Each month Hobby Master trots out the latest flock of models collectors can expect to lay their mitts on later that year. As part of their March 2025 launch calendar, two warbirds caught our eye: one based upon the F-14 Tomcat portrayed in the feature film Top Gun Maverick as well as a F/A-18E Super Hornet meant to depict one of the four US Navy aircraft used to attack a heavily-protected uranium enrichment facility buried deep inside a supposed enemy country. Needless to say, the model maker took precautions to depict both aircraft in a somewhat nebulous form, never actually showing either aircraft as they appeared in the film to avoid any legal entanglements with Paramount, the producer of the film. So, its up to the collector to either display the model straight out-of-the-box as is or, if they so choose, perform what is known in the hobby as a “Code 3”, meaning they can obtain and apply decals from other sources to finalize the look of each model.
Lots of other models were shown in the monthly leaflet, including a U-2S spyplane and an all-new experimental F-35C donned in a black chrome reflective coating. We invite you to take a look at the latest models likely headed to showcases around the world this coming March.
At the risk of sounding like a Pollyanna, it appears as if Waltersons will finally be receiving a shipment of re-stock merchandise by the middle of August. Many of their 1:32 scale tanks and trucks will be returning to the fold, along with a number of 1:700 scale warships. Interestingly, their 1:72 scale MH-47G Chinook is making an encore appearance, having been sold out for a couple of years now.
Apart from their twin 1:700 scale renditions of the HMS Invincible, there doesn’t appear to be anything new in this shipment so its your guess as good as ours as to when the balance of their long-promised new items will show up on our shores. We’ve learned our lesson and not going to speculate about their arrival date, so please bear this in mind if you have your heart and mind set on any of the new items that still appear on their web sites.
We’ll be placing a fairly large order for all of their re-stock merchandise to ensure that they remain in stock for at least through the Labor Day weekend. Mind you we’ll also keep our fingers crossed that they’re still available at the distributor should we need to place a follow-up order. Whether or not they will still be available for the holiday season is up to the manufacturer as demand remains strong even for some of their older items. Its a good problem to have but one they need to fully address going forward.
Not to be outdone by some of the other recent product announcements hitting the air waves, Hobby Master indicated they had plans to pursue a brand new category that, quite frankly, caught many by surprise – 1:8 scale polyresin figures. Two figures were shown off for the first time earlier today: one a statue of a U-2 “Dragon Lady” spyplane pilot while the second pays tribute to none other than Neil Armstrong, the Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, who subsequently became the first man to set foot on the surface of the moon back on July 20th, 1969. Currently, its not clear if either figure will come with separate points of articulation or are simply designed to maintain a simple pose.
The Armstrong figure comes bundled with a replica of the US flag that was planted atop the surface of the moon and what we assume is a soil sampler. The U-2 pilot comes with a portable air conditioning unit and looks to be posed atop a section of runway. Both figures stand atop attractively designed display bases that feature the name of the figure etched along its lower edge. Each figurine carries a price tag of $149.99 and both are expected some time in March.
With two figures announced right out of the box, so-to-speak, its clear Hobby Master has “high hopes” for the category and will no doubt have other figures waiting in the “wings.” Okay, I’ll stop now…
Recently, The Infographics Show posted a slick animated video to YouTube that highights one of the latest ways the US Navy plans on dealing with a larger adversarial fleet in a near-term conflagration. The Manta Ray submersible is an Unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), also known as an un-crewed underwater vehicle or underwater drone, that is a submersible vehicle which can operate underwater without a human occupant. These vehicles may be further divided into two sub categories: Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROUVs) and Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). ROUVs are remotely controlled by a human operator. AUVs, on the other hand, are automated and operate independently of direct human input.
