The Art of War: Film at Eleven

There’s no shortage of military-themed videos on You Tube, covering everything from unheard of battles to potential near-term conflicts. We regularly peruse the site, looking for pertinent information that either helps to sell the product we carry or addresses items of interest to the average military enthusiast. Some videos and influence peddlers use all sorts of graphics to draw you in, from Transformer-like images used to depict upcoming aircraft to film clips that have nothing to do with the subject at-hand. At the end of the day, many of these videos are little more than flash without any appreciable substance.

There are, however, several “influencers” that I regularly check out if I’m looking for reliable information on historical topics or the latest in behind-the-scenes information that no one else seems to possess. One is Airpower, which is run and narrated by the gravelly-voiced Alex Hollings, who regularly does his homework before putting pen to paper and voice to video discussing his salient position. Recently, for instance, Alex spent 30-minutes explaining why the US Air Force has been using similarly shaped missiles for the last sixty years and how it could take its game to the next level by investigating some new technologies now coming on line.

For historical videos, I oftentimes turn to Megaprojects, hosted by the prolific Simon Whistler. Simon has posted literally dozens of self-narrated videos covering everything from Maxim machine guns to Iran’s attempt at building a stealth fighter. While he does branch out and covers other topics of interest such as China’s electric car industry, its his military-themed videos that have proven to be the most invaluable, using period war-time clips, animations and other proven videographic techniques to draw the viewer in from start to finish.

There are other “influencers” that I some times turn to that seem to know what they’re talking about either because they were once in the military themselves or have access to unclassified data and information that the average person has no idea how to get. These include Mark Felton Productions, Military News, Defense News, Task & Purpose and War & History, to name just a few. Anyway, be careful who you turn to to get the latest word on military platforms still in development as well as battles of yesteryear that may be tainted by extremist political viewpoints.

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The (Grey) Ghost in the Machine

Even though we are still months away from its eventual release, Hobby Master was gracious enough to unveil images of the prototype YF-23 still in development. The YF-23 is an important release for both Hobby Master as well as the hobby itself, since many aviation enthusiasts have always believed it should have won the fly-off against the then YF-22 way back in the 1990s. In fact, the YF-23 has such a dedicated following that many feel the Japanese military is still looking at ways of using the pancake-like design for its first ever fifth generation air dominance fighter, thereby keeping pace with some of the newest aircraft now being fielded by the Chinese PLAAF. Whether or not the YF-23 or a derivative thereof will eventually get the nod by the Japanese is still a matter of conjecture so it remains to be seen if its a case of wishful thinking or concrete thought. No matter, Hobby Master has indicated that they will at some point offer a Japanese maritime version of the YF-23 as a notional “what-if’ scheme sometime later in 2025 along with other schemes that will help them earn back the costs of developing the model.

One of the principal reasons why the YF-23 lost out to the YF-22 was because it was not equipped with thrust-vectoring nozzles, which made the YF-22 more nimble in close-in air combat maneuvering, an important lesson learned from the Vietnam War. Its entirely possible that Hobby Master may eventually offer a YF-23 with thrust-vectoring nozzles as a gesture towards making a Japanese version of the aircraft as realistic as possible. Right now, the jury is out concerning what Hobby Master plans to do for the foreseeable future to make the model as appealing as possible to both purists and futurists.

We’re guessing that like the F-22, the F-23 proposed by Hobby Master will eventually come clad in a mirror-like coating that is aimed at defeating Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) equipment now being fitted to some of the latest Russian and PLAAF aircraft. The mirror-like coating is still being tested as a means of hiding stealth aircraft from prying eyes, particularly during daylight operations. So, its a good bet that whatever variants you see amongst the F-22 models will eventually be applied to follow-on F-23 models. Likewise, expect to see fully-armed models of the F-23s further down the road, with all of the prototype models featuring little else in the way of added gear.

Hobby Master’s inaugural YF-23 is currently available for pre-order on our site but we must warn you that it is still months away from making its maiden flight and into your model collection. There are a couple of European-based dealers that have listed the model on eBay citing it as a pre-order but taking the buyer’s money without being able to fill the order. The problem is that eBay quite specifically says that a pre-sale listing must include the actual release date for the item and cannot list the item as being for sale unless the seller can deliver the item within 40 days of posting the listing. As such, we will refrain from listing it on any of the marketplace sites until we know for sure it is in our possession and ready for delivery. While we may lose out on some early sales, our philosophy is that we must follow the guidelines set forth by all of the marketplace sites we deal with and, in so doing, treat the customer with respect by clearly indicating when the model will hit the streets.

