Anatomy of War: Nuclear Drones

It isn’t often we pen a blog post about the latest advancements in the world’s arsenals. If we did, we’d end up writing about something every day and never get around to discussing some of the coolest pieces of diecast hardware coming to market. Recently, however, we were caught off guard by an article posted by The National Interest, which happens to do an excellent job of covering all of the world’s latest developments in the military sector.

According to a November 7th posting, Russia is preparing to reconfigure an Oscar II class submarine that would enable it to launch a flotilla of nuclear-powered drones. According to Russian state media, which oftentimes likes to boast about some of their latest military breakthroughs in the hopes of intimidating the West, “the Russian Navy is on track to deploy up to 32 of its “Poseidon” thermonuclear drones across four submarines.

Poseidon is an underwater drone weapon, armed with a 2-megaton nuclear or conventional payload that can be detonated “thousands of feet” below the surface. This is meant to generate a radioactive tsunami capable of destroying coastal cities and other infrastructure several kilometers inland.

Poseidon can remain submerged at up to one kilometer, travels at a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour, and is programmed to execute three-dimensional evasive maneuvers in response to interception attempts.”

We’ll leave it up to you to determine if this latest development should be a cause of worry and consternation for Western war planners who are once again grappling with a Cold War foe determined to flex its muscles in the increasingly more dangerous 21st Century world. For more information on the Poseidon, pay a visit to The National Interest.

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We’ve Got the Fixins for Thanksgiving!

Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – “Swamp Fire”, 524th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, Kimbolton, England, 1944-45

Seems as if everything is rolling in two-by-two these days. A pair of Air Force 1 B-17 bombers, a duet of Forces of Valor T-34/85 tanks and well, a lonesome Air Commander F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber that makes me look like a liar from a literary standpoint. More importantly, these and other new items have been trickling in days before Thanksgiving Day weekend, making them ideal gifts for the holidays even if some of them may not fit in your favorite Christmas stocking.

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale Soviet T-34/85 Model 1944 Medium Tank – 55th Guards Tank Brigade, 7th Guards Tank Corps, Berlin, 1945 [Bonus Model V-2 Diesel-Fueled 12-Cylinder Engine]

Lots of additional new products are still expected to come out for the holidays, so make sure you peruse our newsletter, visit our blog and check out our web site on a daily basis to see what just arrived from the North Pole.

Air Commander’s 1:72 scale USN McDonnell F-4J Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 155532, CAG Bird VF-33 “Starfighters”, USS Dwight Eisenhower (CVN-69)
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The Forces of Valor Update: Message in A Bottle

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Ausf. G1 Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit – “234”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, August 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]

Some times a message can get lost within another message, especially when it gets stuck in the crevices of a castaway’s bottle. That’s the case with Forces of Valor when they recently discussed their upcoming 1:32 scale Tiger and Sherman tank variants last week. While reading through some of the ensuing comments and their own remarks it appears as if the Company is finally getting set to discuss their military aircraft line, which was hinted at well over two years ago but has seemingly laid dormant ever since. This December, Waltersons plans on discussing how they will re-purpose some of their existing aircraft tooling, which was never truly a hit with the aviation community. They’ve listened to the community, done their due diligence by researching the competition and believe they are now ready to discuss their plans in detail now that they are competing in a space long dominated by others.

In other news, the Company is hard at work touching up some of their existing tank toolings, particularly the M24 Chaffee light tank, which, according to consumer sentiment, was one of their fan favorites and required little work to bring up to date. New molds are in the offing too, including their first ever Leopard 2A5 and 2A6 main battle tanks, likely offered in German markings and paint schemes. We are hoping that the Stryker, which was cancelled by Unimax before its release, will be drawn out of storage while other tanks, such as the Abrams, gets a face lift to bring it up to today’s standards.

Lastly, pictures have finally posted for their upcoming Jagpanther tank destroyer, which models the earlier G1 variant complete with zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste. Reading between the lines we’re willing to bet a G2 version will eventually be made, which featured, among other things, a two-piece gun barrel and the omission of any zimmerit. Finally, a pair of 1:32 scale T-34/85 tanks are finally en route, and should be ready for immediate shipment right before Thanksgiving. Gobble gobble!

