Product Spotlight: The Sukhoi Su-30 “Flanker-C” Multirole Fighter

Hobby Master 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM “Flanker-C” Fighter – “Red 3”, 31st Guards Fighter Regiment, Zernograd, Russia, 2015

With so much hype surrounding the recently unveiled Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate Light Stealth Fighter, Hobby Master seized upon the opportunity to show off their latest Sukhoi endeavor.

The Sukhoi Su-30 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C/G/H) is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.

The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family by Sukhoi. The design plan was revamped and the name was made official by the Russian Defense Ministry in 1996. Of the Flanker family, the Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-34 and Su-35 have been ordered into limited or serial production by the Russian Defense Ministry. The Su-30 has two distinct version branches, manufactured by competing organisations: KnAAPO and the Irkut Corporation, both of which come under the Sukhoi group’s umbrella.

KnAAPO manufactures the Su-30MKK and the Su-30MK2, which were designed for and sold to China, and later Indonesia, Uganda, Venezuela, and Vietnam. Due to KnAAPO’s involvement from the early stages of developing the Su-35, these are basically a two-seat version of the mid-1990s Su-35. The Chinese chose an older but lighter radar so the canards could be omitted in return for increased payload. It is a fighter with both air supremacy and attack capabilities, generally similar to the U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle.

Irkut traditionally served the Soviet Air Defense and, in the early years of Flanker development, was given the responsibility of manufacturing the Su-27UB, the two-seat trainer version. When India showed interests in the Su-30, Irkut offered the multirole Su-30MKI, which originated as the Su-27UB modified with avionics appropriate for fighters. Along with its ground-attack capabilities, the series adds features for the air-superiority role, such as canards, thrust-vectoring, and a long-range phased-array radar. Its derivatives include the Su-30MKM, MKA, and SM for Malaysia, Algeria, and Russia respectively. The Russian Air Force operates several Su-30s and has ordered the Su-30SM variant as well.

Look for Hobby Master’s inaugural Su-30 to take wing before the end of this year.
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Anatomy of War: The Sukhoi Su-75 “Checkmate”

Both the Internet and international defense community are abuzz with news that Sukhoi is about to debut a new fifth generation fighter aircraft. Dubbed, supposedly, the Su-75, since its fuselage is emblazoned with the number “75”, the new single-engine aircraft is designed to be a lightweight, low-cost alternative to the twin-engine Su-57 “Felon” now entering low-rate production in Russia, much like the Lockheed F-35 has been developed in the US to work in conjunction with the much more expensive F-22 Raptor. Little is known about the so-called Su-75, which will purportedly be unveiled to the world at tomorrow’s MAKS airshow held at Zhukovsky International Airport in Russia. If the rumors are true, the Su-75 is likely being developed for both the Russian military as well as for certain export customers who are seeking a somewhat less expensive fighter that truly performs as advertised when it comes to exhibiting stealth characteristics. The SU-57, while billed as a stealth fighter, may not be quite as stealthy as Sukhoi claims, in large part due its large exposed engines that give off an excessive heat bloom while in trans-sonic flight.

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Hobby Master Clears More Aircraft to Buzz the Tower in Early 2022

Hobby Master 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – Erich “Bubi” Hartmann, 9./Jagdgeschwader 52, October 1943

As is customary, Hobby Master announced their latest spate of new model introductions right around the middle of the month. While no new toolings were debuted, there were a number of important releases based upon some of their older molds that have taken a back seat in recent months to some of the trendier “darlings of diecast” that seem to have won the hearts and minds of collectors world over. Here now the latest list aircraft expected some time in either February or March:

