Product Spotlight: “Dolfo”

 

HA8702

“As England, in spite of her hopeless situation, still shows no sign of willingness to come to terms, I have decided to prepare, and if necessary to carry out, a landing operation against her. The aim of this operation os to eliminate the English Motherland as a base from which the war against Germany can be continued, and, if necessary, to occupy the country completely.”

– Fuhrer Directive No. 16, announcing Unternehmen Seelowe (Operation Sea Lion), the invasion of England, July 16th, 1940

Hobby Master’s second 1:48 scale look at the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter is nearing its operational readiness date, and this one is ever-so-important to historians and collectors alike. HA8702 portrays Oberstleutnant Adolf Galland’s Bf-109E fighter, when he was attached to Jagdgeschwader 26 “Schlageter”, then deployed to Audembert, France, June 1940.

HA8702a

Undoubtedly one of the best known Bf 109Es of them all, Galland’s famous E-4/N was marked with Kommodore markings, 57 victory bars on the rudder and the familiar black and white mouse personal emblem. But the writing was on the wall for this aircraft by December 1940. Having scored an additional three kills with it, Galland then received a new Bf 109E-0, and proceeded to fly both types from Brest in early 1941. The Bf 109Es scope protuding from the windscreen was not a telescopic sight, but just a straightforward telescope, which enabled Galland to identify between friend and foe at a greater range.

Share This:

Forces of Valor Lays Out Their R/C Plans

80002

Since their success lies in the radio controlled business, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor marque, recently addressed how they plan to resurrect and improve upon the radio controlled military vehicles that once formed the cornerstone of the Forces of Valor brand.

“Forces of Valor (Unimax) first introduced the 1/24 scale radio controlled tank line back in early 2010, unfortunately this R/c line had been discontinued 36 months later due to electronic supplier issue. Ever since then, these 8 tank models have been sleeping quietly in their warehouse. And once the buyout of Forces of Valor had finally been completed, the first thing Waltersons did, was to bring the 1/24 scale R/c tanks back to life.

And after nearly 6 years since the introduction of this R/c line, are you thinking that Waltersons is just simply re-cooking the same dish? still 27MHz control system, complicated drive system, simple sound effect, average paint job and regular Infrared battle system?

Not at all!!!! We are about to re-define the standard of 1/24 scale R/c tanks, and check the following features list to see if there is anything you like 🙂

Exterior:
– CNC machined aluminum gun barrel
– Hobby grade painting
– Weathering effect
– Zimmerit pattern on Tiger I tank
– Natural casting surface effect on Sherman tank

Hardware:
– Coils suspension system
– Individual track links (Clipping type)
– Turret rotates 320 degrees
– Gun barrel elevates 25 degrees
– Drives forward, backward, left and right (Check our demo video later to see how good the handling is)
– Infrared shooting target board (Standard equipment)

Electronics:
– New 2.4GHz FHSS radio system with a minimum coverage of 60 meters
– ARM Based MCU architecture
– Remote control volume adjustment
– Remote control headlight
– Left & Right hand throttle interchangeable
– 12 steps throttle responsiveness control
– Auxiliary control mode -> can rotate turret, elevates gun barrel, fire machine guns and main gun
– Engine running mode -> drive tank forward, backward, left, right, battle with other tanks plus everything you can do in auxiliary power mode (** This feature was unseen in 1/24 scale R/c tanks in the past, and now we have brought this to you as a standard feature)

Sound:
– REAL sound recorded from museums + private tank collectors
– Maybach 231 engine sound for Tiger I, Continental V8 for Sherman M4A3 and V-2-34 for Soviet T34/85… every type of tank produce its unique engine note just like the real machine
– Class D amplifier
– 1W output speaker
– 4 Channels sound chip, can play up to 4 sound effects simultaneously
– 14 sound effect profiles
1. Engine ignition
2. Engine shut off
3. Engine idling
4. Acceleration
5. Maximum acceleration
6. Deceleration
7. Machine gun (recorded from real weapons)
8. Main gun – obtained from sound library, unfortunately many vehicles at the museum has disarmed the main gun feature 🙁
9. Turret rotation
10. Turret braking
11. Gun barrel elevation
12. Tank explosion (when you get hit by enemies)
13. Caught fire (after you are defeated)
14. Headlight switch on

