Santa Must Have Made A Second Trip to Our Roof Top

UFOologists take note of Luft-X’s 1:72 scale Haunebu 1 with its landing gear retracted, now available and ready for shipping

Looks as if we are ringing in the new year in grand fashioned with loads of hot new products for January. We’ve already taken delivery of the Solido 1:72 scale military vehicles and aircraft that are produced by War Master and now we’ve cleared the landing pad for the Luft-X Haunebu flying saucers. Our distributors report that they will soon be flush with a number of other important deliveries, including the January shipment of Hobby Master products, a bevy of new Modelcollect and Precision Model Art military vehicles and vengeance weapons, a pair of Corgi WWII era aircraft, and a follow-on cache of Eaglemoss sci-fi replicas that include a wide assortment of new Star Trek products. We could also see the first ship in the Alien and Predator line, and get a glimpse of what’s in store from Forces of Valor and Dragon. 

Note: Ordinarily I refrain from commenting on the look and feel of products in hand, but in the case of the recently received Luft-X Haunebu, pictured above and below, I thought I’d share my initial impressions. At first glance, the manufacturer did a first-rate job with the packaging and presentation of this rather unique item, which, let’s face it, is an oddity for most military collectors that might prevent them from adding it to their collection. Then there’s the overall weight and appearance of the saucer, which clocks in at almost 4 pounds and looks every bit as good as some of the pictures circulating on the web  I know its a bit more expensive than some of the other issues in the Luft-X series, but trust me, its worth every penny, a faithful recreation that could’ve helped to change the air war in the west had it been perfected and built in quantity.

Share This:

Modelcollect Re-purposes the Landkreuzer

Modelcollect’s P.300 mega tank developed for its Fist of War series

Looking to get as much mileage out of their molds as possible, Modecollect plans to port its soon-to-be-released Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte mega tank to its Fist of War series. Dubbed “Grendel”, the Panzkampfwagen Ausf A P.300 mega tank is designed to work in conjunction with some of the other recently announced Fist of War sci-fi vehicles, many of which are already available in kit form and likely to be developed as pre-built models. Still no price has been assigned to either the P.1000 or P.300 mega tanks, so the jury is still out concerning where they will end up on the retail price point spectrum.

A second take on their upcoming P.300 mega tank, this one boasting over-sized Schurzen side skirts.
Share This:

Hobby Master Adds the Frogfoot to its Stable of Modern Aircraft

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-25SM “Frogfoot” Ground Attack Aircraft – “Red 24”, Latakia Air Base, Syria, November 2015

One by one, Hobby Master has been adding all of the important aircraft in the Russian aerial arsenal to their modern aircraft foot locker. Earlier today, the manufacturer officially announced plans to produce a 1:72 scale replica of the Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot (HA6101), the Russian equivalent of the famed A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft. Loaded with all sorts of ordnance, their first look at the Frogfoot will portray a warplane that recently saw action in Libya, which, along with other aircraft, have been assisting the Assad government against ISIS and other rebel factions. Look for the first Frogfoot to swoop in some time in June.

Share This:

Hobby Master Belts Out, “In the Navy”

Hobby Master’s 1:700 scale US Navy Ticonderoga Class Guided Missile Cruiser – USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) (1:700 Scale)

Long a dominant player in both the military aircraft and combat vehicle segments of the market place, Hobby Master made a surprise announcement earlier today by indicating that they would finally dip their toes in the naval arena. Their first foray into naval warfare is a 1:700 scale replica of the US Navy’s USS Ticonderoga (HSP1001), the lead ship in her class of guided missile cruisers. A powerful component of the US Navy’ fleet operations in the latter half of the twentieth century, the Ticonderoga is an excellent choice as their inaugural warship and one that should sell very well at retail throughout its tenure.

Share This:

Modelcollect Hits the Rails Running in 2018

Modelcollect’s Railway Series rides the rails in 2018.

Collecting diecast military vehicles and building model railroads seem to have a synergy all their own – two pursuits that go hand-in-hand, year-after-year, much to the delight of hobbyists world over. So, it makes sense that in 2018 Modelcollect will attempt to combine the two hobbies by offering a line-up of military rail cars dubbed the Railway Series. Thus far, only a couple of flat bed rail cars are being shown on the Modecollect web site, but we’re inclined to believe that a lot more are planned for the balance of the new year. In fact, we’ve asked them to produce, what we believe, would be a number of sought after sets that would include Adolf Hitler’s personal train, Amerika, along with several WWII-era armored trains, offered in multiple configurations, liveries and nationalities. Its a grand request, but given the popularity of their vehicles thus far, we think these sets would do exceptionally well at retail, particularly if they were produced in conjunction with a number of different figure sets.

