Death by a thousand cuts. One Abrams that landed on the cutting room floor
We received some unexpected and disappointing news from Panzerkampf late Friday. Apparently, the model maker has decided not to produce one of the M1 Abrams tanks they had advertised for some time, #PZK12209PA, which was a US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survival Kit in a tri-color camouflage pattern with side-mounted desert sand colored ERA. No explanation was offered for nixing this item so as of now only one tri-color camo version of the Abrams is still being made – the US M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survival Kit that served with the 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division (PZK12208PA). The decision seems odds given the number of desert sand versions produced to date but one we have to live with nonetheless. If you pre-ordered and pre-paid for this item we will automatically switch the order to the latter vehicle, which is still expected later this summer.
The manufacturer also indicated that they have no plans to produce their hot-selling M1070 heavy equipment transporter in arctic winter white although the solid green version is still on the table. So, if you see one in the marketplace, we suggest you grab it while you can.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN Douglas A-1H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – VA-176 “Thunderbolts”, USS Intrepid (CV-11), 1966
If you thought there was congestion at the nation’s airports this summer then you haven’t paid attention to the arrivals board at the Hobby Master terminal. As it stands right now, it appears as if both the May and June shipments are expected late next week, possibly one container right behind the other. That means lots of new warbirds all showing up at the same time. But the conga line doesn’t end there because there’s a strong chance that the July shipment won’t be too far behind thereby adding to the mayhem. Don’t get me wrong, its always nice to see new product arriving — its just when they all arrive at once, for one reason or another, then it creates a bit of a logjam for retailers such as ourselves. Needless to say we will update this blog post just as soon as we receive more concrete information from our distributor. In the mean time, we will start making room in our warehouse for all of the new goodies set to show up and begin listing them on our marketplace sites once they’re ready to get turned around.
Update: According to our distributor, both the May and June shipments are now expected to arrive the week of August 2nd-8th, and the July shipment won’t be too far behind them. So, strap in, cause August will be another heavy outbound shipping month for us, with lots of new Hobby Master aircraft models to choose from. At this point, there really is no point in trying to distinguish which models in our August 2022 Hobby Master releases are coming in and when (fifty models of all sorts and sizes is a lot to choose from) so we’ve lumped them all together and await word from our distributor as to which models are arriving and in what order. I know that’s a tall order for everyone concerned but one we are forced to accept given the inelastic nature of the shipping troubles still plaguing our nation. In the mean time, tally ho!
Eaglemoss, the maker of the Star Trek Starships line of Star Trek model replicas, seems to be on the brink of collapse according to Trek Central, a fan site that delves deeply into the Star Trek franchise. According to their recent posting, the British manufacturer has reportedly filed a Notice of Intention to appoint an administrator back on July 12th, and English way of saying they are filing for bankruptcy protection from their creditors. Its not clear what led to the decision to file or how the Company ended up in such a disastrous state-of-affairs when things seemed to be on the upswing and new lines and agreements were being forged as late as last year. At this juncture, its not clear if another entity will look to take over the flagging model maker or if the Company will simply sell off its assets at fire sale prices to raise funding before permanently closing its doors. We’re hoping for the former but recognize that in today’s economic climate anything is possible. For more information on the story, visit Trek Central.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4(105) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension and Deep Wading Gear – 713th Tank Battalion, Okinawa, April-June 1945 [Bonus Continental (Wright) R-975, Radial 9 Engine]
Its no secret that Waltersons, the new caretakers of the Forces of Valor brand, changed course a couple of years ago, announcing a bevy of M4 Sherman and Tiger I tanks in lieu of other vehicle types they had hinted at when they first took over the brand. Highly requested vehicles such as the Su-85 and M10 tank destroyer have taken a back seat to a litany of Shermans and Tigers the likes of which we haven’t seen in years. Its great if you love both vehicle types — not so awesome if you’ve been patiently awaiting other vehicles to add to your diecast arsenal for several years running.
Be that as it many, the Company showed off the next pairing of Sherman tanks expected later this year – an M4(105) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension and Deep Wading Gear as well as a US M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo Assault Tank with VVSS Suspension. Like the previous pairing of Shermans, these two vehicles feature lots of moving parts, a removable engine and a mostly heavy metal exterior, making them excellent testaments to the weaponry that helped to defeat the Axis powers during the Second World War. The problem, as I already touched upon, is where are all of the other vehicles Unimax once produced that are crying out to be re-purposed for the modern age — vehicles such as the M26 Pershing, Panther, Sturmgeschutz and M1 Abrams, along with perennial stalwarts such as the diminutive Zundapp motorcycle. Instead, we get more of the same thing year after year while other vehicle types languish on the back burner, to say nothing of the vehicles collectors have been demanding they make for years on end. I get the fact that it costs quite a bit of money to produce a new tooling hence the abundance of Tigers and Shermans rolling off the Waltersons assembly line, however, when you keep returning to the wishing well expecting to drain it for all its worth, the law of diminishing returns eventually comes into play, as diehard collectors begin to poo-poo the newest releases and wonder when their dreams will finally be fulfilled.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo Assault Tank with VVSS Suspension – “Cobra King”, C Company, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, Bastogne, Belgium, December 26th, 1944 [Bonus Ford GAA V-8 Engine]
Don’t get me wrong — these new vehicles will sell well largely because collectors don’t have much to choose from and competitors such as 21st Century Toys have folded up years ago. But after awhile you begin to ask what was the point of taking over the line if you’re going to confine your production to just a handful of new items while doing your best to tamp down anxieties that seem to gather momentum as the years tick by?