Power:
– 4 x 1.5V Alkaline battery (Transmitter)
– 6 x 1.5V Alkaline battery (Tank on board)
– Optional Ni-MH rechargeable battery (Tank on board)

Battle system:
– Team A & B battle system, now support up to 16 players. You can form a team up to 15 players against 1 opponent player. Team combination can be 8:8, 7:5, 4:3 etc…
– Team N battle mode: last man standing (Fight everyone, no team)

Safety:
– Tank shut off reminder system
– Automatic power cut off after 4 minutes of idling

80003

We are working with our distributors now on packaging, we should be able to offer “Tank only” pack or complete Ready to run package. We have received a lot of emails from collectors saying that there is no need for them to keep 5 transmitters because they want to collect 5 tank models.”

Share This:

Product Spotlight: Celebrate General Chuck Yeager’s Upcoming 94th Birthday in Style

 

HA7735

“You do what you can for as long as you can, and when you finally can’t, you do the next best thing. You back up but you don’t give up.”

– Chuck Yeager

As legendary ace, Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, nears his 94th birthday this February, Hobby Master decided to pay him hommage with a replica of his P-51D Mustang, “Glamorous Glen III.”

Stationed in the United Kingdom at RAF Leiston, Yeager flew P-51 Mustangs in combat with the 363d Fighter Squadron. He named his aircraft Glamorous Glen after his girlfriend, Glennis Faye Dickhouse, who became his wife in February 1945. Yeager had gained one victory before he was shot down over France in his first aircraft (P-51B-5-NA s/n 43-6763) on March 5th, 1944, during his eighth mission. He escaped to Spain on March 30th with the help of the Maquis (French Resistance) and returned to England on May 15th, 1944. During his stay with the Maquis, Yeager assisted the guerrillas in duties that did not involve direct combat, although he did help to construct bombs for the group, a skill that he had learned from his father. He was awarded the Bronze Star for helping another airman, who had lost part of his leg during the escape attempt, to cross the Pyrenees.

HA7735a

Despite a regulation prohibiting “evaders” (escaped pilots) from flying over enemy territory again, the purpose of which was to prevent a second capture from compromising resistance groups, Yeager was reinstated to flying combat. He had joined another evader, bomber pilot Captain Fred Glover, in speaking directly to the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, on June 12th, 1944. With Glover pleading their case, they argued that because the Allies had invaded France and the Maquis were by then openly fighting the Nazis alongside Allied troops, if Yeager or Glover were shot down again, there was little about those who had previously helped them evade capture that could be revealed to the enemy.

Eisenhower, after gaining permission from the War Department to decide the requests, concurred with Yeager and Glover. Yeager later credited his postwar success in the Air Force to this decision, saying that his test pilot career followed naturally from his having been a decorated combat pilot, along with having been an aircraft mechanic before attending pilot school. In part, because of his maintenance background, he also frequently served as a maintenance officer in his flying units.

 

Share This:

When War Becomes a Conversation Piece

War and Peace

Our friends across the pond have announced the publication of a beautifully illustrated, coffee table-sized book based upon the world’s largest military vehicle show. According to the publisher, the “War and Peace Show Remembered: A Celebration of the World’s Largest Military Vehicle Show.” is a 400­-page hardback book with over 500 illustrations, that captures the essence of the event through hundreds of photographs, plus images of show programmes, posters and vintage adverts that date as far back as the early 1980s, when the show was only a tiny gathering of Invicta Military ­vehicle Preservation Society (IMPS) members with about 100 vehicles.

A Kickstarter campaign has been launched http://kck.st/2aboHFQ, complete with several stretch goals, all aimed at raising funds to help produce the book and get the word out about their archives and future events. You can find other related information on their web page: http://www.warandpeace.uk.com/

 

Share This:

Modelcollect Hints at Grander Things to Come

B-52

During a recent visit to their website, Modelcollect has not only revamped the look and feel of their store, but also added some intriguing morsels of information. Under their “Model” link, they have two new pre-assembled categories being shown: one for warships and a second for aircraft. A 1:72 scale B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber is shown under their “Kits” link, so its entirely possible that a pre-assembled version could be in the offing. Obviously, an aircraft of this size will come with a matching price tag, and require a great deal of bookshelf real estate to properly display. Thus far, the “Kits” link does not show any warships available for pre-order, so its anyone’s guess where they will focus their energies, efforts and overall design goals going forward.