The Manta Ray, which is an example of a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROUV), is a sub class of UUVs with the primary purpose of replacing humans for underwater tasks due to difficult underwater conditions. ROUVs are designed to perform educational, industrial or military missions. They are manually controlled by an off-site operator to perform tasks that include surveillance and patrolling. The structure of ROUVs disqualify it from being able to operate autonomously. In addition to a camera, actuators, and sensors, ROUVs often include a “gripper” or something to grasp objects with. This may throw off the weight distribution of the vehicle, requiring manual assistance at all times. Sometimes ROUVs require additional assistance due to the importance of the task being performed. For instance, the US Navy developed a Submarine Rescue Diving Recompression System (SRDRS) that can save up to 16 people up to 2000 feet underwater at a time. Such a large vehicle with the primary role of saving lives requires an operator(s) to be present during its mission.
Produced by Northrop Grumman as part of a US Navy project to develop long-range underwater weapons, Manta Ray is a sophisticated underwater drone capable of hibernating on the sea floor for “very long periods” without refueling. In May 2024, Northrop Grumman unveiled the submersible, which was developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Modeled after an actual oceanic creature, the drone underwent four years of development to mimic the movements of a real Manta Ray. The product is engineered for extended-duration and long-range military operations with minimal human intervention. Additionally, it features the capability to harness energy from the ocean. Manta Ray successfully completed full-scale at-sea trials off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024. According to DARPA, Manta Ray demonstrates a first-of-its-kind capability for an extra-large UUV due to its “cross-country modular transportation, in-field assembly, and subsequent deployment.”
That being said, if you think all of this futuristic stuff lies in the realm of the fanciful instead of the real world, I would suggest you think again. Last month, the New York Post both obtained and posted an overhead photograph of the Manta Ray docked at Port Hueneme naval base in California. Clearly the Manta Ray has already reached operational status. Its likely that it will be painted either a dark blue or black to further conceal its whereabouts particularly if it needs to surface for repair or conduct communications with its remote operator.
While the recently conducted RIMPAC exercises held off the shores of Hawaii made no mention of either the testing or integration of the vessel in its massive multi-day wargaming scenario, its a good bet that it was quietly undergoing sea trials along with other UUVs that are designed to bring parity between the smaller US-led naval forces and those of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
The ASM-135 ASAT is an air-launched anti-satellite multistage missile that was developed by Ling-Temco-Vought’s LTV Aerospace division. The ASM-135 was carried exclusively by United States Air Force (USAF) F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft.
On December 21st, 1982, an F-15A was used to perform the first captive carry ASM-135 test flight from the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California in the United States.
On August 20th, 1985, President Reagan authorized a test against a satellite. The test was delayed to provide notice to the United States Congress. The target was the Solwind P78-1, an orbiting solar observatory that was launched on February 24th, 1979.
On September 13th, 1985, Maj. Wilbert D. “Doug” Pearson, flying the “Celestial Eagle” F-15A 76-0084 launched an ASM-135 ASAT about 320 kilometres (200 mi) west of Vandenberg Air Force Base and destroyed the Solwind P78-1 satellite flying at an altitude of 555 kilometres (345 mi). Prior to the launch, the F-15 – flying at Mach 1.22 – executed a 3.8 g0 (37 m/s2) zoom climb at an angle of 65 degrees. The ASM-135 ASAT was automatically launched at 11,600 metres (38,100 ft) while the F-15 was flying at Mach 0.934 (992.2 km/h; 616.5 mph). The 14 kilograms (30 lb) MHV collided with the 910 kilograms (2,000 lb) Solwind P78-1 satellite at closing velocity of 24,000 kilometres per hour (15,000 mph; 6.7 km/s).
NASA learned of U.S. Air Force plans for the Solwind ASAT test in July 1985. NASA modeled the effects of the test. This model determined that debris produced would still be in orbit in the 1990s. It would force NASA to enhance debris shielding for its planned space station.
Earlier the U.S. Air Force and NASA had worked together to develop a Scout-launched target vehicle for ASAT experiments. NASA advised the U.S. Air Force on how to conduct the ASAT test to avoid producing long-lived debris. However, congressional restrictions on ASAT tests intervened.
