A few weeks ago, we laid out our case explaining why we believed Modelcollect has become the predominant player in the 1:72 scale military vehicle space, outpacing both Dragon and Hobby Master in terms of detail and subject matter. While we are still awaiting information concerning their upcoming P.1000 Ratte mega tank, we learned today that another project may have stolen its thunder, whetting the appetite of collectors until the Ratte takes center stage.
Modelcollect posted images on Facebook concerning their V-1 “Doodlebug” V-1 flying bomb (AS72068), which even come bundled with a scale launch ramp. It would appear as if the ramp will come in five sections, which, when placed end-to-end, should measure at least two feet in length. Despite not being professionally photographed, the accompanying images shows the “lengths” with which the Company is going to nose out the pack, and the range of subjects they plan to tackle to maintain their momentum.
“Showtime 100”, perhaps the most celebrated F-4 Phantom II fighter-bomber to have ever served with the US military across all active branches, is now available from Air Commander in 1:72 scale form
Thus far, its been an eventful month, as we continue to list all sorts of wonderful new products from a variety of manufacturers. On the other side of the ledger, we’ve also been bombarded with a number of key introductions that cut across all eras, liveries and manufacturers. So, without any further ado, here’s a short list of some of the newest pieces of air power now available for shipping for Father’s Day:
Calibre Wings
CA721401 US Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – VF-103 “Jolly Rogers”, Last Flight (1:72 Scale)
CA721402 US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – “100” VF-1 “Wolf Pack”, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Operation Frequent Wind, 1974 (1:72 Scale)
Calibre WIngs’ first pair of Grumman F-14 Fleet Defenders touches down in June
Corgi
AA38408 – RAF Bristol Blenheim Mk. I Light Bomber – L6739 (G-BPIV), The Imperial War Museum, Duxford Airfield, 2015 (1:72 Scale)
AA35313 – USAAC North American B-25B Mitchell Medium Bomber – 40-2249, “Hari Kari-er,” Doolittle Raid, USS Hornet (CV-8), April 18th, 1942 (1:72 Scale)
AA33715 – German Heinkel He-111H-6 Torpedo Bomber – 1H+BB, I./Kampgeschwader 26, Bardufoss Airfield, Norway, July 5th, 1942 (1:72 Scale)
AA28101 – USAAF Curtiss P-40B Warhawk Fighter – 160/15P, 2nd Lt. George Welch, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941 [75th Anniversary Pearl Harbor Attack Commemorative Packaging] (1:72 Scale)
AA34811 – RNZAF Vickers Wellington Mk. IC Medium Bomber – R1162 / AA-Y, “Y for Yorker”, No.75 (NZ) Squadron, RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, 1941 (1:72 Scale)
Bombs away! Corgi’s RNZAF Vickers Wellington Mk. IC Medium Bomber – R1162 / AA-Y, “Y for Yorker”, No.75 (NZ) Squadron, RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, 1941
Luft-X
LUFT005 – German Messerschmitt Me 329 Fighter (1:72 Scale)
A German Messerschmitt Me 329 Fighter from Luft-X
Air Commander
AC1007 – US Navy McDonnell F-4J Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – “Showtime 100”, Lt. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and Lt. JG. William “Irish” Driscoll, VF-96 “Fighting Falcons”, USS Constellation (CV-64), Vietnam, 1972 (1:72 Scale)
Solido
SOL7200001 – German Heinkel He 219A-7 “Uhu” Night Fighter – 2./Nachjagdgeschwader G1, G9+FK, Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow, Holland, 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Solido’s German Heinkel He 219A-7 “Uhu” Night Fighter – 2./Nachjagdgeschwader G1, G9+FK, Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow, Holland, 1944
Hobby Master
HA5207 – US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – “MIG Killer”, VF-32 “Fighting Swordsmen”, USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-67), Gulf of Sidra Incident, 1989 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
HA5210 – US Navy Grumman F-14A Block 85 Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 159625, VF-2 “Bounty Hunters”, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), 1976 (1:72 Scale)
HA5103 – RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter – No. 1 Squadron, Operation Okra, Al Minhad Air Base, United Arab Emirates, 2014 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
HA4906 – US Navy Lockheed S-3A Viking Anti-Submarine Aircraft – VS-24 “Scouts,” 1978 (1:72 Scale)
HA5304 – Syrian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MS “Flogger-E” Fighter – “F-4E Killer”, Captain Ali al-Masry, al-Mazzah AB, Damascus, Syria, April 19th, 1974 (1:72 Scale)
While the bulk of the first wave of 1:32 scale vehicles are upgraded retreads from the Unimax series, the first new vehicle collectors can expect is a German Sturmtiger assault mortar. Blue areas on the vehicle indicate where metal is being used to replicate the vehicle rather than plastic, thereby returning the series to its earliest roots