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Panzerkampf “Ups” its Game

We’ve got terrific news for all you tread heads. Earlier today, Panzerkampf indicated they were getting into the larger scale end of the military vehicle business by offering its first ever 1:35 scale tank. Photos were posted for two mid production Tiger I tanks, although its not clear which units they represent since both were bereft of any unit insignia and markings. According to the Facebook post, the Company is still working on their overall game plan, which includes pricing and dates of release. What is known is that the vehicles will be made of plastic not metal and we’re not certain if the tracks will move or remain static. The manufacturer may decide to slug the vehicles to give them more perceived weight so they don’t feel like a model kit. Its not clear if the vehicles will be bundled with other accoutrements or if they’ll come with figures.

To date, Panzerkampf has offered a wide range of 1:72 scale military vehicles and recently offered a limited series of slightly larger 1:64 scale Humvees. There’s still plenty of collectors who fondly remember both the now defunct line of 1:35 scale military vehicles Minichamps once produced as well as Dragon’s complementary range of 1:35 scale tanks and siege mortars. Having a newcomer step back into the vacant larger scale space is certainly welcome news provided, of course, that Panzerkampf gets it right and doesn’t peg these vehicles beyond the $150 price barrier.

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The Art of War: The XM-30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle

While much is being made about the future of main battle tanks within today’s US Army, less has been discussed regarding an eventual replacement for the aging M2/M3 family of Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. An attempt was made way back in 2014 to come up with a solution under the Ground Combat Vehicle program, although plans were eventually scrapped due to limited Congressional funding and weight concerns. A new answer, dubbed the Future Fighting Vehicle (FFV) program, was put forward by the DoD several years ago to come up with a better and more agile replacement for the venerable Bradley — one that could take advantage of the latest technological achievements being made across the entire military spectrum.

In early 2025, the FFV program calls for two separate competitors to field their efforts to determine which will become the newly crowned king of IFVs, with the winner being selected in 2027 and the first set of production vehicles supposedly seeing service as early as 2029. Bear in mind that eleven different variants of the XM-30 are being proposed, from the traditional infantry fighting vehicle to field ambulances and mortar carriers, so every aspect of the design will be looked at closely to determine its value in each role. Additionally, careful attention will be paid to the vehicle’s weight, profile, crew carrying capability, firepower, both active and passive protection systems from a wide array of potential kinetic threats, and ultimate cost given its range of wartime responsibilities. The accompanying video does an excellent job of explaining the program in greater detail as well as discussing the merits of the two contenders who will soon go head-to-head to seek final approval.

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Tales of Transparency: Ship to Shore

Please note that we have no hand in either the production nor the distribution of the products we sell. While we may offer advice to several of the model makers we work with so that they have a better understanding of what our clientele may be requesting, our affiliation goes no further and we have no financial stake in any of the companies we deal with. Moreover, anticipated dates of delivery are just that — anticipated. Release dates are subject to change and can oftentimes lag far behind the original intended date of release projected by either the manufacturer or distributor. Vagaries in the supply chain can and, on many occasions, slow the arrival of shipments by lengthy periods of time.

In summation, the companies we work with are relatively small as compared with far larger corporations in the toy industry yet are looking to serve a global if niche marketplace that continues to grow both here and abroad. So, while product may show up in eastern and southern Asia where many of these manufacturers are located, it may and oftentimes can take longer before said product makes it to our shores and is then available for general sale. As a result, it may take us several months (and in certain cases years) before we can fill a pre-order. Please bear this in mind if you have your heart set on a newly introduced item and choose to pay us up front for an order using debit payments such as PayPal or AmazonPay.

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Product Spotlight: Clipped Wings

Beginning in early 1941, well after the Battle of Britain had been fought and won, there suddenly appeared a new shape in the skies over occupied Europe. Early reports of a new Luftwaffe fighter were initially met with derision, but losses soon began to mount as the RAF tangled with this latest warbird. Fighter Command soon realized that this new adversary had a significant advantage over the Spitfire, its incredible rate of roll and maneuverability far surpassing that of the Spitfire. This new scourge had a name — the Focke-Wulf Fw-190 — and it had tasted blood for the first time. Something had to be done to deal with this harbinger of death before the pendulum swung back to the Axis side.

