The Motor Pool – Blog – Page 18 – Pureveyors of Fine Diecast Collectibles

Product Spotlight: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 04-4065, 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53d Test and Evaluation Group, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, November 2021 [Anti-Reflective Coating]

In the world of technological advances, what works one minute may not work the next. Take the Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor as a prime example. Billed as a cutting-edge fifth generation fighter, the aircraft may already be showing its age, faced with some unexpected challenges that could put the platform in jeopardy in the not-too-distant future.

In June 2020, the “War Zone” reported that a 401 “Son of Ares” technology demonstration aircraft had conducted multiple test flights over the China Lake Naval Aviation Weapons Center. The surface of the aircraft was covered with a layer of highly reflective metal coating. Its stitching quality is similar to what we saw on this F-22. At the time, the US media assumed that this could be used to test advanced infrared sensors, and even low-power laser systems, as well as the aiming capabilities of these systems for specular reflection targets.

According to the report, the US military is currently conducting a large number of infrared search and tracking systems (IRSTs) tests, which are in the process of early deployment by the US Air Force and Navy. The US military is also developing an air-to-air laser weapon system.

In 2021, scientists developed a new type of stealth coating. This type of stealth coating is a lightweight anti reflective coating based on the structure of a moth’s eye that could make aircraft invisible to radar. The secret to the new coating is the creation of millions of tiny hollow spheres of carbonized sugar, arranged in a tightly-packed hexagonal monolayer. These spheres absorb nearly all radiation used by military targeting radar and law enforcement speed traps.

A coating which is 100 per cent anti-reflective in visible light would appear as a shapeless black mass, while one which had this property in the microwave range would be completely invisible to radar. The secret is the size of the biopolymer beads which form the hollows inside the coating, which at around 6mm are slightly smaller than the wavelengths of microwave and radar beams, and the thickness of the carbon walls that surround them.

Expect this latest technological marvel to land in June.

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Product Spotlight: That Girl is Poison

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Attack Aircraft – 79-10781, “Toxic Death”, 410th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Tactical Wing, National Museum of the United States Air Force, 1991 [Retirement Scheme]

There are eclectic paint schemes employed on some aircraft and then there are the ones that border on the bizarre. Such is our characterization for “Toxic Death” – the latest F-117A to roll off the Hobby Master assembly line and into the arms of wide-eyed collectors world wide.

If a band of pirates were to have stolen an F-117 Nighthawk in an alternate dystopian reality, it probably would have looked exactly like YF-117A #781 does. It’s not every day you see one of America’s most sensitive and exotic combat aircraft stripped of its paint and stealth coatings and rattle-canned with graffiti, but that’s exactly what happen on June 27th, 1991.

Just a couple of years after the F-117 was declassified, and just months after its incredible performance during Operation Desert Storm, YF-117 #781 “Scorpion 2” was selected to be retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, located at Wright Patterson AFB. At the time, #781 was just ten years old, and had racked up just 437 test flights, but it was a pre-production test aircraft – the second of its kind – and could not be reintroduced into the operational F-117 fleet.

Transferring #781 to a museum was a pretty big deal, as no F-117 had ever been put on public display – not to mention the fact that the aircraft was packed with classified systems and coated with some of America’s most sensitive material. Simply flying it to the museum and pulling out some avionics was not in the cards; the “Black Jet” had to be totally stripped and modified inside and out before being rolled out to the public.

To remove any trace of the highly classified radar-absorbent material that coated the F-117’s faceted surfaces, the aircraft was “media-blasted.” This is a process similar to sand-blasting, but utilizes sodium bicarbonate crystals instead of sand so that the jet’s bare skin, which is an amalgam of composite and metallic materials, would not be harmed in the process.

While media blasting was safe for the jet, it was abhorrent for the crews that had to do it. Everyone involved had to be covered head to toe in protective gear and masks, any open seam sealed with tape. Apparently, the fine particulates got everywhere and into everything – no crevice was too small. It was a nasty, arduous process – and precisely where the “Toxic Death” moniker and skull and crossbones emblazoned on both sides of #781 came from. Since the aircraft was going to be repainted before being put on display anyway, the crews had some fun with their blank canvas.