Hobby Master 1:72 scale JASDF Mitsubishi F-2A Multirole Fighter – 13-8557, 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8th Air Wing, Tsuiki Air Base, Japan
Hobby Master 1:48 scale USAF McDonnell F-4D Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 66-7733, 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron “The Warhawks”, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, 1969
Hobby Master 1:72 scale German Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon Multi-Role Fighter – 30+29, Jagdgeschwader 74, Neurburg Air Base, Germany, 2013
Hobby Master 1:72 scale RAAF Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – A35-028, Exercise Arnhem Thunder, 2021 [Low-Vis Scheme]
Hobby Master 1:72 scale Israeli Boeing F-15I Ra’am Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 69 Hammers Squadron, Hatzerim, Israel, 2010s
Hobby Master 1:72 scale Soviet Air Defense Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD “Foxbat-E” Interceptor – “Blue 75”, 1979
Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFC-12 “Fighting Omars”, NAS Oceana, Virginia, June 2021
Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW Aircraft – 166503, VAW-120 “Greyhawks”, Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, 2010
Hobby Master 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon” Stealth Fighter – “Blue 056”, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia, 2016
Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 163217, VF-103 “Jolly Rogers”, NAS Oceana, Virginia, June 2005
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Forces of Valor Trots Out its Second Sturmtiger Assault Mortar

Its a bittersweet moment when Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, begins to show off imagery of their newest products. That’s because it oftentimes takes them many months before we can actually put the product into the hands of the collector, who must anxiously wait an eternity to lay claim to the latest 1:32 scale FOV vehicle. Nevertheless, we thought you might like to see the first pix of their next vehicle in the conga line: a late production Sturmtiger assault mortar. Unlike the first vehicle, the second vehicle is clad in a tri-color camouflage scheme indicative of seeing combat towards the latter half of 1944. It also comes with three crewmen who are seen here loading the over-sized ammunition onto the vehicle.

While the manufacturer’s web site claims it will come out in 2021, it could indeed be some time before it makes it to our shores since the distributors responsible for stocking the line must bring in container loads of FOV product to help mitigate the increased cost of trans-oceanic shipping. Still, we thought you might like to see the fruits of their labors and we can only hope that additional imagery of both this vehicle and other long talked about products begin to materialize and hopefully make it under the tree this holiday season.

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The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming

DeAgostini’s 1:43 scale Soviet ISU-152 Self-Propelled Gun – “Liberate Kirovograd”

Leveraging the title of a popular 1960s era feature film, we thought you might like to know that we are, at last, due to receive our first shipment of DeAgostini’s critically acclaimed 1:43 scale military vehicles. As far as we know, the first group of vehicles are based upon some of the more noteworthy Soviet-era battle tanks that were either field tested or produced in the 1940s and 50s. As the series expands, other Cold War era tanks will be incorporated into the line. Later on, this series will encompass vehicles from other nations too, although its not clear if all of the original introductions made available in Europe will make the cut here in the North American marketplace.

Each vehicle comes with a decorative display base with its name etched in Cyrillic markings. They also feature rotating turrets and elevating guns, just like the real McCoys. Priced at just $36.99 apiece, we feel that this series will sell rather well particularly since they are a lot larger than some of their comparable 1:72 scale counterparts that typically sell for around the same price point. The first group of seven vehicles are expected to arrive later in July.

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When Darkness Falls: An A-10 for the Ages

Earlier this year, one of Hobby Master’s F-16 Vipers, painted up in an ominous dark black scheme to make it resemble a venomous snake, sold out almost as quickly as they came in, an instant hit among collectors and Viper aficionados that have left them clamoring for more. While we await word to see if Hobby Master plans to introduce a second version of this critically acclaimed hit, we learned recently that a USAF A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft was unveiled in a similarly conceived scheme, no doubt piggybacking off of the success of the “venomous” Viper.

Attached to the Indiana Air National Guard, the so-called “Blacksnake” was created to honor the 100th anniversary of the Indiana Air National Guard (1921-2021). Its certainly a beauty, and represents a marked departure from previous anniversary schemes that typically conjure up images from the past such as the invasion of Europe in 1944. Naturally, we’ve passed along this information to the powers that be and wouldn’t be surprised in the least if Hobby Master and possibly other modelmakers decided to recreate this aircraft as part of their 2022 product roll out. In the meantime, it might be wise to make space in your diecast hangar so that this model can be displayed in all its glory.