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The Forces of Valor Update: Tigers on the Rhine

Recently, Waltersons posted several comments concerning their upcoming 1:32 scale Tiger tanks to their Facebook page. According to the FOV rep, 24 versions will eventually be offered, although its not clear if all of them will come out in 2020 and how many involve repaints which the Company considers as a separate SKU. What is known is that the manufacturer has spent an inordinate amount of time and effort retooling the original mold which first surfaced way back in 2003, thereby ensuring that it will pass muster amongst the FOV community of 2019. Four versions of the Tiger I will be produced (initial, early, mid and late revisions) each with their own intricate features, characteristics and shortcomings that should sit well with discriminating collectors. For starters, all of the vehicles feature a reworked suspension enabling them to smoothly roll along a flat or uneven surface. Each will come with their appropriate road wheels, which ranged from the initial rubber rimmed wheels that tended to get bogged down in the mud to the more efficient steel rimmed wheels used in the latter versions of the Tiger I.

According to Waltersons, the Sturmtiger, which was never a part of the original Unimax line up of combat vehicles, will likely come out in mid-year and feature a fully detailed crew compartment, although its not clear at present if collectors will be able to remove the superstructure to peer inside the vehicle. Likewise, its not certain if the vehicle will come with stacks of ammunition stored inside the vehicle and/or a crane that was used to lower the ammunition into the gun’s breech. Since the manufacturer tends to take the high road when it comes to replicating armored fighting vehicles of World War II its more than likely going to occur, albeit at a slightly higher price considering all of the extra work, labor and material going into the effort.

Lastly, the Company claims that the first batch of Tigers will be completed some time in January. Even if this pans out, its not likely we will see any of the models before March, at the earliest, due in part to the upcoming Chinese New Year, continued tension in the streets of Hong Kong and trade war currently underway between the Peoples Republic of China and the US.

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Our Facebook Shop Goes Live

Even though its taken us some time to get around to it, customers can now purchase a select group of items from our Facebook page. While not every item in our growing catalog will be added to our Facebook shop, we will put up for sale many of the most recent arrivals, taking them down once inventory has been depleted. Thus far, only a handful of items have been included within the “shop” but expect many more items to be added as more new items come in this holiday season. Keep in mind, these very same items can be purchased from our web site, which contains everything we sell as well as those items not yet released by the manufacturers. We will likely build out our Instagram shop next, followed, in rapid succession, by our Target + and Toys ‘R” Us sales channels in early 2020.

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Tales of Transparency: Lagging Indicators

With the end-of-year tariff imposition looming, it appears as if several manufacturers and distributors are doing their utmost to stuff as much product into the supply chain to avoid unwarranted and potentially expensive fees that are then tacked on to the asking price of most hobby-related items. As a result, several late year deliveries, which were expected in early November, now seem to be delayed by several weeks, possibly arriving after the all-important Thanksgiving Day weekend. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that a late November/early December time frame will see the arrival of a number of shipments, among them Forces of Valor, Eaglemoss, Air Commander and Air Force 1. Where this puts our December shipments is anyone’s guess so we’ll stay on top of this issue as best we can and report any further delays should they arise.

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Hobby Master Dashes Once More Unto the Breach

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC McDonnell F-4N Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 15323, VMFA-531 “Grey Ghosts”, USS Coral Sea (CV-43)

Certainly one of the most prolific model makers of our time, Hobby Master has nonetheless kept one eye on the mill stone and one on the clock ever since they came into being back in 2006, releasing a steady diet of replicas month in and month out that have become the envy of aficionados world over. For April, collectors can expect to look forward to taking delivery on the following models:

On the ground…

#HG5313 – Republic of China (Taiwanese) M41A3 Walker Bulldog Light Tank (1:72 Scale)

#HG5314 – Republic of China (Taiwanese) Marine Corps M41A3 Walker Bulldog Light Tank (1:72 Scale)

…and in the air

#HA0152 – Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21PFM “Fishbed” Fighter – “Red 50” (1:72 Scale)

#HA3336 – US Navy Northrop F-5E Tiger II Fighter – 527th Aggressor Squadron, Alconbury AB, England, 1976-1988 [Aggressor Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

#HA8904 – USN Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Fighter – Lt. Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, “White F-15”, VF-3, USS Lexington (CV-2), 1942 (1:48 Scale)