The “Ray Who?” inscription seen painted in red behind the cockpit apparently refers to the name of a gregarious flight test engineer that worked with the Baja Scorpions, the Lockheed-USAF integrated test unit that conducted F-117 developmental flight testing during the jet’s infancy at Area 51.

The freshly stripped #781 made its way to Wright Patterson AFB, and once it arrived was gutted of a ton of other sensitive materials, systems, and reusable parts. Many of the jet’s classified avionics, like its air-data computer, the radar-diffusing grids over its intakes, and low-observable (stealthy) screens over its FLIR and DLIR, had to be dealt with.

Once picked clean, #781 had to be built back up to look like any operational F-117. Certain frequency selective panels, the jet’s exhaust tiles, tail fins, and other sensitive body parts had to be pulled and replaced with lookalikes. Finally, the project was capped off with the application of the Nighthawk’s signature flat-black paint. (courtesy: The Drive)

Look for this latest wunderwaffe, er masterpiece, to land on diecast shelves some time in May.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Get to da Choppa!

**Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale US Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter – 1st Air Cavalry Division**

Perhaps paying homage to the seminal Schwarzenneger film, Predator, Forces of Valor says that their first pairing of 1:72 scale Apache attack helicopters are on track for an early June fly-in. According to their sales literature, one represents a helicopter flown by the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces while the other is tied to the US Army’s famed 1st Air Cavalry Division, no doubt the more eagerly sought after item here in the States. Each comes with two seated crewmen figures, a full weapons load out, handsome display base and, of course, a display stand so that collecotrs have a choice of presentation options.

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M24 Chaffee Light Tank – Company D, 36th Tank Battalion, 8th Armored Division, Fheinberg, Germany March 1945
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M24 Chaffee Light Tank – 79th Tank Battalion, Han River, South Korea, 1950

In an effort to get more 1:32 scale vehicles into the hands of collectors, the Company will be releasing a pair of M24 Chaffee light tanks – one connected to WWII and the other the so-called Forgotten War in Korea. Priced below $100, their newest vehicles will no longer come with a removable engine or detailed engine compartment, something the new owners of the brand felt were an important hallmark of their re-launched series. Its not clear if this strategy will become a trend for Waltersons, who have to date sought to improve older Unimax-created toolings wherever and whenever possible by increasing its metal content and including more robust features, be they opening hatches, engines or painting schemes.

**Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Kfz. 305 Opel Blitz 3-Ton Ambulance – Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front, 1941**. **Opening cabin doors permit collectors to see inside the vehicle**. **A previously hinted at desert sand Deutsches Afrikakorps version will likely be delayed as a future release**

Also expected are two German Opel ambulances, a GMC truck armed with an overhead .50 caliber machine gun and two versions of the illustrious US battleship, USS Missouri (previously profiled).

Now that Waltersons is handling its own distribution within North America it seems as though that production and distribution can now be better coordinated, meaning product should flow more steadily out of Asia and into their most important marketplace. By eschewing the more traditional distribution network, they can bring in larger quantities of product for more extended periods of time and hopefully maintain better in-stock positions across all of their selling venues.

**Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale 1942 Production US Army GMC CCKW 353 6×6 2-1/2 Ton Truck – Unidentified Unit, Europe, 1944**

Lastly, the manufacturer was kind enough to send us final imagery for their upcoming British aircraft carrier, HMS Invincible. While nestled in Japanese packaging and by no means indicative of all of its final features, the two shots demonstrates their commitment towards building out their diecast fleet instead of simply re-hashing older toolings that have been around for some time. We are still awaiting pricing for the soon-to-be-released warship, so we will hold off accpeting pre-orders until the manufacturer gives us the go-ahead to begin the advance order process.