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Its Beginning to [Not] Look Like Christmas

As we alluded to in an earlier post, this could be one of the worst holiday seasons in recent memory. While much of the United States appears to be recovering from the pandemic, other parts of the world aren’t faring as well, which will have a dire impact on the upcoming holiday season. We’ve already discussed the current port congestion all along the western United States, which has delayed the receipt of countless goods bound for US distributors. It has also had a dramatic effect on the cost of shipping, oftentimes tripling in price as compared with shipping fees in 2020.

Now comes word that Bangladesh is extending their lockdown to more regions within the country in an effort to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This is an important development because over the last several years, more and more manufacturers have been moving their manufacturing resources out of China and into several southern Asian countries, most notably Banglasdesh, largely in response to rising labor costs in the PRC. Unfortunately, this strategy seems to have backfired at least in the short term as much of southern Asia is beset by the virus with no clear avenue towards recovery in site.

Diecast manufacturers such as Hobby Master, Solido, Panzerkampf and others are affected by this expanding lockdown, which is playing havoc with their production schedules. As a result, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to predict when product will come to market and equally vexing to determine when new product will be announced. Please bear this in mind when you contemplate placing new orders with us.

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Hobby Master Signals More Aircraft are Taking to the Skies in 2022

Hobby Master 1:72 scale USAF Convair F-102A Delta Dagger Interceptor – 70907, 460th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 337th Fighter Group, Portland IAP, Oregon, 1962

Like clockwork, Hobby Master announced its latest compendium of aircraft models, all scheduled to land in February 2022. Its a bit of an eclectic mix, with models catering to the needs of collectors dabbling in different military eras and scales. Interestingly, the newest US Navy Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft isn’t really a newbie at all: its a second rendition of this icoinc bird sans the shark mouth at the front of the aircraft. Some collectors have said it doesn’t look all that appropriate for an aircraft of this nature. Hobby Master listened, and decided to offer this aircraft without “its teeth”, a wise move that demonstrates Hobby Master’s commitment to its fans. Here’s a quick-and-dirty look at what you could be adding to your aircraft collection in early 2022:

Hobby Master 1:72 scale German Lockheed F-104G Starfighter Interceptor – 26+69, Marinefliegergeschwader 2, 1985
Hobby Master 1:72 scale German Lockheed F-104G Starfighter Interceptor – 27+79, Marinefliegergeschwader 2, 1985
Hobby Master 1:72 scale JASDF Mitsubishi F-2A Multirole Fighter – 13-8508, 8th Squadron, Tsuiki Airbase, Japan, 2018
Hobby Master 1:72 scale USAF McDonnell F-4E Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 74-1040, 704th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Nellis AB, Nevada, 1989 “Gunsmoke ’89 Competition”
Hobby Master 1:72 scale RAF Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon Multi-Role Fighter – ZJ914, IX(B) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, England, 2020 [Aggressor Scheme]
Hobby Master 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – “Tiger Meet of Americas 2005” [Tiger Meet Scheme]
Hobby Master 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-35S “Super Flanker” Multirole Fighter – “Red 04”, Russia, 2019 (1:72 Scale)
Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – 160437, VAQ-142 “The Gray Wolves”, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Operation Enduring Freedom
Hobby Master 1:48 scale USN Chance-Vought F4U-1 Corsair Fighter – 17-F-13, VF-17 “Jolly Rogers”, USS Bunker Hill CV-17), 1943
Hobby Master 1:48 scale USMC Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair Fighter – Major Greg Boyington, VMF-214 “Black Sheep”, January 3rd, 1944
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“The Sky is Falling”

Let’s face it, no one wants to be seen as a Foxy Loxy, running around like a chicken without its head screaming, “the sky is falling!” Nevertheless, things in the supply chain aren’t looking particularly good, with dozens of containers ships still sitting offshore all along the US west coast awaiting their turn for offloading. Just to give you an ideas as to how bad things are, our May shipment of Hobby Master products, which was originally scheduled to show up in early May, will now likely show up the first week of July (keeping our fingers crossed) and the subsequent shipments will no doubt get pushed back even further as they fall victim to the same port congestion issues.

