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
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.
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.
Master Fighter’s 1:48 scale British Ward LaFrance M1A1 Series 5 Heavy Tow Truck – British 11th Armoured Division, Normandy, France, 1944 (1:48 Scale)
We’re ushering in 2018 in a big way with a litany of new products, kicking things off with several new 1:48 scale military vehicles in the Master Fighter range. Among the new items expected are a US Chaffee light tank (MF48602US), Ward LaFrance M1A1 Series 5 Heavy Tow Truck (MF48604UK), and a French Renault FT-17 Self-Propelled Gun with 75mm Gun BS (MF48610). After that, we are planning to take delivery of our Solido/War Master shipment, currently slated for the second week of January.
Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale German E-100 Panzer Weapons Carrier with 128mm Gun – Camouflage, 1946
Bringing up the rear look for several new items from Modelcollect and a number of eagerly anticipated weapons of war from PMA, Luft-X and Wings of the Great War. As always, we will update our Product Roundup page as soon as we get solid information from our distributors and process any pre-orders the moment the merchandise arrives.
PMA’s 1:72 scale German V-2 Long-Range Guided Ballistic Missile with Meillerwagen Launch Trailer and Brennstand – Batik Camouflage [Operational Scheme]We are also hoping to post updated information concerning the Forces of Valor range, which has been delayed several months for any number of reasons. With the 2018 Hong Kong Toy Fair looming, imagery and release dates should be forthcoming, both for previously announced items as well as new stuff for down-the-road.
You’ve drank the Egg Nog, ripped open the packages and even stood beneath the Mistletoe hoping for the best. Why not fulfill your grandest dreams at The Motor Pool with our Annual After Christmas Sale? From Monday, December 25th, until Sunday, January 21st, 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 “TMP174” 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, January 21st, 2018. May not be combined with any other sales discount.
Well, its that time of year again when we’d like to wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy Hanukah and a joyous new year. This past year was especially good for us for any number of reasons and, as usual, we look forward to working with our customers, suppliers and everyone else connected with The Motor Pool in the coming year. Stay safe and sound.
What happens when you combine a modelmaker with a strong history of producing cutting edge military replicas with a science fiction back drop that no one has ever heard of? Apparently, you get Fist of War, a strange concoction of WWII-themed vehicles mated to over-sized, spider-like chassis with a pinch of Japanese Anime tossed in for added flavor. According to their Facebook page, sketches have been posted of skirt-attired, female Japanese soldiers that seem more at home in the weird Girls und Panzers universe than a WWII-inspired alternate reality. What they have to do with German weaponry is also anyone’s guess, another slice of sci-fi bolted on to makes things even more peculiar. It would have been nice if the Company had provided some sort of literature about the Fist of War universe to help us better understand what is going on before tackling the replicas, but I guess that would have been putting the cart before the horse, or is it the other way around?
Anyway, the first vehicle in the series – a modified E-75 heavy panzer – was uploaded to the Modelcollect web site earlier today, so we’ll let you be the judge of where these replicas should fit within the panoply of replicas we currently offer.
Modelcollect’s upcoming P.1000 Ratte super heavy tank
In other news, we still do not know if Modelcollect plans to port its soon-to-be-released model kit of a P.1000 super heavy tank to the pre-assembled market. The Company has indicated that the model will come with seven different gun positions on the vehicle in addition to the mammoth main gun. They have also shown the kit in several configurations: one with a pair of Krupp 150mm main guns and the other with three smaller calibre main guns. A recent posting indicates that the vehicle will come with the following secondary armament:
Two (2) Kugelblitz 30mm flak guns Two (2) Gerat 58 55mm guns
Two (2) FLaK 40 zwilling 128mm guns
Two (2) E100 flak 88 guns
Two (2) FLaK 40 128mm guns
Two Rheintochter 1 missiles
Given the amount of armament this thing will sport, its difficult to guess the ultimate size nor the final price of a fully built P.1000 super tank. We know a lot of people will shell out a lot of shekels for this beast, so we’ll wait and see how Modelcollect approaches this item in the weeks ahead.
You’ve spent hundreds, perhaps even thousands on your priceless possessions, putting together a vast, irreplaceable collection that has become the envy of enthusiasts world over. Why not shell out a few more bucks and take out some insurance should something happen to them?
That’s where Sure comes in. Sure offers collectibles insurance that will protect your investment against all sorts of hazards, and let’s face it, who couldn’t use a bit of added protection in this chaos-filled world. If you’re the least bit curious about their policies, we suggest you pay a visit to their web site: Sure.com. Consider it money well spent.
Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale German Flak40 128mm Zwillingsflak Anti-Aircraft Gun with Bettung 40 Platform – 1942
Modelcollect knows a good thing when they see it, following up on their recent pair of FLaK guns with yet another pair of anti-aircraft artillery. Expected some time in early 2018 is this German Flak40 128mm Zwillingsflak Anti-Aircraft Gun with Bettung 40 Platform (AS72087), a solid looking model that seems begging for a crew to man her.
Modelcollect’s 1:72 scale German Rheintochter 1 Surface-to-Air Missile [Set of Two]Also in the works is this battery of two German Rheintochter 1 Surface-to-Air Missiles (AS72088), which are designed for point defense around an important stationary structure. Any way you look at it, you cannot fault this Company for lack of imagination, continually thinking outside the box to garner greater attention.
The all-new 88mm FLaK gun now comes with eight figures including the Desert Fox himself, General Erwin Rommel.
A couple of months ago, we created a blog post explaining why Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, was running behind schedule getting a number of eagerly-awaited projects out the door. To recap, they were confronted by three critical issues: the first was reinventing the brand by offering revamped tooling that boasted more metal, removable engines and opening compartments previously overlooked in the original models. The second was obtaining new replicating machinery to create the molds for the new products as well as the training of new workers to operate the machinery. Third, and the most vexing problem they encountered,was that the manufacturer ran into an issue with the property owner who promised to turn over the keys to a new manufacturing facility, which ended up in court so that they could resolve the situation. Back in October, the manufacturer said as much on their Facebook page, apologizing for the delays and asking everyone to be patient a bit longer.
It is now mid-December, and we are just weeks away from the opening of the 2018 Hong Kong Toy Show, which throws open its doors to the public on January 8th. We are willing to bet that the manufacturer has remained mum of late so that they could use this venue to display their latest wares, new and re-imagined product that cuts across a great many categories and sub brands. So, hang in there a few more weeks and we’re sure there’s loads of incredible new products just waiting for a happy new home.