Share This:

Celebrating 100 Years of the Tank

Tank 100 Vignette

To commemorate the first tank engagement, which occurred at the Battle of Flers, in northwestern France, The Tank Museum is holding a special event on September 17th, 2016, called TANK 100. According to the web site, “TANK 100 is being held in conjunction with The Royal Tank Regiment and will feature living history, commemorative tank displays, talks and more.

Visitors can expect to see a display of modern British Army vehicles as well as a variety of historic vehicles from The Tank Museum collection, to exemplify the legacy of those first tanks and the men who fought in them.

There will also be a First World War mock battle, including pyrotechnics, living history reenactors and an aircraft display from the Great War Display Team. The arena displays will end with a short commemorative service, led by the Royal Tank Regiment.”

You can find more information on the event at http://www.tankmuseum.org/whats-on/events/bovevt53512.

Share This:

If it Doesn’t Fit, Force It!

13680554_662703807232226_9126787697549082792_n

According to several sources, it appears as if the long dormant Forces of Valor range of military vehicles, aircraft, and warships will be resurfacing soon, courtesy of a new owner and resurgent look. Their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/fovhobbies/) already has a new cover photo and feel plus, if information posted on July 28th is correct, even their 1:24 scale radio controlled military vehicles will be making a return engagement.

We’re not sure when the the line will be formally introduced or which products will be tapped to from the nucleus of the product portfolio, but we’re nevertheless happy to see them back and with a vengeance. We will post further information just as soon as its passed along to us.

The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78, is represented here in a combination model and live shot digital photo illustration. The ship is the first in a new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, for the US Navy under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), HMS Queen Elizabeth and PLAAN Liaoning, all likely candidates for model representation from the new Forces of Valor some time in 2017.
Share This:

Films in Focus: Hacksaw Ridge, Dunkirk, Anthropoid, Allied and Ghost Army

Seventy years after the conflict ended, there still seems to be no shortage of WWII-inspired films based on true events. Scheduled to open in theaters on November 4th is Hacksaw Ridge, which follows the exploits of Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to ever earn the Congressional Medal of Honor. According to Variety, “The film, directed by Mel Gibson, is set during the bloody Battle of Okinawa when Doss saved 75 men without carrying a weapon on the battlefield. Doss, a Seventh-day Adventist who didn’t believe in killing, even in times of war, was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the frontlines without a weapon.

Set to open in July 2017 is Dunkirk, a Christopher Nolan film, which examines the hasty evacuation of Allied forces from the continent of Europe in May 1940, following their rout by the Wehrmacht as they marched towards the sea. Set on location in Dunkirk, France, principal photography commenced on May 23rd, 2016; in the months following, production will proceed in Urk, Netherlands, Swanage and Weymouth in Dorset, United Kingdom and Los Angeles, United States. In the course of shooting, Dunkirk operates under the codename “Bodega Bay”. The film is being shot on a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large format film stock. Nolan reconditioned actual warships for the shoot, including the French Navy destroyer Maillé-Brézé, and reportedly spent US$5 million of the budget on a vintage aircraft so as to attach it with IMAX cameras before crashing it on-screen.

And then there’s Anthropoid, which is based on the true story of two Czechoslovak soldiers who sent to assassinate the head of the SS in 1942. SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich was the Reich’s number three and main architect of the Final Solution.

Allied is a Robert Zememckis film set in 1942, starring Max (Brad Pitt), a French-Canadian spy, who falls in love and marries a French agent Marianne (Marion Cotillard), after a mission in Casablanca. Max is notified that Marianne is likely a Nazi spy and begins to investigate her.  Allied is set to debut on November 23rd.