In order to complete an ASAT test before an expected Congressional ban took effect (as it did in October 1985), the DoD chose to use the existing Solwind astrophysics satellite as a target.
NASA worked with the DoD to monitor the effects of the tests using two orbital debris telescopes and a reentry radar deployed to Alaska.
NASA assumed the torn metal would be bright. Surprisingly, the Solwind pieces turned out to appear so dark as to be almost undetectable. Only two pieces were seen. NASA Scientists theorized that the unexpected Solwind darkening was due to carbonization of organic compounds in the target satellite; that is, when the kinetic energy of the projectile became heat energy on impact, the plastics inside Solwind vaporized and condensed on the metal pieces as soot.
NASA used U.S. Air Force infrared telescopes to show that the pieces were warm with heat absorbed from the Sun. This added weight to the contention that they were dark with soot and not reflective. The pieces decayed quickly from orbit, implying a large area-to-mass ratio. According to NASA, as of January 1998, 8 of 285 trackable pieces remained in orbit. The last piece of debris, COSPAR 1979-017GX, SATCAT 16564, deorbited May 9th, 2004, according to SATCAT.
Look for Hobby Master’s rendition of the Celestial Eagle sometime in October.
No stranger to Russian armament, Panzerkampf recently announced plans to offer an additional three VPK-7829 Bumerang K17 Amphibious Infantry Fighting Vehicles to their growing arsenal of 1:72 scale military vehicles. Intriguingly, all three feature dust-covered road wheels thereby giving them a more weathered appearance. Its not clear if this will become a trend for this prolific manufacturer or simply a test to see if collectors prefer the look to the more traditional factory fresh motif. No release dates were listed so we are assuming they’ll be out-and-about for the holiday shopping season.
Previously the Company had released a standard fare woodlands scheme K17 earlier this year and we were awaiting word on the release of their Moscow Victory Day parade version that we thought would roll off the assembly line at the same time. So, in effect, we are now awaiting four K17s to hit the market, bringing the combined K16/K17 total to seven. That’s pretty impressive even though we doubt the vehicle has actually been embroiled in a conflict as yet.
Defense News has obtained images of what they refer to as the M1 Thumper — essentially an upgunned version of the M1 Abrams main battle tank. This new variant features a huge 140mm gun embedded in an enlarged turret as well as a supposed autoloader to handle the over-sized munitions. Its not clear if the US Army will give this ubiquitous version of the Abrams the go-ahead for full production and how effective the new gun is against some of the latest tanks being fielded by other adversarial nations.
Sixty Minutes Australia recently aired a lengthy episode focused on a potential war between the PRC and 29 western nations in the Indo-Pacific region. Based upon a recent military exercise known as RIMPAC which took place off of the Hawaiian shores, the massive wargame, which encompasses air, ground and sea power, is not only designed to ensure that our forces work in concert with one another should war break out but is also meant to send a signal to our potential adversaries that we are ready should a conflict brew up. Needless to say, the most obvious target of a war would be Taiwan, since the PRC has expressly said that it wants to return the island nation to the fold of mainland China some time within the next decade. That said, there are other regions that could come into play should a conflict erupt, among them South Korea, Japan and even The Philippines.
Recently, the Wall Street Journal went so far as to postulate how a conflict would likely take place given what they know about the two sides military preparedness. And, as recently as May, Chinese general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xi Jinping, said that the PRC must be ready to take the island, by force if necessary, no later than 2027. We invite you to spend a few minutes and watch the accompanying video and bone up on what could come should diplomacy fail.