**HMS Invincible, all packed up and ready to sail into the Japanese home islands**

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Dragon Continues to Defend der Vaterland

**Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Sd. Kfz. 164 Hornisse Self-Propelled Howitzer – “Puma”**

As we await the next wave of Neo Dragon Armor vehicles, the Company debuted yet another pairing of 1:72 scale armored subjects. Like their previously announced Hummel tank destroyers, the Hornisse was developed to provide a mobile anti-tank antidote to the growing array of Allied armor they were facing towards the latter half of the Second World War. As a stop gap measure, the Waffenamt saw the need to develop a special weapons-carrier vehicle based on the PzKpfw IV chassis, which was adapted to take the 8.8cm PaK 43 gun. The first of these so-called Nashorns (“Rhinocerous”) entered service in 1943. Later knows as Hornisse (Hornet), the vehicle had an unusually high profile that was difficult to conceal, a problem increased by poor armor with only the driver being fully protected. It was therefore used as a long-range weapon, in contrast to most other tank destroyers. The powerful gun made the Nashorn a potent battlefield weapon, but it was too bulky for its prescribed role and only the lack of anything better kept it on the production line as long as it did. Some 433 were built before production ceased in 1944.

**Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Sd. Kfz. 164 Hornisse Self-Propelled Howitzer**

Featuring a fully detailed fighting compartment, elevating gun and superbly painted exterior, look for Dragon’s Hornisse to rumble onto the diecast battlefield later this year.

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Air Force 1 Hits the Afterburners this September

**Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird Reconnaissance Aircraft – 61-17974**

Air Force 1 seems to be back with a vengeance in 2023, claiming five more warbirds are in store for the latter half of the year. While no new toolings were announced, several fan favorites are making an encore appearance, all attractively packaged and just as attractively priced as they were when they originally flew in. Here now the newest warbirds waiting in the wings for a Harvest Moon release:

**Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAC North American B-25B Mitchell Medium Bomber – “Whirling Dervish”, USS Hornet (CV-8), April 18th, 1942**

**Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAF Northrop P-61A Black Widow Interceptor – “Midnight Belle,” 6th Night Fighter Squadron, Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, 1945**

**Air Force 1’s 1:48 scale US Army Bell UH-1 Huey Helicopter – 116th Assault Helicopter Company “The Hornets”**

**Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird Reconnaissance Aircraft – 61-17980**

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Corgi Looks to Live Long and Prosper

A couple of months back, Hornby let slip that they were looking to get into the sci-fi universe by offering a range of Star Trek-related products. Today, they confirmed the rumors on Facebook with the following post:

“Happy First Contact Day! We’re delighted to confirm that Corgi will be returning to The Final Frontier later this year as we begin to release a new range of officially licensed models from the Star Trek Universe!”

Its a sort of cryptic message with little substance behind it, since it still isn’t clear if they plan to resurrect the Eaglemoss line of Star Trek starships or launch their own fleet from the Trek yards. Either way, its welcome news for both Trekkies and diecast collectors, all of whom are eager to live out their next five year mission with the help of Corgi warping into space in the captain’s chair alongside them.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Sailing into Harm’s Way

**Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale US Navy Iowa Class Battleship – USS Missouri (BB-63), Measure 32, Design 22D Camouflage, Pacific Theatre of Operations, 1944 [Full Hull Version]**

Earlier this year, Waltersons debuted their first pairing of new 1:700 warships when they released their Imperial Japanese Navy battleship, Yamato. While the Yamato had been a part of the original Unimax fleet as well as the reinvigorated Watersons navy unleashed several years ago, the updated Japanese battleship is now available in two distinct versions – one with a full hull and a second as a waterline variant that can satisfy wargamers. Both have done well at retail since leaving port, which has encouraged Waltersons to delve deeper into their line, this time around taking their US battleship, USS Missouri, out of proverbial mothballs and back out to sea.

Expected in early June, the updated warship features new gun turret tooling that enables them to sport individualized gun movement. Additionally, the full hull version comes with an all-new display base, updated packaging, and a slicker tri-color camouflaged paint scheme that better reflects the warship’s appearance during the middle part of the Pacific campaign.

**Updated tooling has led to the development of individualized gun movement as can be seen in the photo above**

Down the road, or, as the case may be out to sea, its a good bet that Waltersons will offer the same treatment to other previously released warships such as the German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz, not to mention the nuclear-powered USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, along with newer builds that have been hinted at for some time – the USS Kitty Hawk, HMS Invincible and others, to name but a few. Its a good and viable strategy provided they can lay the keels and christen these nautical behemoths in a more timely manner.