Waltersons was gracious enough to post the current status of their 1:32 scale military vehicle line on Facebook. Rather than share snippets of information with our customers, we thought it made more sense to simply copy and paste their text verbatim, so you can draw your own conclusions as to when their first vehicles are expected:
Sorry for the late update everyone! It has been 4 months since we began the preparation of the battleships series, and all 8 ships are now in production line, started fulfilling all the export orders. Meanwhile our team has begun working on the 1/32 scale tank series and the 1/72 scale modern fighter aircrafts series, the first few 1/32 scale tanks rolling out will be the following:
1) 88mm Flak gun with 5 figurines (German grey) 2) 88mm Flak gun with 8 figurines including Desert Fox (Desert yellow)
3) Sherman Firefly Vc. with full engine details enhancement
4) Jagdpanther Early production with full engine details enhancement
5) JagdTiger w/ Henschel wheels with full engine details enhancement & couple open hatches
6) German Tiger I Late production w/ many new parts & engine details
7) German Tiger I Mid production w/ many new parts & engine details
8) Soviet T-34-85 w/ new hull, road wheels, tracks etc…
9) German Elefant w/ zimmerit, not so much changes except colour enhancement because the original Unimax version was well done.
See below pictures from our SturmTiger development, reference were taken from actual sturmtiger @ Munster Museum Germany. We are putting more machines & tool makers in shop floor to expedite the development. That being said, the SturmTiger should be available in 2017 Q4. We heard so much about FOV fans wanted, and we will go back to basic, areas highlighted in blue will be made by METAL!! Tons of metal, tons of steel, long live the FOV slogan 🙂
Air Force 1’s US Army Bell UH-1H Huey Helicopter – Sp4 Joseph G. LaPointe, B Troop, 2nd Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, June 2nd, 1969
It’s comforting to see a model company draw its inspiration from one of the most heroic deeds a soldier could make. Back in 1969, Specialist Fourth Class Joseph G. LaPointe, Jr., a member of the 2nd Air Cavalry Squadron, 17th Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, was awarded the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in Quang Tin Province on June 2nd, 1969.
SP4 LaPointe distinguished himself while serving as a medical aidman during a combat helicopter assault mission. SP4 LaPointe’s patrol was advancing from the landing zone through an adjoining valley when it suddenly encountered heavy automatic weapons fire from a large enemy force entrenched in well fortified bunker positions. In the initial burst of fire, two soldiers in the formation vanguard were seriously wounded. Hearing a call for aid from one of the wounded, SP4 LaPointe ran forward through heavy fire to assist his fallen comrades. To reach the wounded men, he was forced to crawl directly in view of an enemy bunker. As members of his unit attempted to provide covering fire, he administered first aid to one man, shielding the other with his body. SP4 LaPointe continued his lifesaving duties until he was again wounded and knocked to the ground. Making strenuous efforts he moved back again into a shielding position to continue administering first aid. An exploding enemy grenade mortally wounded all three men. SP4 LaPointe’s courageous actions at the cost of his life were an inspiration to his comrades. His gallantry and selflessness are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
To commemorate his valor, Air Force 1 will be offering a 1:48 scale UH-1H Huey helicopter on which he served (AF10151). Expected this August, this venerable chopper will come with the usual heavy display stand and detail everyone has come to expect from this up-and-coming model maker.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale RNZAF Vickers Wellington Mk. IC Medium Bomber – R1162 / AA-Y, “Y for Yorker”, No.75 (NZ) Squadron, RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, 1941 is still on track for a June fly-in
Its the first day of June and we’ve already been bombarded with loads of new product announcements and updates. Besides getting word that the first Solido shipment is on its way to us, we’ve learned that Hobby Master has quite a spate of new products expected for the holiday season, covering everything from a Su-35S Flanker to new MiG-23s Floggers, and best of all their intent to climb back into the armored vehicle turret. Even Corgi provided us with an updated schedule, which looks pretty promising this summer, and Oxford announced their wares for the coming year.
The latest Hobby Master A-10 Warthog is pegged for an October ship
We’ve posted everything new to our web site, along with the most current shipping schedule, which could still fluctuate based on changes to the manufacturers’ release calendar.