Further down-the-road is Warmer Brothers’ Ghost Army, which is based on Rick Beyer and Elizabeth Sayles’ non-fiction book The Ghost Army Of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived The Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, And Other Audacious Fakery. Produced by award-winning actor, Bradley Cooper, and likely featuring him in it as well, the film isn’t slated to open until late 2017. According to Entertainment, “The story follows the true events of a top-secret group of artists and designers—”Cecil B. DeMille warriors,” as they were called—recruited to fool the Nazis during World War II. Using diversions such as inflatable tanks, phony radio traffic, and dummy soldiers, the troops managed to save thousands of Allied lives by tricking the enemy into thinking their flimsy ghost army was the real thing.”

A similarly conceived film tackling the subject of the Ghost Army was released a few years ago and is available on both Netflix and Amazon Prime, so it will be interesting to see how a new version, coming hot-on-the-heels of the first movie, can offer new insight on the master deception.

 

Share This:

Product Spotlight: Marching in Red Square

AS72044a

 

“Order of the Supreme Command in Chief, Armed Forces of the USSR and concurrent People’s Commissar of State for National Defense: To mark the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War, I order a parade of troops of the Army, Navy and the Moscow Garrison, the Victory Parade, on June 24, 1945, at Moscow’s Red Square. Marching on parade shall be the combined regiments of all the fronts, a People’s Commissariat of National Defense combined regiment, the Soviet Navy, military academies and schools, and troops of the Moscow Garrison and Military District. My deputy, Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov will be the parade inspector. Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky will command the Victory Parade itself. I entrust to Col. Pavel Artemyev, the preparations of the parade organization, due to his concurrent capacities as the Commanding General of the Moscow Military District and Commanding Officer in charge of the Moscow City Garrison.” 

– Marshal of the Soviet Union, Joseph V. Stalin, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Armed Forces of the USSR And concurrent People’s Commissar of National Defense of the USSR, Order #370, June 22, 1945

Ever since they were announced, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the latest Modelcollect diecast military vehicles, which includes, among other things, a pair of Russian BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. The product shown here (AS72044) is a vehicle that took part in the annual Moscow Victory Day Parade held on May 9th, 1990, the final year before the Soviet Union dissolved into a Commonwealth of Independent States.

The Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 (Russian: Парад Победы, tr. Parad Pobedy) was a victory parade held by the Soviet army (with a small squad from the Polish army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. This, the longest and largest military parade ever held on Red Square in the Soviet capital of Moscow, involved 40,000 Red Army soldiers and 1,850 military vehicles and other military hardware. The parade transpired just over two hours on a rainy June 24th, 1945, over a month after May 9, the day of Germany’s surrender to Soviet commanders.

Share This:

Corgi Commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the Pearl Harbor Attack in Style

AA36110d

Corgi plans to commemorate the upcoming 75th Anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in grandiose style with specially crafted packaging designed to evoke the spirit of each combatant. According to the Corgi Diecast Diaries, “[Corgi is] proud to announce the launch of the July – December 2016 Corgi model range. Amongst this fantastic array of die-cast delights, collectors will have noticed a trio of models that have been produced to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the infamous Japanese raid against Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, which saw America enter the Second World War. All three of the models to be produced mark aircraft that were in service at the time of the attack and will surely be popular additions to the Aviation Archive range as this Anniversary approaches. Die-cast Diaries is pleased to be bringing you the news that all three of these models will benefit from specially produced commemorative box artwork, which will certainly further enhance these beautiful models and give them a distinctive appearance. We are still working on some of the details relating to the Curtiss P-40B release, so for this edition, we will concentrate on the Zero and Catalina, with the P-40 to follow.

AA33108b

As one of the most advanced and capable aircraft in the early years of the Second World War, the Mitsubishi Zero proved to be the ideal carrier-based fighter aircraft to support Japanese naval actions in the Pacific region. Possessing exceptional levels of speed and manoeuvrability, the Zero was capable of operating over long distances and during early combat operations, Zero pilots were to enjoy spectacular successes over their adversaries. Posting an almost unbelievable kill ratio of 12:1, the diminutive Mitsubishi Zero proved to be the ultimate dogfighter during the early months of WWII, but this dominance was to be short lived, as America entered the war and pilots learned how best to tackle Japan’s best fighter.”

Share This: