Product Spotlight: Forces of Valor’s 88 – Pitted, Peeled and Ready to Serve the Desert Fox

 

Forces of Valor’s German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with Trailer – Deutsches Afrika Korps, North Africa, 1942

“The peril of the hour moved the British to tremendous exertions, just as always in a moment of extreme danger things can be done which had previously been thought impossible. Mortal danger is an effective antidote for fixed ideas.”

– Generalfeldmarschal Erwin Rommel

At long last, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has begun to draw back the curtains on some of the 1:32 scale military vehicles collectors can expect to lay their mitts on this holiday season. The first vehicle they have lassoed from the dressing room is the venerable 88mm FLaK gun, this time around painted in the desert scheme colors of the Deutsches Afrika Korps. As you can see by the close-up image, no detail has been left out, including a pitted gun shield and kill tally, as well as a dual display mode, so collectors can show the gun in either a transported mode or ready to do battle atop its cruciform mount. While the accompanying figures were omitted from these test shots, the DAK version will include 8 figures – seven crewmen to serve the weapon and the Desert Fox himself, Erwin Rommel. We’re getting close to a release date, which will hopefully make it available around Turkey Day.

Observe the pitted marks on the gun shield and some of the kill markings on the lower portion of the gun barrel signifying this gun has seen its fair share of battle.

No doubt a Sd.Kfz.7 prime mover, adorned in the desert colors of the DAK, will follow suit, so collectors can proudly display in the gun in a towed mode with the crew seated within the vehicle\s passenger compartment.

The wheel assemblies can be detached enabling collectors to display their gun in either a transport or action mode. Notice too the burnished barrel indicating lots of wear and tear and heavy usage on the battlefield.
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Wings of the Great War: Amiens or Bust

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale British Mk. A “Whippet” Light Tank then attached to B Company, 3rd Tank Brigade, Amiens, France, August 17th, 1918

The Battle of Amiens, France, fought in August 1918 near the tail end of the Great War, has always held special significance for my family since a German regiment, taking its name from a distant relative, was virtually destroyed by advancing Allied armor, specifically two Mark V tanks. So, when Wings of the Great War announced plans to offer a British Whippet light tank that saw action at the same battle, we obviously sat up and took notice.

Whippet’s were first employed in 1917, designed to operate in conjunction with some of their heavier counterparts.

Expected some time in October, the British Mk. A “Whippet” light tank (WW10209) shown here, known as “Firefly”, was attached to the British Army’s B Company, 3rd Tank Brigade, and is now on display at  the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels, Belgium, still showing the damage it took on August 17th, 2018. The Whippet actually saw service for the first time a year prior, when a light tank called the Mark A was ready to be used on the Western Front. Nicknamed the Whippet, it was faster than previous tanks, particularly the ponderous Mark IV, but was still unreliable and vulnerable to artillery fire. Weighing in at 18 tons, it could traverse ground at nearly double the speed of its heavier counterpart, clocking in at a blistering 6 mph.

For more information on the Battle of Amiens, feel free to click on the following link:

https://books.google.com/books?id=B_KBBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT786&lpg=PT786&dq=Composite+Regiment+Dultz&source=bl&ots=90U93uZz9A&sig=50uuBuK-C3q7ro7g6AdagJ80yKs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib5N-xkLvWAhVHQSYKHUH6BDQQ6AEITjAJ#v=onepage&q=Composite%20Regiment%20Dultz&f=false

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ModelCollect Fires Up the Weapons Carriers

ModelCollect’s 1:72 scale German E-100 Panzer Weapons Carrier with Rheintochter 1 Surface-to-Air Missile

While its not clear if there was any true classification for a weapons carrier within the German Army’s framework, that hasn’t stopped ModelCollect from stoking the fires of imagination and offering their own spin on the late war panzers. Earlier today, two new vehicles were introduced into the ModelCollect lineup: the first a E-100 Panzer Weapons Carrier with 128mm Gun (AS72078) and the second a E-100 Panzer Weapons Carrier with a Rheintochter 1 Surface-to-Air Missile (AS72079). 

ModelCollect’s 1:72 scale Soviet T-64AV Main Battle Tank with Explosive Reactive Armor

Furthermore, two more Russian battle tanks were added to their arsenal: the former a Soviet T-64AV Main Battle Tank with ERA (AS72081) while the latter being a T-80UD Main Battle Tank (AS72080). We anticipate delivery some time in November, making them great stocking stuffers for the holiday season.

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Eaglemoss Puts the “Disc” in Discovery

USS Discovery NCC-1031, the star attraction in the forthcoming Star Trek Discovery series.

With the debut of the latest Star Trek series, Star Trek Discovery, just a few days away, Eaglemoss has begun showing off images of the series star attraction. The USS Discovery NCC-1301 features a distinctive disk in the forward section of the ship, which is circumnavigated by a second larger disk attached to several connectors. This unusual configuration is connected by its neck to a larger splayed fuselage which, in turn, is affixed to the traditional twin engine nacelles. Its a radical departure of sorts, since most of the Federation starships boast a single saucer where most of the ship’s activities take place. We can only assume there is a reason for this odd configuration that will likely be explained as the series commences.

We will be listing the Discovery ship on our site shortly, which will reportedly be followed by additional ships from the new series. No price has yet to be established, although rumor has it that this line will be more in line with their XL range of larger starships that come bundled with their own magazines.

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Air Force 1 Hops a Ride Aboard “Marine One”

Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale take on “Marine One” – a MV-22B used to ferry the President to and from local Andrews Air Force Base

It was perhaps a matter of time before Air Force 1 got around to modelling the US President’s short-hopper, “Marine One”. After all, the manufacturer has released four operational schemes to date, so a Presidential version was likely in the cards from day one.

