The Hiryu Drops Anchor

EMGC35

One of the key players in the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and again at the pivotal Battle of Midway some six months later, the Imperial Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu has put into port and is now being doled out to our customers worldwide. The ship completes both battle’s orders of battle, thereby enabling collectors to display the entire array of aircraft carriers that participated in both naval actions. Unfortunately, the ship does not come with a magazine nor its outer box, and will ship out to customers solely in its clamshell packaging.

EMGC35 Compilation

As a result, collectors can nab this ship for a wee bit less than it would ordinarily cost. Our distributor has indicated that they may never get the version that comes with all of its accompanying paraphernalia, so if you’re a serious naval buff, you may want to settle for this version instead of holding out hope for the deluxe set.

Share This:

A Trio of New Fliers for Wings of the Great War

WW11301

As 2015 starts winding to a close, Wings of the Great War disclosed plans for three new aircraft scheduled for a January release.

WW15003

Firstly, a new aircraft type was announced — a French-built Salmson 2 A2 scout plane in the livery of the US Air Service (WW11301). Also shown was a Spad XIII Biplane Fighter piloted by Lt. Armand de Turenne during 1918 (WW15003) and a German Luft-Fahrzeug-Gesellschaft Roland D.VIa Fighter flown by Emil Koch, of Jasta 32b, during 1917 (WW16002).

WW16002

Share This:

War Master Kicks Off December with a Blast

Warmaster Compilation

In what could be one of the last major shipments of the year, five all-new War Master diecast military vehicles are on their way to us and should be arriving by the second week of December. The quintet includes a Libyan 2K12 Kub Mobile Surface-to-Air Missile System (WMTK61), Russian BM-30 “Smerch” Multiple Rocket Launcher (WMTK62), German Sd. Kfz. 171 PzKpfw V Panther Ausf. A Medium Tank (WMTK63), Russian 203mm B-4 Heavy Howitzer (WMTK64), and a Russian JS-2 Stalin Heavy Tank (WMTK65). These won’t last long!

Share This:

Air Force 1 Shows Off their Mitchell

AF10111

First announced several months ago, Air Force 1 has finally taken the wraps off of their upcoming pair of Doolittle Raider B-25 Mitchell bombers.

AF10111b

Earmarked for early 2016, the 1:72 scale twin-engine bomber, famous for its role in bombing Tokyo after launching from the aircraft carrier, USS Hornet, features fixed, lowered landing gear, a rotating top turret, spinning propellers, and all of the hallmark detail we’ve come to expect from this relatively new model maker.

AF10111a

While the signature edition replica is already pre-sold out, you can still nab the standard edition, sans Lt. Richard E. Dick Cole’s autograph, for the paltry price of just $79.99.

Share This:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star_Wars,_Rogue_One

With the imminent debut of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, details are beginning to emerge concerning the next film set in the Star Wars universe, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. According to Wikipedia, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, or simply Rogue One (previously known as Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One), is an upcoming American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Gary Whitta and Chris Weitz, from an idea by visual effects supervisor John Knoll. The film stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, and Alan Tudyk.

Rogue One is the first film in the Star Wars Anthology series, a collection of stand-alone stories set in the Star Wars universe. The story is set in between the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), and centers on a group of rebel fighters who come together to carry out the mission of stealing the plans for the Death Star.

The film is produced by Lucasfilm and will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Principal photography began at Elstree Studios, near London during early August 2015. Rogue One will be released on December 16, 2016, one year after the franchise’s upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).”

Share This:

The US Navy May Be Hitting the Rails

Zumwalt

The upcoming USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) may be the first surface combatant to mount a rail gun. Still undergoing construction at the Bath Iron Works, the USS Lyndon B. Johnson is the third and likely final ship in the oddly-shaped Zumwalt class of destroyers, which first put to sea a few years ago. Once slated to comprise some 32 ships, budget cuts have reduced that number dramatically even though the US Navy sorely needs the stealthy littoral combat ship to bolster its in-shore capabilities around the world.

The Johnson, however, may be the first warship to mount a rail gun, which recently concluded testing with satisfactory results. The Zumwalt class has been identified as more suited to use emerging technologies, like rail guns, due to its superior electricity generation capability over previous destroyers and cruisers at 80 megawatts; Lyndon B. Johnson specifically is being studied because it is the latest of the class, while the previous two ships would be less likely to initially field the capability due to the testing schedule. The rail gun would likely replace one of the two Advanced Gun Systems.

Share This:

Atlas Adds More Firepower to its Winter Assault

ATL269020

A precursor to Eaglemoss Collections highly-successful Military Vehicles of the Second World War collection, Atlas Editions Editions is continuing to make more of their military vehicles available to collectors in the North American market. We’ve learned that five more 1:43 scale combat vehicles comprise their January order of battle, including a White M3 scout car, Horch Kfz. 15 command car, Canadian Willys jeep with Bantam trailer, US Army Dodge WC 54 ambulance and Dodge US Army WC 63 cargo truck. Priced at just $21.99 apiece, these integral members of the world’s motorized forces are sure to please anyone this winter.

Share This:

The Motor Pool’s Black Friday 15% Off Sale!

banner-01h

Drop that drumstick and step away from the cranberry because we’re launching our annual “Black Friday” 15% Off Sale! You can now apply a 15% off discount to any item listed on our web site (save radio controlled vehicles and the Century Wings line) including back orders, pre-orders and special order merchandise, as well as anything listed as being in stock. Please enter discount code “TMP146” in the coupon box just prior to final checkout. Sale ends Monday, November 30th, 2015. May not be combined with any other sales discount.

Share This:

Hobby Master Confirms a Messerschmitt Bf-109 is on the Horizon

BF109F4Tv2

Apparently the rumors are indeed true. Hobby Master confirmed that they are working on a 1:48 scale replica of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, although no word as yet as to which version will make the early cut. When you consider the many liveries, variants and schemes available, aviation enthusiasts will likely be thrilled by this decision, making it a great companion piece to their growing array of 1:48 scale warbirds.

Share This:

Merit Has the Answer to those Nasty Roadside IEDs

MIL68605b

While its unfortunate we no longer have the 1:16 scale Extreme Metal  vehicles from Unimax for sale this holiday, we do have some good news. Merit’s 1:16 scale US Oshkosh M-ATV Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle is expected to arrive at our depot just before Thanksgiving, meaning we can get these under the Christmas tree or beside the Hanukkah menorah with time to spare. Fully built, fully painted and bearing all of the hallmark detail you’ve come to expect from our deftly assembled military range, we’re sure this vehicle will put a smile on many a veteran’s face as we close out the calendar year. Happy holidays!

Share This: