Looks as if the wheels of progress are finally grinding inexorably forward. Our distributors are reporting progress as far as new items go, with several heavily requested items expected in the coming weeks. Here’s a rundown of product that likely see the light of day throughout the month of March:
Corgi’s second ever Churchill tank is now in stock along with “Detroit Miss”, their latest 1:72 scale P-51D Mustang fighter. Our salesman indicated that a handful of holdovers from their 2021 releases are expected later this month, even as some 2022 products start hitting their street dates. Moreover, they are making a concerted effort to announce the availability of each new item on a global basis, so that they don’t get into the habit of having one item listed as being available in Europe while collectors in other parts of the world wonder when the same item will turn up in their local market. Being a public company, I’m not sure how successful this strategy will turn out, if they are looking to make their sales forecasts each and every quarter to mollify their investors. And, with the global supply chain still in a state of flux, this may become wishful thinking until events warrant a return to normalcy later in 2022.
It would appear as if Wings of the Great War is back up-and-running after taking a multi-year hiatus. Two tanks that had been on back order, a French Saint Chamond and a captured Mark IV male heavy tank, have returned to stock after being out-of-stock for the better part of three years. In the air, two new aircraft, a German Pfalz D.IIIa fighter and a British Nieuport 17 fighter, have finally seen the light of day after being first announced way back in 2018. We’re hoping that their arrival points to even better things on the horizon, including a number of projects that were hinted at quite some time ago.
Our Forces of Valor military vehicle shipment should arrive early next week depending upon how UPS has us scheduled. This includes their first 1:32 Tiger I heavy tank, their second Sturmtiger, their first M4 Sherman medium tank, metal tracks for the Tiger/Sturmtiger, and three 1:72 scale WWII era prop-driven fighters. We’ve already received their pair of 1:48 scale AH-1W Cobra attack helicopters, which are quite literally flying out the door.
In a previous post, we indicated that Panzerkampf’s long awaited M1070 heavy equipment transporter is en route and slated to show up at our distributor mid month. Also returning are a trip of MH-53 Super Stallion helicopters, big and beefy replicas that far outsold our original allotment in 2021. Because of this, we padded our order with several more pieces than we usually do based upon our formulaic method of ordering, so we should have ample stock available throughout the middle part of the year. We’ll review our stock status at a later date to determine if we have to backstop this order with further aerial reinforcements. We’re currently awaiting news concerning several previously announced ground, sea and air models, which may or may not get shared with us over the next few weeks. As a result of the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict, I think there’s a good chance you may see some replicas based upon unfolding events both on the ground and in the air.
The latest Hobby Master shipment is expected shortly, although we are uncertain if follow-on shipments are still being adversely affected by the logjam at the ports. Its difficult to tell when product will roll out on a more timely basis, so, as always, we strongly ask that you order a cup of patience with each diecast entree. That’s about it for now and we will update this post should any further news trickle down over the next few days. In a related matter, there’s a strong chance Hobby Master will announce a number of aircraft replicas based upon the Ukrainian conflict. A number of weapons platforms are used by both sides, such as the Su-25 Frogfoot and MiG-29 Fulcrum, so don’t be surprised to see a split run created for each type of platform. Some will no doubt be made in greater numbers, such as the supposed “Ghost of Kyiv” MiG-29 that purportedly downed six Russian aircraft in the opening days of the war. To me, its a bit morbid and potentially dangerous to announce replicas based upon an ongoing military invasion, but this wouldn’t be the first time in my 40+ year career that I’ve seen this occur.
Precision Model Art (PMA) has resurfaced after closing down their web site, creating a replacement site, and finally building a brand new web site that now hawks Mecha vehicles. According to Wikipedia:
The term mecha (Japanese: メカ, Hepburn: meka) may refer to both scientific ideas and science-fiction genres that center on giant robots or machines (mechs) controlled by people. Mechas are typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese: ‘mecha’, after shortening the English loanword ‘mechanism’ (メカニズム, mekanizumu) or ‘mechanical’ (メカニカル, mekanikaru), but the meaning in Japanese is more inclusive, and ‘robot’ (ロボット, robotto) or ‘giant robot’ is the narrower term.
These machines vary greatly in size and shape, but are distinguished from vehicles by their humanoid or biomorphic appearance and size—bigger than a human. Different subgenres exist, with varying connotations of realism. The concept of Super Robot and Real Robot are two such examples found in Japanese anime and manga. The term may also refer to real world piloted humanoid or non-humanoid robotic platforms, either currently in existence or still on the drawing board (i.e. at the planning or design stage). Alternatively, in the original Japanese context of the word, “mecha” may refer to mobile machinery/vehicles (including aircraft) in general, manned or otherwise.
Its not clear if PMA has lost interest in producing historical replicas or if this is a new ancillary line designed to sit side-by-side with their existing ranges of WWII and modern-era ground and aerial vehicles. It could also be a case where they are attempting to cater to their home audience who are big fans of this type of product while still offering their tried-and-true historical lines for the rest of their global audience. Time will tell.