Ebay is currently running a promotion where buyers receive a generous 8% Ebay Bucks reward for any purchases made by June 1st at 11:59PST. Said discount can be applied with no minimum purchase and across all categories. This discount may be deducted from any future purchases once the buyer has been notified, which generally happens one month later.
Hobby Master makes a land grab in the diecast military space with its first ever M60 Patton tank
As some of the budget-minded partworks lines slowly fade into the sunset, comes word that Hobby Master is looking to get back into the 1:72 scale military vehicles arena in a big way. Earlier today, as part of their October product announcements, comes word that they will soon offer both a US-built M60A1 Patton main battle tank as well as a Russian-built ISU-152 self propelled gun. On a personal note, I find it interesting that this news comes just a day after we posted our opine that Modelcollect is making a bid to claim the armored crown, unseating Dragon from its longtime position as the dominant player in the vehicle game. Coincidence, perhaps, but the news concerning these two new entrants is certainly welcome, nonetheless, and could signal that other manufacturers are looking to dabble in the motor pool (sic) so long as inexpensive partworks lines have run their course and no longer pose a credible risk to their business model.
Earlier this year, Hobby Master announced plans to offer a ISU 122 self-propelled gun. Bigger and more robust, plans also call for a larger ISU-152 self-propelled gun
Modelcollect’s Rheintochter 1 surface-to-air missile may appear strange and unfamiliar, but serves as a testament to the lengths with which the Company is prepared to go to assume the diecast throne
For the better part of the 21st Century, most collectors of scale armor would agree that Dragon produces the best array of 1:72 scale armored fighting vehicles. Sure, there have been contenders for the crown as well as a few drop outs along the way, but Dragon, barring a few dry years in which models were promised but never delivered, was seen by many as the king of the diecast battlefield.
Despite its longstanding run on the throne, Dragon may have to hand over the crown shortly to Modelcollect, still a relative newcomer to the armored ranks, who has, nonetheless, quietly built a stable of high quality diecast replicas that have reignited passion in the hobby and moved the ball forward where others continually fumbled. Where Dragon seems content to churn out the usual diet of WWII vehicles, Modelcollect has dabbled in the more obtuse subjects, releasing a wondrous array of less familiar subjects that have garnered respect and admiration from the community.
In recent months, they have offered all manner of mobile missile launchers and other transporters in model kit form, which will no doubt be ported over to the pre-assembled market. In the meantime, they have also cranked out a number of intricately detailed pre-assembled models, and stand ready to deliver more this summer. We’ve already posted information on their upcoming E-100 series of armor, and today we learned that they will also be offering a Rheintochter 1 surface-to-air mobile missile launcher set atop an E-100 chassis (AS72062). There’s a good bet that the Rheintochter will also be wedded to both their E-50 and E-75 chassis, making it available in three different forms. We are also awaiting news concerning their Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte mega tank, something the German Waffenamt never seriously considered as a weapon of war due to its immense size.
Anyway, keep a careful eye on Modelcollect as it continues to build out its order-of-battle and looks to become the de facto king of diecast armor.
Every six months, we regularly review our costs of doing business, which continue to rise for all manner of reason. Beginning June 1st, we are increasing our flat rate shipping cost to $9.95 from $4.95 for net orders totaling at least $25 or more. While we regret having to make this change, the fact remains that shipping costs continue to escalate for all the major carriers, especially for shipments we must send across the country to the west coast. When taken in conjunction with other promotional offers we may be running, we oftentimes end up barely breaking even on such shipments. As always, it pays to consolidate orders to help defray such shipping costs, particularly for less expensive items.
Drawn from today’s headlines, ModelCollect has wasted no time replicating this modified T-72 tank from the Syrian Civil War
In a bid to produce models based upon every conceivable version, variant and livery of the Russian-built T-72 and T-90 tanks, ModelCollect has announced three more examples of these ignominious vehicles. As far as the T-72 goes, they have announced a Syrian T-72BM Main Battle Tank with Kontakt-1 ERA which was deployed to Aleppo, Syria, in 2016 (AS72054). The T-90 gets two new flavors as well: the first is a Russian T-90MS Main Battle Tank – Nizhny Tagil Arms Expo, Russia, 2012 (AS72056) while the latter is a Russian T-90MS Main Battle Tank – Weapons Show, Desert Camouflage, 2014 (AS72060). This is now the 15th look at the T-72 from the eyes of ModelCollect, which means they have certainly gotten their money’s worth out of the tooling.
Armored enthusiasts can look forward to two more T-90 replicas, putting it contention with ModelCollect’s T-72 tank for the most prolific number of models offered