But that’s just the start of the problem. As August and September draws nigh, mass merchants such as Walmart, Target et al., typically start receiving their holiday ware, meaning lots more containers arriving and sitting idle until its their turn for berthing and unloading. On top of that, COVID seems to be once again raising its ugly head in South China, forcing containers and ships, already in tight supply, to pile up as those workers who haven’t contracted the virus do their utmost to keep things rolling along.

So what does this all mean for the average consumer? While we don’t sell Tonka trucks, Barbie dolls or Mr. Potato Heads, the same issues affecting the toy industry at large are playing havoc with the collectible diecast market. For starters, there won’t be nearly as much product available this holiday season as in year’s past, which, in turn, forces up the price of those items that are in stock and ready for immediate shipment. It also means retailers won’t have to do quite as much promoting to sell what they do have in stock, and instead will likely push product out the door at full price instead of having to slash prices.

We’ve already seen a number of newly arriving products sell for more than their original asking price and others, such as the soon-to-be-arriving Hobby Master U-2 spyplane, pre-sell out, and already fetching prices in the aftermarket venues well above their sticker price.

So, as always, we urge everyone to place their pre-orders sooner rather than later, even if it means having to wait an eternity for your prized possession to show up. While its not the optimal situation for collectors with fist fulls of cash, its probably the wisest recourse, particularly if you are looking to lay your mitts on some of the more coveted introductions expected this year.

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June Swoon: This and That for the Summer Doldrums

You may have noticed that there are very few new products coming in and that loads of items promised for months now keep getting delayed. The reason for this can be summed up in two words: port congestion. With the world trying to get back to normal in the wake of the pandemic, and consumers looking to spend their hard-earned money on the latest wares, ports located along the western US have been inundated with cargo ships, which, in many instances, have had to drop anchor for several weeks awaiting their turn to be unloaded. This has meant that many new items keep getting delayed, sometimes by as much as several months. So, while certain items such as Hobby Master’s U-2 spy plane may be available for purchased elsewhere in the world, that same item is still sitting in the bowels of a container ship moored off Los Angeles. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do about the present situation which could, theoretically, get worse in the not-too-distant future, as mass merchants such as Walmart, Target et al. start receiving their key shipments in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. Bloomberg claims that the port congestion will be cleared by August but we continue to have our doubts as distributors look for alternate means of bringing in product from east and southern Asia. That said, we ask for your patience during these trying times as we and other retailers wait to take delivery of several long overdue shipments.

Many of you have asked what the situation is with Forces of Valor, who keeps announcing lots of new items but seems to routinely have problems delivering on their promises. The short answer is we don’t know. For five years now, they have intimated that their VS Tanks radio controlled series is in the offing yet here we are, with nothing to show for it. The same holds true for their 1:24 scale tanks released under their Forces of Valor moniker. The M1 Abrams and M26 Pershing tanks were originally slated to roll in last November, yet here it is June 2022 and we still have no further word on when to expect them. Back in May 2021, they even posted that “the wait is over” for their 1:16 scale T-72 tank, yet here we are over a year later with nothing to show for it. I’m not sure why they are okay with this tact, and have indicated our displeasure on more than one occasion.

The same holds true for all of their static 1:32 scale models, which are regularly hinted at online and are still posted as “coming soon” on the manufacturers web site, but show no signs of further progress. Like you, we aren’t happy about the situation and seem to get conflicting information when we ask about their likelihood of release. We don’t want to pull down these listings from our web site for fear that new information could, in fact, suddenly surface but we’re in the same situation as everyone else, regularly spoon fed erroneous information that oftentimes never materializes. At this point we strongly recommend that you contact the manufacturer directly to see why they continually post items to their web site that seems to languish on the drawing board for an eternity. You can reach them both on Facebook and through their own web site.

There’s some other important information that has arisen over the last couple of weeks that we aren’t comfortable sharing just yet with our customers. Its an important development, but one which we do not feel we can discuss at present until the manufacturer decides to explain it more fully. Anyway we will keep you apprised of any further developments as soon as we can.

That’s about it. Make sure to get vaccinated and enjoy the summer season. Everyone certainly deserves it after a tough 2021.

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