In any event, now that we know what they actually look like, their respective price tags and an approximate release date, we’ve opened up the pre-order window for both of these models. They’ll no doubt get snapped up due to their quality and uniqueness. We just wish that the manufacturer would jump off of the Tiger and Sherman bandwagon and hop on another.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16D Viper Fighter – 90-0778, 310th Fighter Squadron “Top Hats”, Luke AFB, Arizona, June 2022
Even though they’ve fallen behind in both deliveries to their distribution network and artwork for many of their upcoming aircraft models, Hobby Master took time out from the 4th of July festivities to announce yet another flock of warbirds. The latest batch of aircraft aren’t due out until April 2023, but, nevertheless, crisscross virtually every major conflict of the last century, from WWII to the modern day. So, in effect, there’s something for everyone, if you don’t mind waiting what could be a year before they show up in the marketplace.
Here now the rest of what you can lay claim to next year:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 87-0332, 100th Fighter Squadron “Red Tails”, 187th Fighter Wing, Alabama Air National Guard, Dannelly Field, Alabama, 2021Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – “Christl”, Gerhard Barkhorn, II./Jagdgeschwader 52, Ukraine, September 1943
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale Croatian Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – Mato Dukovic, Jagdgeschwader 52, Crimea, April 1944Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-27SM “Flanker-B” Multirole Fighter – “Red 06”, 2013Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale North Vietnamese Air Force Shenyang J-5 (MiG 17F) “Fresco C” Fighter – Nguyen van Bay, 923 IAP “Yen The”, 1972Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 162705, Commander Dale “Snort” Snodgrass, VF-33 “Starfighters”, USS America (CV-66), 1990Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – ZM158, 207 Squadron, RAF Marham, England, January 2022 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – “Beast Mode”, ZM158, 207 Squadron, RAF Marham, England, January 2022 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C “Mod Eagle” Multi-Role Fighter – 84-0025, 53rd Fighter Squadron “Tigers”, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AFB, Germany, 1980s [Low-Vis Scheme]
Amazon, eBay, Facebook, WalMart and the Meta Verse. Oh My!
As many of you know by now, our new home construction has been indeterminately delayed. We’re not sure by how many months — it could be a few, in which case we will attempt to relocate our business and belongings before the advent of the holiday season, or it could be as late as November, in which case we will hang around New York until the first of the year so we do not lose out on the holiday business.
Earlier today, we were approved to sell on Walmart’s Marketplace site. This will be our fourth marketplace site (you can already find us on Amazon, eBay and Facebook) that operates alongside our main web site, and I’m sure will bring with it its own set of challenges and rewards. I’ll likely look at how easy or difficult the onboarding process is around the middle of July and start by listing an abbreviated lineup on their site to see how well certain items sell and whether or not the work brings with it the necessary revenue stream that warrants its daily upkeep.
Lastly, we are looking at launching our next marketplace site, The Motor Pool VR, some time in 2023. Unlike our other more traditional retail annexes, our VR site may require the use of Meta’s Oculus Quest 2 headset to navigate the site since everything will be nestled within a virtual reality world. Here again we will likely launch a limited number of products within what we term a boutique setting, which will allow customers to interact with the products, view different forms of dynamic merchandising techniques, and hopefully lead to bigger and better things as we gain traction within the oft-discussed VR world.
That’s about it for now since we have a very large Forces of Valor shipment spread out over three separate deliveries, which will require us to work diligently for the next few days to ensure everything gets out on time and into the hands of our customers. To recap, the latest delivery includes a number of back ordered items, among them a pair of 1:700 scale warships (USS Missouri and USS Enterprise), their inaugural 1:32 scale Tiger I tank, their second issue Sturmtiger assault mortar and the metal tracks everyone has been asking about since they were released earlier this year. Also arriving is their second issue 1:32 scale Tiger I tank, their second M4 Sherman tank and a set of weathered metal tracks that can be attached to either of their M4 Sherman tanks.
That’s about it for now. In the mean time, have a wonderful Fourth of July, spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the summer months. We’re off to see Minions: Rise of Gru!