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Home the Conquering Hero

As March draws to a close, so too does Women’s History Month, known to many as “Her-story”. I struggled to find the words and sentiment for this post, largely because I promised my eldest daughter, Linda, that I would not publicize her latest achievement — privately telling her that only a handful of people would learn of her latest accomplishment. She’s humble, and I get it, yet her latest and most impressive achievement coincided with the great strides women have made in recent years so it seemed appropriate that I break my silence and quite possibly deal with her misgivings later. A few weeks ago, Linda was promoted to Chief of Surgical Operations at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas, making her the youngest female doctor to rise to such prominence at a major metropolitan hospital in the United States. In point of fact, she could be the youngest doctor to have reached that position, breaking through the so-called “glass ceiling” that holds back so many other female doctors, all by the age of 41.

As Chief of Surgical Operations she works with her fellow surgical heads in a variety of roles, and helps to flesh out the one-two punch that the Chief of Surgery position entails. My daughter. Just as importantly, Parkland has and quite possibly will always be known as the hospital in which JFK expired, not exactly something you want to crow about in the medical community. So, by becoming Chief of Surgical Operations it is my hope, nay dream, that Parkland will also be forever known as the hospital that gave a young doctor from New York a chance at living out her own dreams, demonstrating that women of any creed, faith or background can do just as good as job as any man, despite the prejudice some still harbor. I’m sorry, Linda, if I broke my promise by claiming I would remain mum about your latest accomplishment. I just thought it was high time the world knew just how good a surgeon you are, just six years after completing your fellowship at Hopkins and how the torch of womanhood was ably passed on to you. Way to go Linny…

**A day at Disney World with the “Dallas Crazies.” The family came in for a week to help us set up in Florida thereby earning a well-deserved break at The Magic Kingdom**. **P.S. Her daughters still aren’t impressed by her new-found stature**

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Hobby Master: As a Reminder…

**Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USN Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter – Warrant Officer Donald Runyon, VF-6, USS Enterprise (CV-6), 1942**

Per Hobby Master’s MAP guidelines, we have removed any price restrictions on all of the September 2022 Hobby Master arrivals. The price for each item has been reduced to their regular selling price and you may now apply any discounts we offer towards the purchase of these items. This process will recur on the first of every month in compliance with their updated MAP pricing program. You can tell if an item is no longer MAP protected if the blue MAP seal that appears alongside its image and just below its price has been removed. In effect, a retailer is no longer bound by the 6-month introductory MAP restriction policy and can sell the item for whatever price they deem appropriate.

In other news, our distributor reports that Legion has now arrived and is on its way to us. The first shipment encompasses most of their 1:72 scale military vehicles, a pair of Yorktown class aircraft carriers and finally all four F4U Corsairs. Again, this line is aimed at the collector on a budget and/or entry level aficionado who may be put off by some of the higher priced lines such as Panzerkampf. Also winging their way to us are a pair of the latest Oxford Frontline Fighters.

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The Forces of Valor Update: April Showers

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4(105) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension and Deep Wading Gear – “White 6”, 711th Tank Battalion, Okinawa, April-June 1945 [Bonus Continental (Wright) R-975, Radial 9 Engine]

After speaking with Waltersons earlier today, they are getting set to ship out our next order, which includes the fourth Sherman tank in their Engine Plus series. The shipment also includes metal tracks expressly developed for the previous Sherman release, an all-new 1:72 scale Chinook helicopter and lots of stuff that was on back order for several weeks running. We should have everything in-house around the second week of April since our order will be shipped out to us via freight instead of a standard ground carrier due to its sheer size and weight.

If you ordered the “Cobra King” Sherman along with this new Sherman tank with wading gear, then we will ship out both vehicles in one parcel to reduce shipping costs. Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long but we originally thought both vehicles would be sent out together instead of this staggered release.

**Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale RAF Boeing-Vertol HC.Mk 1 Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopter – No.7 Squadron, BRITFORLEB Task Force, Lebanon, 1984**

Again, we would appreciate it if everyone refrains from contacting us to ask about their order. As I have indicated previously, it only ends up slowing us down and prevents us from getting your orders out as quickly as possible. If we have any questions regarding your order we will reach out and contact you – otherwise look forward to receiving an order completion notice followed by tracking information. That’s about it for now and hope you enjoy Forces of Valor’s latest diecast hardware.

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