#HA3876 – USAF General Dynamics F-16C Block 25 Fighting Falcon Fighter – “Ghost Scheme”, 64th Aggressor Squadron, 57th Adversary Tactics Group, Nellis AFB, Nevada [Aggressor Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

#HA19014 – USMC McDonnell F-4N Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 15323, VMFA-531 “Grey Ghosts”, USS Coral Sea (CV-43) (1:72 Scale)

#HA5605 – Syrian Air Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD “Foxbat-A” Interceptor – 5th Aerial Squadron, Tiyaz, Syria, 1985 (1:72 Scale)

#HA3026 – RAAF General Dynamics F-111C Aardvark Strike Aircraft – A8-272, No. 6 Squadron, 1994-2007 (1:72 Scale)

#HA5113 – US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-103 “Jolly Rogers”, 75th Anniversary Commemorative Scheme, USS Lincoln (CVN-72), 2017 (1:72 Scale)

This May, the following aircraft are scheduled to swoop in:

#HA4210 – USAAF Douglas A-20G Havoc Medium Bomber – “Little Joe”, 389th Bombardment Squadron, 312th Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force, Early 1945 (1:72 Scale)

#HA1328 – USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 66th Weapons Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 2005 (1:72 Scale)

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Product Spotlight: The Welsh Guards

Corgi’s 1:50 scale British Cromwell Mk. IV Tank – “Blenheim”, 2nd Armoured Battalion, Welsh Guards, 6th Guards Armoured Brigade, Brussels, Belgium, September 1944

The liberation of Belgium from German occupation was completed on February 4th, 1945, when the entire country was reportedly free of German troops. The operation began when Allied forces entered on September 2nd, 1944. The liberation came after four years of German-occupied rule. The Belgian government was returned to power on September 8th, 1944, after Allied forces captured Brussels, its capital, four days earlier.

The invasion began with the 2nd Canadian Division entering Belgium on 2 September. On the evening of September 2nd, Brian Horrocks briefed officers of the Guards Armoured Division in Douai that their objective for the following day would be Brussels, 110km further East. The announcement was greeted with “delighted astonishment”. The Division suffered casualties on their drive into Belgium but with the Germans still in disarray after their defeat at Falaise, the Household Cavalry on the British left and the Grenadier Guards on the right led the way with the Welsh and Irish Guards following close behind.

Citizens of the Belgian capital had not expected to be liberated that soon and huge crowds greeted and slowed the liberators.

The Welsh Guards landed and joined the fight on September 4th with minimal resistance. The British Second Army captured Antwerp, the port city on the river Schedlt in northern Belgium, close to the Netherlands, on September 4th as well. In the following days and weeks, the Battle of the Scheldt claimed many lives, as the port of Antwerp could not be operated effectively without control of the Scheldt estuary. Antwerp was the first port to be captured by the Allies in near perfect condition, making it very valuable, especially with its deep water facilities. On September 6th, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division crossed the border with Belgium and took areas around Ypres and Passchendale.

“Blenheim”, a newly released 1:50 scale British Cromwell Mk. IV tank produced by Corgi, is now in stock and ready to liberate the diecast military battle ground.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Tanks for the Memories

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine]

Behind-the-scenes, we’ve had some frank discussions with the powers-that-be at Waltersons, the new caretakers of the Forces of Valor line. While the Company is doing its utmost to maintain the highest levels of quality to ensure satisfaction and value at every level, they’ve also stepped up the rate at which they are bringing new product to market, with several 1:32 scale military vehicles due out before the 2020 Chinese New Year. In other news, they will begin including numbered limited edition collector cards with each new item beginning with their upcoming Jagdpanther tank destroyers. Also being included will be a warranty card, thereby making it easier for collectors to obtain replacement parts should the need arise.

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit “302”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]

In other news, we’ve signed off on our first Forces of Valor print advertisement, which is scheduled to run in the February issue of World War II magazine and be picked up in the March issue of Military History magazine. While the format will likely remain the same throughout the year, the ad’s contents will be updated periodically as new products begin to filter into the marketplace and other older vehicles are slowly phased out. These ads will likely be bolstered by other complementary advertisements designed to showcase several of their other product categories, particularly their aircraft, helicopters and, dare I say, the Extreme Metal series, of which so many people have been asking about over the years.

That’s it for now, but keep an eye out on our blog and web site for the latest information as it pertains to the Forces of Valor series.

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