“Marine One” bears the familiar United State Marine Corps stenciling running along the length of the fuselage

Based upon the MV-22B variant of the Osprey, Air Force 1’s depiction of “Marine One” bears the familiar green and white paint scheme associated with the President’s ride, as well as the tell tale “United States Marine Corps” stenciled across the length of the fuselage (AF10012B). Look for “Marine One” to lift off from the White House lawn this October.

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Hobby Master: “Its a Zero Sum Gain”

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2B “Zero” Fighter – LCDR Shigeru Itaya, IJN Akagi, December 1941

One of the most iconic aircraft of the Second World War has finally joined the Hobby Master arsenal with news that the manufacturer will soon offer up a 1:48 scale Mitsubishi Zero fighter. The first effort is expected in February, and is based upon Lieutenant Commander Shigeru Itaya’s A6M2B Zero that was embarked upon the aircraft carrier Akagi as it participated in the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. No doubt other variants, schemes and types will be added to the Zero fly-by, as the Company better gauges interest in its sales success.

Going for insane prices in the after market, Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale returns to the front lines. Seen here is a Polish Achilles IIC Tank Destroyer – 1st Anti-tank Regiment, Polish 1st Armoured Division, Netherlands, Autumn 1944

Hobby Master also announced a bunch of other new aircraft in its September newsletter, along with a pair of 1:72 scale Achilles tank destroyers, which have long since sold out at most retail venues. On the down side, their initial trio of M60A1 Patton tanks, originally due out this fall, have been pushed back until February, although now reason was provided for the delay.

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Aftermath of Hurricane Irma

We have received reports that many of the roads leading into and out of the southeast portion of the United States are now cleared of debris and that power should be restored to many affected customers by Monday September 18th. Furthermore, we have learned that the USPS, UPS and FedEx will be resuming shipments into and out of the southeastern US this coming Monday. So, we will be resuming shipments to the affected area beginning Monday although there could still be intermittent delays where service has not been fully restored or in instances where the Postal Service has decided to temporarily withhold shipments including the Florida Keys.

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Eaglemoss Lowers the Boom on the Competition

Eaglemoss’ 1:43 scale 1939 Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen Typ 4 (G4) Limousine – Heer, Germany, 1939

And the hits just keep on coming. Late this afternoon, one of our distributors informed us that many of the previously sold out 1:43 scale Eaglemoss military vehicles are returning to the battlefield this October, many of which were either available in very limited numbers or not at all. According to the literature, this will likely be a “come as you are party” meaning they will likely get only one shipment and no restocks. We are currently in the process of changing the status on those items listed in our Eaglemoss section from “Sold Out” to “Back Order” so you may place your orders as soon as possible.

Eaglemoss’ 1:43 scale German Sd. Kfz. 141 PzKpfw III Ausf. N Medium Tank – schwere Panzer Abteilung 503, Bogoduchow, Ukraine, 1943

If you previously ordered any of these vehicle but not got your order filled, we strongly recommend you contact us immediately to see if you would still like these items or perhaps add to your order. We will be placing our order with the distributor tomorrow, so we advise taking a look at the Eaglemoss section and your backs orders as soon as possible before we transmit our order.

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Sometimes it Pays to be Patient

SkyMax Models’ USN Douglas TBD-1 Devastator Torpedo Plane – VT-8, USS Hornet (CV-8), June 1942 “Battle of Midway”

We took a wait and see attitude with SkyMax Models over the past year, ever since they started raising their prices on some of their newest releases well above what we thought the market would bear. This strategy may have paid off for everyone concerned since two of their latest aircraft are now being offered at bargain basement pricing.

Cut almost in half from its original MAP pricing, the first aircraft up for your consideration is this Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo plane, which represents a warbird that took part in the Battle of Midway (SM8008) in June 1942.

SkyMax Models’ 1:72 scale Imperial Japanese Navy Aichi D3A1 Val Dive-Bomber – EII-235, Aircraft Carrier Zuikaku, “Battle of Coral Sea”

The second release is an Imperial Japanese Navy Aichi D3A1 Val dive-bomber, then embarked upon the Japanese aircraft carrier Zuikaku, which took part in the Battle of Coral Sea in early 1942 (SM5008). Both models are now being offered at just $39.99, a far cry from their initial street price when they took to the skies earlier this year.

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Dragon Returns to do Battle

Dragon’s 1:72 scale German Sd. Kfz. 182 PzKpfw VI King Tiger Ausf. B Heavy Tank – schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Ardennes, 1944

If you weren’t lucky enough to score some of the Cyber-Hobby 1:72 scale tanks released well over a decade ago, then you may want to toss that Fidget aside and take notice. To help restart their Dragon Armor line, the Company plans to offer two new King Tiger Ausf. B heavy tanks that look eerily similar to some of the Cyber-Hobby versions that have skyrocketed in value over the years. While they won’t come in collector tins or come bundled with numbered certificates of authenticity like their expensive cousins, the first pairing of heavies will no doubt get scooped up by the handful once they hit the street in November.

Dragon’s German Sd. Kfz. 182 PzKpfw VI King Tiger Ausf. B Heavy Tank – schwere Panzer Abteilung 509, Hungary, 1945

We’ve listed both vehicles (DRR60399 and DRR60400) on our web site and have begun accepting pre-orders. Keep in mind both of these replicas are already being considered home runs in the collectible market, and will no doubt soar in value once they start to sell out. As far as we are concerned, these are considered “no-brainers” that signal the start of something big in Dragon’s armored stable.

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