircraft goes, there’s the new Lockheed SR-72 reconnaissance plane that comes to mind, as well as the USAF new long-range strategic bomber.
And then there are the ground systems, or lack thereof, now that several players have exited the market. Minichamps left the 1:35 scale military market several years ago, yet we still receive oodles of requests for new vehicles. Likewise, Forces of Valor’s departure in the 1:32 scale regime doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t a market for these vehicles – rather a marketing strategy that some where along the way went afoul. The Russians debuted their Armata tank, the Poles have an interesting new vehicle aimed at the export market and there are other vehicles soon-to-be deployed that would make for excellent replica subjects. C’mon guys, now’s a great time to test the waters and try something new before some one else beats you to the punch. Producing the same old same old, might work in the short run, but it gives your competition ample wiggle room to enter the fray with something new and fresh.
Happy Father’s Day!