Share This:

Eaglemoss Subpeonas a Discovery Order

Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Discovery Starship Compilation

If you’ve been wondering just how many starships could be included in the Eaglemoss Discovery range, then the accompanying illustration may give you some solace and very well put your wallet in the hurt locker. Thus far, twelve computer generated renderings were found on the Eaglemoss site, covering everything from the first two ships already announced several months ago to races and vessels we’ve never even heard of. Star Trek Discovery is currently airing on the CBS All Access cable channel and, according to reports, has been renewed for a second season, meaning more ships could be in the offing. The first replica in the line, the USS Shenzhou, is currently pegged for a February release, with the Discovery following shortly thereafter.

Share This:

Atlas Editions Fills the Skies in 2018

Atlas Editions’ German Messerschmitt Me 262 Fighter – 221-Victory Ace Oblt. Heinz Baer, III./EJG 2, 1945 and RAF Hawker Tempest Mk.V Fighter – 12.5-Victory Ace Flt. Lt. D.C. Fairbanks, 274 Squadron, 1944

Late today, we learned of a new range of 1:72 scale WWII era diecast military aircraft offered by Atlas Editions. The line contains a good number of different combat aircraft as well as a separate group of twin-pack planes that make ideal gifts for the holidays. We are still in the process of listing all of the many new products in our Atlas Editions section, which should be up-and-running some time tomorrow just as soon as all of the information is posted. In the mean time, we’ve posted a sample of one of the twin-packs, which depicts a German Me 262 jet bomber alongside a RAF Hawker Tempest Mk. V fighter.

Share This:

Anatomy of War: When Life Imitates Art

Right before the New Year, we received Hobby Master’s second version of its 1:72 scale Su-35S Super Flanker multirole fighter – a dual form release that models Russian warbirds sent to Libya to aid the Assad government in Syria. Turns out, the actual aircraft may have been either damaged or completely destroyed earlier this week, hit by mortars fired by anti-government forces that had deployed along the outskirts of the Khmeimim Air Base near Latakia. In total, seven aircraft succumbed to enemy fire, costing the Russians, operating the parked aircraft, several hundred million dollars and a bit of prestige to boot. For more information on the strike, visit this web site: Unian Information Agency           

Share This:

USPS Rate Hikes Go Into Effect Soon

As part of their annual rate assessment, the United States Postal Service (USPS) announced increases to shipping costs effective January 21st, 2018. On average, First Class Mail and Priority Mail rates are expected to rise by approximately 24%, as the Service continues to grapple with huge financial losses and the crippling effects of lower letter volume.

As a result, we may have to increase our flat rate shipping rate later this month once we get a better sense of how these rate hikes will affect our own costs, particularly for larger parcels that need to be shipped to the Midwest, Northwest, Southwest and West Coast regions. As you know, many of the soon-to-be-released Forces of Valor 1:32 scale military vehicles will be heavier than their counterparts from years ago, due to the fact that they will incorporate more metal as well as contain a bonus engine and stronger packaging. This means that we may need to change their shipping costs, particularly if an order calls for multiple vehicles. We are sorry to have to implement these changes and hope that you understand that increased shipping costs have a serious effect on our business model.

Share This:

Possible Service Interruption in the New York Metropolitan Region

There is a “bomb cyclone” bearing down on the east coast that may or may not affect pickup and delivery of packages in the New York metropolitan region. Frankly, I’ve heard of Nor Easters, blizzards and snow storms before, but I’ve never heard of this ominous-sounding meteorological term which apparently arises when a storm moving north along the east coast from the Bahamas crashes into a cold front moving south out of Canada. Current forecasts call for an accumulation of up to 9 inches of snow where we are located and perhaps more in the outlying areas, with sustained wind gusts in excess of 45 mph and temperatures in the single digits. So, if the USPS does not attempt to pick up from us around noon today, expect to add at least a 24-48 hour delay to any packages that were earmarked for shipment over the past day or so. 

Update: At 1pm, no attempt was made by the USPS to pick up our packages and, based on the conditions we are witnessing outside, we do not believe they will attempt to resume service until Saturday. That said, we are suspending outbound shipments for both Thursday and Friday, and hope to resume shipments on Saturday. Please take this into account when placing orders or anticipating the receipt of orders already in our queue.

Share This: