When Does a Model Become More than a Model?

If the world works in mysterious ways, why would you expect anything less from its smaller inanimate cousin? Case in point, Modelcollect, and their soon-to-be-released take on the German Landkreuzer, an outlandishly proposed project that took form towards the latter stages of World War II and was intended to be the “be-all and end-all” of armored fighting vehicles. Going well beyond the idea of a so-called “land battleship”, the Landkreuzer was, nevertheless, a foolish idea that never got beyond the sketch book stage. It called for two and perhaps three main guns that rivaled anything on a warship, as well as a series of secondary armament designed to protect the vehicle from both aerial and ground attack. The reality was that the vehicle would never be able traverse the battlefield, could not transit bridges, roads or railways, and would need a battery of high-powered engines to get it to run fed by fuel reserves the Wehrmacht no longer possessed. Likewise, the Landkreuzer would have required an inordinate number of men to operate, all of which could have been better suited in other roles.

Despite its massive size and misguided aim, model company Modelcollect has been feverishly working on a 1:72 scale replica of what the Landkrezuer might have looked like had it been completed. In the accompanying image, they even posed their finished project alongside two other fairly large 1:72 scale vehicles, just to give everyone an idea as to its size, perspective and finished appearance. As you can see, the Landkreuzer is absolutely huge, requiring a vast amount of shelf space to properly display. Its still not clear if the Company will offer a pre-assembled or even partially assembled version of this build to the diecast collector market or consign it to the model kit sector. If they do, it will be costly, not just in terms of price but in terms of shipping, likely weighing in along the lines of a 1:16 scale Extreme Metal tank previously made available by Unimax. Keep all of this in mind should you decide to chase this replica down later this year.

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Thunderbolts and Lightning, Very, Very Frightening

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USAAF Republic P-47D Thunderbolt Fighter – “Penrod and Sam”, Capt. Robert Johnson, 62nd Fighter Squadron “Spike War Dawgs”, 56th Fighter Group, Boxted, England, April 1944

Today’s post is a bit eclectic if still accurate, borrowing a phrase from a Queen song that aptly describes two of our most recent arrivals. The first is this 1:48 scale Republic P-47 Thunderbolt dubbed “Penrod and Sam”, which was piloted by WWII ace Captain Robert Johnson, then attached to the 62nd Fighter Squadron “Spike War Dawgs”, 56th Fighter Group (HA8455). “Penrod and Sam” was, in fact, the fourth aircraft flown by Johnson in the ETO, who would go on to become a 21-victory ace and earn a reputation as a fearsome fighter.

Corgi’s 1:48 scale RAF English Electric F.6 Lightning Fighter – XR728/JS, 5 Squadron, RAF Binbrook, England, 1987

The second model, which some are already nominating as best aircraft model of 2018, is this 1:48 scale replica of an English Electric Lightning jet fighter (AA28401). Exceptionally detailed, this heavy-in-the-hand model has become Corgi’s toast-of-the-town in recent weeks, demonstrating that this longstanding model maker still has the skills necessary to bring an award winning product to market.

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Star Trek’s Reference Library Just Opened a New Annex

If you live, eat, and breathe Star Trek, then this story should come as welcome news. According to sources, Hero Collector, a division of Eaglemoss that helps to promote their latest products across all brands, will publish two new reference books towards the end of 2018, heretofore dubbed Star Trek: Shipyards. Designed along the same lines as the Jane’s Fighting Ships series of pictorial reference guides, the books are being co-authored by brand manager Ben Robinson and Marcus Riley, and will encompass all of the Federation ships portrayed in the Star Trek universe and Star Trek Discovery spin-off series. Word has it that each will contain a special collectible, although its not clear if this will be a memento, such as a pin, or perhaps one of the ships portrayed in Star Trek. No word concerning the length of each book, the depth and breadth of each ship discussed, nor price, although the first of the two reference books is expected this September. In the meantime, here’s some cover art to whet your appetite until we have something more substantial to feed you.

In other news, we’ve learned that Eaglemoss, in conjunction with Hero Collector, will be producing a fourth installment in their reference material series. The latest perfect-bound, hard cover book will cover over 30 different starships, all christened Enterprise, thereby providing a behind-the-scenes look into their creation, schematics and storied existence. Look for it to appear on book shelves later this year.

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Air Commander Signals Its Ready to Tackle the Jolly Rogers

Now working on its ninth iteration of the venerable McDonnell F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber, Air Commander announced it would take on the Jolly Rogers as its next subject. Pegged for a May release, the vaunted VF-84 will finally get a Phantom to call their own, this one commemorating a warbird that served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CV-62), then deployed off Vietnam during 1965 (AC1009). Its no secret that Air Commander offers the most detailed look at the Phantom, so this particular replica will likely go fast once it screams off the deck.

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Eaglemoss’ Battlestar Galactica Series Gets Its First Shot in the Arm

Eaglemoss’ Battlestar Galactica Space Battleship – 2004 Series

While we are still awaiting the release of their first Battlestar Galactica ship, Eaglemoss, through its Hero Collector subsidiary, announced the next pairing of ships drawn from the Galactica universe. The first is a replica of the Battlestar Galactica space battleship, as it was portrayed in the 2004 televised series (EMBGS03).