To increase the roll rate of the Spitfire and improve its combat fighting qualities, the wingspan needed to be made shorter. Fortunately, ever since the first Spitfires, the wingtips were a separate piece constructed from wood with an aluminum skin, often by Rolls-Royce coach building firms such as Freestone and Webb. They were attached with two bolts and a number of small screws to hold a covering strip where the wing and the tip joined, so naturally, it was an obvious idea to unmount them and fit a simple fairing in its place. All you needed to do was remove the two bolts, undo the screws, remove the tip, remembering to disconnect the wingtip light and replace it with a simple cover fairing, which was held in place by the same screws. With the light reconnected the job was done. Simple, and effective – but just how effective?

A test flight was arranged by the Air Fighting Development Unit at RAF Duxford, comparing a standard wing Spitfire Mk V with the new modified version at various heights up to 25,000 feet. It was discovered that the clipped Spitfire wing made the aircraft 5mph faster at 10,000 feet and slightly faster at 25,000 feet, but with better acceleration across the board. In a dive, the clipped wing aircraft could pull away from the standard version and in a dogfight, the improved roll rate meant it could shake off the pursuing unmodified Spitfire. Climb performance wasn’t affected much and there was no noticeable change to the take-off and landing performance.

The Spitfire wing is quite large and actually blocks out a lot of the ground from the pilot’s perspective, which could potentially hide an enemy aircraft, but the removal of the wingtips, shaves over four feet from each side. Clipped Spitfire wings improve the downward view considerably. From a combat perspective, a downward view becomes a sideways view at large angles of bank.

Having improved the performance of the Spitfire Mk V, in conjunction with supercharger modifications (although losses were still heavy against the FW190s), the latter stages of the war saw the clipped wing configuration became a very common, almost standard specification on Mk 9 and Mk16 Spitfires, as high altitude sorties became fewer and low altitude missions such as ground strafing became a priority. (Courtesy: www.Flyaspitfire.com)

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a clipped wing Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb fighter that was piloted by Flying Officer Jack Sheppard, who was attached to No.401 Squadron, then deployed to RAF Catterick, England, during 1943. Look for this modified Spitfire to take wing this December.

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Luft-X and Wings Receive Valuable Reinforcements

Late yesterday, Historic Sales, the owners of both the Luft-X and Wings of the Great War series, announced an additional aircraft for each of their longstanding series. In the case of Luft-X, the range will now come with its first 1:144 scale model — an Arado E.555 I long-range strategic bomber, meant to wreak havoc on the shores of the US and Canada. Its an impressive model if smaller than their predecessors, largely because of its wingspan, which measures nearly 8-inches in length. While ten different versions of the E.555 were being worked on at the Arado Flugzeugwerke, located at Warnemunde, in Mecklenburg, Germany, none took flight, victims of bureaucracy and precious resources needed elsewhere. In fact, all of the E.555 projects were abandoned, following a December 22nd, 1944, order by the Reich Air Ministry.

For the Wings line, Historic chose a subject that, in actuality, could better be positioned as a WWII aircraft than a WWI model since it was built years after the War ended. LZ 129 was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of her class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. She was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company (Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei). She was named after Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, who was President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934. The Hindenburg famously went down in flames over New Jersey way back in 1937, a victim of its hydrogen-propelled fuel being ignited by an onrushing thunderstorm.

While the finished model won’t sport the German swastika on its tail to remain PC compliant, it will come bundled with decals so that collectors can apply them to make it more historically accurate. Like all of the other aircraft in both series, the new models are composed of resin, making them far heavier than they would ordinarily appear. Both models are slated to take to the skies in January.

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The Flight of the Valkyries

The XB-70 Valkyrie is one of those aircraft we’ve been pestering modelmakers to replicate for a very long time. Its an iconic aircraft that most warbird enthusiasts would give an arm to add to their collection even if it never made it pass the testing phase and would likely tip the scales in the ubiquitous 1:72 scale.

For those unfamiliar with the aircraft, the North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie is a retired prototype version of the planned B-70 nuclear-armed, deep-penetration supersonic strategic bomber for the United States Air Force Strategic Command. Designed in the late 1950s by North American Aviation (NAA) to replace the B-52 Stratofortress and B-58 Hustler, the six-engined, delta-winged Valkyrie could cruise for thousands of miles at Mach 3+ while flying at 70,000 feet (21,000 m).

As it turns out, our prayers may have been answered. Recently, we learned that JC Wings plans on tackling the Valkyrie, posting an unpainted prototype image of well, the prototype aircraft. Granted, no plans are underway to replicate the bomber in 1:72 scale, largely because of its size and concomitant cost. So, they plan on putting the Valkyries to flight in both a smaller 1:400 and 1:200 scale, the latter still tipping the scales in both weight and size. We don’t as yet have a timeline as to when this warbird will be ready for pre-order much less available for shipment, not to mention its length and heft, but we can presume it’ll be a whopper when its completed and ready for ogling. Keep your fingers crossed that it satisfies everyone’s appetite.