Earlier today at the Royal International Air Tattoo held in England, Corgi announced plans to both bring back an old favorite and, by doing so, enter an all-new regime that may not be familiar to them or their collectors. Long sold out for several years, the TSR-2 is a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC), for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The TSR-2 was designed around both conventional and nuclear weapons delivery: it was to penetrate well-defended front line areas at low altitudes and very high speeds, and then attack high-value targets in rear areas. Another intended combat role was to provide high-altitude, high-speed stand-off, side-looking radar and photographic imagery and signals intelligence aerial reconnaissance. Only one air frame flew and test flights and weight-rise during design indicated that the aircraft would be unable to meet its original stringent design specifications. The design specifications were reduced as the result of flight testing.
The original test aircraft was painted in an all-while scheme indicative of its undergoing evaluation testing and was neither deployed nor given the go-ahead to enter mass production. Interestingly, this new Corgi release is painted in an operational scheme, meaning Corgi is making a departure of sorts by offering up its first “notional” or “what-if” model had the TSR-2 been given the green light and actually produced for front line service with the RAF.
Judging by the pictures provided, the model and accompanying artwork seem to be fairly far along so we are assuming it will be available for purchase and delivery during the second half of 2024. As a guess, other versions will likely get made should this particular model do well at retail. Moreover, Corgi will be looking at sales figures quite closely and perhaps offer “notional” schemes for other aircraft and military vehicles further down-the-road, much like Hobby Master’s recently released look at a Ukrainian F-16 Viper or Egyptian Su-35. Frankly, we think its an excellent way to bring back an old favorite that may be languishing on the back burner for whatever reason and generate new interest in subjects that may have run their course given the lack of new historical information available to them. For instance, could a colorful Manfred von Richthofen Fokker D. VII or D. VIII be in the cards? Maybe…
From time to time we do our best to help out our suppliers any which way we can — offering advice on subjects they may be considering, reviewing text, assessing marketing material and generally looking to give them a leg up on the competition so they can hit the ground running once their product hits the street. Recently, the folks over at Motorcity Classics asked if we knew of anyone that might be looking to earn some extra bucks. Essentially, they are searching for someone with a cursory background in military matters — someone who can string together words in a meaningful manner so that they better describe the products they are selling.
Here’s a job description they forwarded to me, which helps to explain what and who they are looking for:
Job Title: Looking for a Military History Expert and Scale Model Replica Enthusiast Company: Motor City Classics Location: Remote (with occasional Zoom/Teams meetings) Type: Part-Time/Consultant About Us: Motor City Classics has been manufacturing, importing, and distributing scale model replicas for nearly 40 years. We hold licenses with several large companies such as Coca-Cola, PACCAR, General Motors, Ford, just to name a few. Job Description: We are seeking a knowledgeable and passionate Military History Expert and Scale Model Replica Enthusiast to join our team. In this role, you will receive samples of our scale models, take precise measurements of models, and provide detailed descriptions that include historical context and the unique features of each replica. Responsibilities:
Free Samples and additional compensation per model How to Apply: Interested candidates are invited to email us at contact@motorcityclassicsinc.com. Writing samples are encouraged but not required. We look forward to seeing your application and learning more about your passion for military history and model replicas!
Receive and review samples of scale model replicas.
Measure and document the dimensions of each model accurately.
Research and write detailed historical descriptions related to each model.
Highlight and describe the features and details of the replicas.
Collaborate with our design and marketing teams to ensure accurate and engaging product descriptions. Requirements:
Deep knowledge of military history.
Passion for and experience with collecting and analyzing scale model replicas.
Strong research and writing skills.
Attention to detail and precision in measurements.
Ability to work independently and meet deadlines. Benefits:
Flexible work hours.
Opportunity to work with a leading company in the model replica industry.
As a former writer myself, all I can say is put your best foot forward if you’re looking to snap up this opportunity. Demonstrate your command of the English language, your knowledge of era-specific weapons platforms and, above all else, refrain from regurgitating the same old information over and over again to earn your keep. People can see through that hyperbole from a thousand yards away. While speed and accuracy is certainly of paramount importance, it shouldn’t come at the expense of writing engaging prose that will sell a product. Good luck and who knows where this may lead.