JC Wings 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18C Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-42 “Marauders,” 2004
A couple of weeks back, rumors began swirling that JC Wings was planning on making a F/A-18 based upon the latest Top Gun: Maverick film. Images were even circulated although nothing firm was announced by the manufacturer nor was anything said through their social media accounts. Thus far, we aren’t sure if the rumors are true so we’ll just assume they are that for the moment. What we do know is that late yesterday the manufacturer did show off their latest additions to their aerial arsenal, all of which are expected to take wing in the fall. Here now what you can lay claim to in a few months time:
JC Wings 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – VF-41 “Black Aces”, 1978 [Low-Vis Scheme]JC Wings 1:72 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – Erich “Bubi” Hartmann, 9./Jagdgeschwader 52, October 1943JC Wings 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – Electronic Attack Squadron 2 (VAQ-141) “Shadowhawks”, 2007JC Wings 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-34 “Fullback” Strike Fighter – Russo-Ukrainian War, 2022 (1:72 Scale)JC Wings 1:72 scale USAAF Lockheed P-38J Lightning Interceptor – Major Thomas McGuire, 431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group, 1944JC Wings 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 173rd Fighter Wing, 2020 [Commemorative Scheme]
No these aren’t our cabinets. Ours are likely on a dock, lying amidst a labyrinth of containers, sitting idle in Shanghai, waiting to be placed aboard a cargo ship with 10,000 other fully laden containers. Sigh…
Previously we posted that we planned on moving to Florida sometime this summer after our new home was completed, passed inspection and was fit for occupancy. Well, things have changed and our timeline has had to be reevaluated. The recent lockdown in Shanghai has slowed the delivery of all sorts of manufactured goods, from diecast tanks and planes to, of all things, kitchen cabinets. Without cabinets, we are unable to move into our new residence and presently our building coordinator does not have an accurate idea as to when the cabinets will be completed, on the water, in Florida and hung in our brand new kitchen. This could take place in October or it could be as late as November. If it is November, it appears as if we will have no choice but to delay our move until early 2023, since it will have a dramatic impact on our holiday business. So, for now, assume everything hasn’t changed and we will continue to accept new product as it is made available. Obviously should anything change we will post an update here to let everyone know about our revised plans.
Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale RAF Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk Fighter – No.112 Squadron, North Africa, October 1941
The eastern whippoorwill is a medium-sized bird within the nightjar family, found primarily in North America. The whippoorwill is commonly heard within its range, but less often seen because of its camouflage. It is named onomatpoeically after its song. Unlike the melodic call of most birds in the wild, a Whippoorwill singing near a house was oftentimes considered an omen of death, or at least of bad luck. As legend goes, a man could rid himself of an aching back if he turned somersaults in time to whippoorwill calls. On the other hand, if a Native American heard a whippoorwill’s called invitation, he or she was advised to decline it.
Such was the fate of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter, an aircraft rushed into production early on in the Second World War, and meeting with mixed results for several allied nations. First taking to the air in 1938, a scant year before hostilities broke out in Europe, the P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service. The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in front line service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter of World War II, after the P-51 and P-47; by November 1944, when production of the P-40 ceased, 13,738 had been built, all at Curtiss-Wright Corporation’s main production facilities in Buffalo, New York.
Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale American Volunteer Group Curtiss P-40B Warhawk Fighter – R.T. Smith, 3rd Pursuit Squadron, China, June 1942
While it wasn’t a complete disaster in aerial combat, it failed at higher altitudes since it lacked a two-speed supercharger, which instantly made it inferior to Luftwaffe fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 or the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in high-altitude combat, meaning it was rarely used in operations in Northwest Europe. However, between 1941 and 1944, the P-40 played a critical role with Allied air forces in three major theaters: North Africa, the Southwest Pacific, and China. It also had a significant role in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Alaska and Italy.
Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale USAAC Curtiss P-40B Warhawk Fighter – 78th Pursuit Squadron (18th Pursuit Group), Bellows Field, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7th, 1941
That said, Forces of Valor plans on introducing three different P-40s later this summer, each drawn from a different theatre of action and user nation called upon to fly it. While the P-40 paled in comparison to other Allied front line fighters, it nevertheless served a crucial role in the early to mid stages of the conflict and until such time as more potent fighter aircraft could be designed, fielded and flown against the best that the Axis air forces could send aloft.
With Top Gun: Maverick continuing to break box office records, it was perhaps a matter of time before one model maker ponied up the big bucks to secure the coveted Top Gun license. Earlier today, we learned that Hobby Master plans on producing a 50th Anniversary F/A-18F Hornet strike fighter. Its likely other Top Gun inspired aircraft will eventually be offered, from F-14 Tomcats to so-called fifth generation fighters (a.k.a. Su-57 Felon fighters), although we could be jumping the “Top Gun” by putting out such rumors. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Its not clear if the pilot figure will resemble Tom Cruise since he seems to be reluctant to agree to having his face adorn any kind of figure but the simple work-around is to put a seated pilot figure in the cockpit with his visor lowered over his face and the “Maverick” call sign splashed across the top of his helmet.
Anyway, we have listed this item on our web site and have begun accepting pre-orders. Keep in mind Hobby Master will likely be producing a thousand copies or more of this particular model to recoup their tidy investment. Still, this model will likely become a centerpiece for many a collector who, like Hobby Master, continue to “feel the need for speed.” 😛