Update: Apparently, Dragon once offered the XB-70 in 1:200 scale several years back although it was composed of plastic not metal. The model measured almost 12-inches in length and boasted a wingspan of just under 7-inches, roughly the size of a 1:72 scale F-14 Tomcat. So, we’re guesstimating the model will clock in at around 4-pounds, give or take a few ounces. Still a pretty nice-sized bird of prey.

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Amazon Enters the World of 3-D

I’m all about advancing the hobby whenever the opportunity presents itself. When we first started out nearly 25 years ago, I remember several e-commerce businesses that sold models by listing them in a tabular format without any accompanying images or text. Instead they provided the SKU, a quick description and its price, sometimes showing the item’s anticipated date of release, if you were lucky. How they got by is anyone’s guess and, as you might have guessed, most of them have since folded, victims of old world marketing, lack of computing skills or laziness.

Needless to say that as the hobby has evolved so too has the tools used to promote the merchandise. Gone are the days of simple text, garish colors and oddly formatted graphics that neither entice nor excite. Instead, most companies are able to take advantage of the latest technological achievements that have come to the fore, all in an effort to make the customer as at ease as possible by enabling them to shop from the comfort of their phone, computer or tablet.

With this in mind, Amazon recently announced that merchants can now upload 3-D models to certain product listings/categories to showcase products from all angles and give customers more information that can help drive sales. Apparently, there’s no need for the wearing of special glasses, 3-D-enabled storefronts or any other modern-day contrivance that might spring to mind to give these products added spark over the more traditional 2-D images we’ve been used to over the last two decades. Spectacular, yes?

Using the latest in rotoscoping technology, 3-D models will enable would-be buyers to zoom in on an item from any conceivable vantage point, something they are unable to do using static imagery. In the case of an aircraft, customers can get a better close-up image of the model’s cockpit or rotate the product so they can see underneath an aircraft to view its weapons load out. While 2-D imagery can provide the same viewpoints, 3-D modeled products are more suitable for this type of scrutiny since you can zoom in or out using a singular vantage point.

We’ve sent this announcement to several of the hobby’s leading modelmakers to see if they can begin creating 3-D models for all of their upcoming products. While we recognize there’s a learning curve involved with new technology, we also realize that both the hobby and e-commerce are continuing to move forward, no longer bound by institutions and technology that pre-date the Internet. Its a brave new world out there and those companies still working in the past with outdated tools and technology will be the first to tell you they should’ve kept up.

The end result for several upcoming items could look like this:

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Product Spotlight: Green with Envy

The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater of World War II in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe.

After entering service with the United States Army aviation units, the aircraft quickly received the reputation of a “widow maker” due to the early models’ high accident rate during takeoffs and landings. This was because the Marauder had to be flown at precise air speeds, particularly on final runway approach or when one engine was out. The unusually high 150 mph (241 km/h) speed on short final runway approach was intimidating to many pilots who were used to much slower approach speeds, and when they slowed to speeds below those stipulated in the manual, the aircraft would often stall and crash.

Martin B-26B-15-MA Marauder 41-31576/AN-Z ‘Dinah Might’, was given the important task of leading an anti-beach fortification raid against Widerstandsnest 5 (which means ‘nest of resistance’, or ‘strong point’) overlooking Utah beach. The raid happened only a couple of minutes before the landing craft released their troops on their assigned beaches on D-Day itself, one of the final missions to take place before the landings.

Flown by Major David Dewhurst, the experienced Commander of the 553rd Bomb Squadron, US 8th Air Force, this was one final opportunity to neutralize German defensive fortifications, therefore giving Allied troops a better chance of making it off their assigned landing beach in the terrifying hours to come.

Dewhurst’s aircraft, which was named ‘Dinah Might’ after a Bing Crosby tune of the day, released its bombs at exactly 06.24.30 on D-Day, with navigation and timing critical to the success of the mission and the safety of the men waiting to make their historic seaborne assault.

The details behind this final bombing raid of D-Day clearly illustrate why the Utah Beach D-Day Museum elected to finish their preserved Marauder in this historic scheme and why it forms such a poignant center piece for their impressive museum.

‘Dinah Might’s’ target on that fateful morning in June 1944 was only meters from where this magnificent preserved aircraft is displayed today, even though it’s actually only a representation of that famous wartime aircraft.

“Dinah Might” is currently en route to us and should be ready for immediate shipment by the middle of September.

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