Eaglemoss’ Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper Mark I Fighter – 1978 Series

The second is a Colonial Mark I Viper fighter, as it was originally envisaged way back in 1978 (EMBGS04) in the original televised series. The manufacturer has gone on record to say that they will be shipping a new ship every couple of months, so don’t expect to take these beauties home for several more months.

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Welly Returns with the Willys

Welly’s 1:18 scale US Willys Jeep with its top up

I’m a big Jeep fan. There, I said it. In fact, I think I’m on my fifth Jeep Cherokee, having gotten one in every conceivable package and color except for olive drab. So, when I heard that Welly’s 1:18 scale World War II era Jeep was sold out late last year, I grew a little despondent. A Jeep support group was a phone call away when we learned yesterday that Welly brought back their venerable off-roader for an encore appearance, this time sporting a faux canvas top.

I think I need to top off the Freon, not!

Boasting an opening hood, detailed engine compartment and other goodies, their new Jeep is back in stock and carrying the same sticker price, thereby making it a perfect gift for any occasion.

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The Motor Pool’s Spring has Sprung 15% Off Sale!

Well, almost. But since spring is just a few weeks away, we figured you wouldn’t mind saving some hard earned coin a wee bit early thanks to The Motor Pool’s Spring has Sprung 15% Off sale! From now until Sunday, March 18th, you can take 15% off of any item we have in stock simply by entering our latest coupon code at the bottom of your shopping cart just prior to final checkout. Please enter discount code “TMP177” in the coupon box just prior to final checkout. Note: The following lines are excluded from this promotional offer: Air Force 1, Calibre Wings, Hobby Master, Luft-X and Wings of the Great War. Sale ends midnight, Sunday, March 18th, 2018. May not be combined with any other sales discount.

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Hobby Master Doubles Down for February

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – VF-114 “Aardvarks,” USS Abraham Lincoln (CVW-11), 2003

Ordinarily, Hobby Master is pretty good about getting their products to market on a timely basis, religiously hitting their street dates month after month with nary a problem save customs issues. Turns out this month we’ll be lavishly resupplied, since the March shipment arrived early and their February shipment arrived a wee bit late. Typically this isn’t a problem for us, although it may takes us an extra day or so to go through everything and marry up the new arrivals with any orders already in our system.

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US M60A1 Patton Medium Tank with Reliability Improved Selected Equipment (RISE) IR/White Light Spotlight – 3rd Armored Division, Gelnhausen, Germany, 1960s

On the downside, we’ve learned that their eagerly anticipated inaugural 1:72 scale M60A1 Patton tank (HG5601) is already sold out at both the factory and distribution level, which means we can no longer accept any orders for it. It appears as if a great many people were looking to add this particular vehicle to their collection and bodes well for their military vehicle lineup, which has struggled somewhat over the last couple of years and is now being produced in Pakistan rather than mainland China. We have no doubt that a Vietnam era version of the M60 tank will be offered again, likely clad in different markings, but in the mean time expect their first effort to command higher than normal prices in the after market, if you’re lucky enough to find it. On a separate note, the Austrian version of the Patton tank (HG5603) is also expected in the shipment, and the Israeli version, painted in a handsome desert motif, has been pushed back until May. We’re also willing to bet that other variants will be announced soon, including the venerable M60A3 and the M60A2 Starship. Now, if we can only get them to produce these vehicles in larger scales, then we’ve truly hit a home run.

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Modelcollect Pounds its Fist on the Table Again

While Modelcollect is hard at work developing all sorts of diecast military vehicles, they have also been diligently creating their own off-beat franchise known as Fist of War. Thus far, few details have emerged concerning the back story and its impact on the post WWII-themed world, although a a handful of vehicles have been shown to the public, which melds parts from their WWII range with spider-like leggings.

Earlier this week, the Company posted an interesting cache of blueprints which takes the series in a new direction, one which seems to tear a page out of the Mechwarrior universe as well as the “paper panzer” saga. Its not clear if all of the items published will be offered as pre-assembled replicas due to their size, complexity and likely higher cost vis a vis their traditional military range. Still, its nice to know that they are demonstrating their prowess as model builders and stoking the fires of ingenuity.   

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Films in Focus: Wunderland

Translated simply as Wonderland, Wunderland harkens back to the cold, wintry days of Christmas 1944, when the Germans launched a last gasp winter offensive aimed at splitting the Allied armies in two and striking towards the English Channel. As the Germans make one final push in the West, US Army Lt. Robert Cappa and his platoon of 2nd Infantry Division soldiers have been ordered to hold a vital road junction against the German onslaught. Cappa and his men must find their faith and strength to stand against their enemy in the epic fight know as “The Battle of The Bulge.” Starring Tom Berrenger, we aren’t sure if this will make a full theatrical release later this year or is destined to go straight to video based upon our first impressions. Have a looksie and decide for yourself.

Note: We have since learned that this filmed has been renamed Battle of the Bulge: The Last Great Battle of WWII for the North American market (not to be confused with the original film starring Robert Shaw and Henry Fonda) and is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Bulge-DVD-Tom-Berenger/dp/B074ZPL2TB

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