Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer – “332”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]
Spring seems to agree with Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, with two 1:32 scale vehicles now completed and under their belt and another pair scheduled to go into production the first week of May. According to the manufacturer, both the German Jagdpanther tank destroyer (#FOV801007A) and Russian T-34/85 medium tank (#FOV801013A) have been given the green light, and will likely make it to market towards the end of June or early July. This comes as good news to collectors, who will likely see the fruits of Walterson’s labors at the upcoming hobby show in Shizuoka, Japan, held on May 8th. Its entirely possibly other items, such as the Liaoning aircraft carrier (#FOV861010A), have moved past the prototyping stage with finished packaging and detailing now being shown for the first time.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale Soviet T-34/85 Medium Tank – 55th Guards Tank Brigade, 7th Guards Tank Corps, Berlin, 1945 [Bonus Model V-2 Diesel-Fueled 12-Cylinder Engine]
While the Company is still lagging behind their original production schedule unveiled two years ago, its comforting to see that they are finally picking up speed and talking optimistically about the all-important fourth quarter. In other news, it would appear as if their radio controlled 1:16 scale T-72 main battle tank is moving along nicely, if you don’t mind the feeble pun, so we may re-open the pre-order window shortly once we feel more confident it has entered the production phase. Three different versions are reportedly in the works, each aimed at catering to three segments of the marketplace: the casual hobbyist, hard core user, and the extreme enthusiast.