As promised, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has put the final touches on their revamped warships series and indicated the first shipment should be setting sail for their distributors this month.
This means we expect them to arrive around the middle of May, which coincides with our full-page advertisement in WWII History’s Band of Brothers special edition magazine. They are currently working on the first group of 1:32 scale vehicles, which, barring any unforeseen delays or problems, should make it to market in June.
Some see it as a tourist mecca, others as a viable retirement option. I like to consider Orlando as the perfect place to host Star Wars Celebration 2017, a one-stop destination for all things Star Wars. Later this morning, Star Wars geeks get a first-hand look at the multi-day venue and perhaps, just perhaps, get a glimpse at some of the new films scheduled to open within the forseeable future. May the force be with you.
Look for Dragon’s first-ever Sturmgeschutz Ausf. F assault gun some time in June
After laying low for nearly two years, it would appear as if Dragon is back in the 1:72 scale armor game, releasing a bevy of new vehicles over the course of the last two weeks. Another pair of vehicles were announced last night, one based upon a previously released mold and the other a brand new caisson. The first is a Panzer IV Ausf. G medium tank, whitewashed and bereft of any side armor signifying it was attached to the 3.SS Panzer Division, then deployed to the Eastern Front during early spring 1943 (DRR60699).
The latter vehicle is an inaugural Sturmgeschutz Ausf. F assault gun, used by Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 201 during the opening stages of the War in the East (DRR60511). According to Dragon’s web site, both vehicles are scheduled for a June release.
Dragon resurrects their Panzer IV Ausf. G mold this summer with this handsome whitewashed tank
An over-sized Swarm ship from the movie Star Trek Beyond
While most Trekkies no doubt expected a rendition of the USS Franklin as part of the Eaglemoss Star Trek Universe, it was a bit of a surprised when the Company announced plans to offer an over-sized replica of one of the Swarm Ships. Measuring 8 inches in length and capable of carrying two crewmen, the Swarm ship were employed in large numbers on Altamid by the planet’s original inhabitants sometime prior to the 2160s. In the year 2263, Krall used his swarm to attack the Federation starship USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Approaching the Enterprise in orbit of Altamid, these ships initially appeared to be one large vessel, emitting an unidentifiable signal, but quickly separated and attacked in a coordinated effort to disable the Constitution-class ship. Surrounding and ramming it repeatedly, these ships inflicted serious damage on the Enterprise, first severing its warp nacelles before finally separating its primary hull from its secondary hull.
Look for the Swarm ship to make an encore appearance some time in September.
As a long time seller of preassembled diecast military memorabilia, we oftentimes watch with fascination some of the trends that grab the attention of collectors and would-be collectors. Over the last couple of years, one such curious change occurred with the proliferation of what we call “Historical Bricks”, which enables the end user to create vehicles, figures and dioramics rooted in history. I guess the trend took off with all of the Lego Star Wars sets, which command ever higher prices in the after market sales venues.
Lately, more and more manufacturers are getting into the creation of WWII-themed historical brick sets, which includes Lego’s Brickmania sets, Cobi and Oxford Blocks. In fact, some resourceful collectors have gone to great lengths cobbling together animated vignettes on YouTube and elsewhere using sets produced by said manufacturers. And, online reviews, such as the one shown above, go a long way towards explaining the features of each kit and why builders might want to consider them as potential add-ons.
So what’s your thoughts on the matter? Should we start selling these types of sets on our web site or should we remain focused on what we do best?
The first trio of F-14s collectors can expect to add to their Tomcat pantheon
Perhaps looking to catch up with Century Wings in one fell swoop, newcomer Calibre Wings posted an intriguing graphic to their Facebook page indicating they plan to offer six more F-14 schemes within the “forseeable future.” They also also indicated that their first pairing of F-14s — announced in early 2016 — have been delayed until May of this year, no doubt running into some unexpected production snags along the way, and that their second element has been pushed back to August. Apparently, they are very confident that their F-14 mold and its attendant accessories will unseat Century Wings as the reigning king of Tomcat producers, so we will have to see if the proof is indeed in the pudding some time next month.
The second trio of F-14s collectors can expect to add to their Tomcat pantheon
The grand daddy of online payment systems, PayPal has become the de facto method of purchasing items online, and can even be used to transmit funds from person to another. The accompanying video demonstrates how it works and why you may wish to use it as your principal means of online payment instead of a debit/credit card.
Previously known as Pay with Amazon, this short video explains why you may wish to use Amazon Pay instead of debit/credit cards when purchasing online.
A trio of new WWI fighters from Wings of the Great War
Wings of the Great War has steadily produced a diet of fantastic WWI fliers, so it came as no surprise earlier today that they would get around to creating aircraft based upon some of the famous fliers of World War I. Three iconic aircraft have been added to the collection – a Fokker F1 flown by Lt. Werner Voss of Jasta 10 (WW12004), a Nieuport 28C.1 piloted by 2nd Lt. Ralph A. O’Neill attached to 147th Aero Squadron (WW13003), and finally a new tooling based upon a S.E.5a operated by Capt. Albert Ball of No. 56 Squadron. All three new aircraft have been posted to our site, with anticipated ship dates ranging from July to September.
HMS Hood, pride of the Royal Navy, and one of the first surface warships to fall victim to the Kriegmarine’s battleship Bismarck
“That the sinking of the Hood was due to a hit from Bosmarck’s 15-inch shell in or adjacent to Hood’s 4-inch or 15-inch magazines, causing them all to explode and wreck the after part of the ship. The probability is that the 4-inch magazines exploded first.”
– British Board of Inquiry convened in the aftermath of the sinking of the HMS Hood
As we near the release date for Walterson’s relaunched fleet of 1:700 scale Forces of Valor warships, we take our fourth close-up look at some of the ships you can expect to see. The Royal Navy’s Admiral Class Battlecruiser, HMS Hood (51), will forever be remembered as the ship that tangled with the Bismarck almost on an even basis yet, despite its promise as a viable combatant, suffered an ignominious fate on the morning of May 24th, 1941.
Just before 06:00 on May 24th, 1941, while Hood was turning 20 degrees to port to unmask her rear turrets, she was hit again on the boat deck by one or more shells from Bismarck’s fifth salvo, fired from a range of approximately 16,650 metres (18,210 yd). A shell from this salvo appears to have hit the spotting top, as the boat deck was showered with body parts and debris. A huge jet of flame burst out of Hood from the vicinity of the mainmast, followed by a devastating magazine explosion that destroyed the aft part of the ship. This explosion broke the back of Hood, and the last sight of the ship, which sank in only three minutes, was her bow, nearly vertical in the water.
A close-up loot at the Hood, which reveals the thin deck susceptible to plunging fire from the Bismarck
Hood sank with 1,418 men aboard. Of the 1,418 crew, only three men – Ordinary Signalman Ted Briggs, Able Seaman Robert Tilburn, and Midshipman William John Dundas – survived; they were rescued about two hours after the sinking by the destroyer HMS Electra. Electra spotted a lot of debris, but no bodies.
Badge of the HMS Hood with the motto “Ventis Secundis” (With a Favorable Wind”), wishful thinking that failed to prevent its fate on the morning of May 24th, 1941
The HMS Hood is expected to be resurrected from the ocean depth’s some time in May.
