Late last week we heard from the new distributor of the Hobby Master line who indicated that they have received the long-delayed June shipment of Hobby Master products. They expect to begin sending out product to their distributor network early this week. Fortuitously, several previously sold out models were also included in the cache, such as HA9304, a USAF McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo Reconnaissance Aircraft that was piloted by Captain Robert M. Sweet, who was attached to the 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, and conducting “Operation Sun Run”, on November 27th, 1957, as well as HA2214, a US Navy Curtiss SB2C Helldiver ASW Aircraft that was attached to VB-83, then embarked upon the USS Essex (CV-9) during April 1945. We’ve updated our web site accordingly and welcome the news that certain sold out items will again become available. They also indicated that the July shipment of Hobby Master products, which was originally scheduled to arrive along with the June shipment, is now pegged for a September arrival. In turn, the August shipment will most probably land in October until both the manufacturer and distributor have caught up with all of the previously announced releases.
Besides several back ordered items, the June shipment has some notable aircraft included, among them Colonel Robin Olds’ F-101C Voodoo when he was deployed to Europe as part of the USAF’s 92nd Tactical Fighter Squadron “Skulls”, 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, then deployed to RAF Bentwaters, England, during 1964. Olds was certainly a colorful airman, earning ace status in both World War II and again in the Vietnam War, and was instrumental in retraining our air force squadrons deployed to Vietnam to better deal with the North Vietnamese Air Force.