Looking to get the most mileage out of their existing molds, Dragon announced that they were revisiting their Stryker armory and producing three new versions of previously released Neo Armor vehicles. The vehicles, which include a M1296 Dragoon Armored Personnel Carrier, M1134 Stryker ATGM Guided Missile Vehicle, and M1128 Mobile Gun System, are identical to three earlier efforts although at least one comes caked with a layer of dust to the vehicle’s exterior as can be seen in the accompanying image. Thus far, its not clear if the new assortment will come with any chase vehicles, which oftentimes command higher than market prices due to their limited availability, although we’re willing to bet they won’t. All three vehicles are expected later this summer, so run don’t walk to our updated Dragon Armor section if you plan on nabbing any or all of these re-treads.
Corgi’s 1:48 scale German Fokker Dr.1 Triplane Fighter – Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, Jasta 11, Cappy Aerodrome, France, April 21st, 1918
As he prepared for his first combat patrol, novice fighter pilot Wolfram von Richthofen was keen to impress his famous cousin, the famed ‘Red Baron’ and the flight leader for the mission. Although suffering from fatigue and combat stress, Manfred von Richthofen was the consummate professional and the safety of his fellow airmen was of paramount importance to him.
As the Fokker DR.1 fighters of Jasta 11 climbed away from Cappy aerodrome on April 21st, 1918, Wolfram had been given strict instructions to stay out of trouble should the formation encounter the enemy, staying on the periphery of the action and experiencing what the melee of a dogfight looked like.
As his comrades later engaged in combat with the Sopwith Camels of RAF No.209 Squadron, Wolfram did as instructed, but found himself under attack by one of the Camels, which had also been loitering on the edge of the fighting, an aircraft which was flown by the similarly inexperienced Wilfred ‘Wop’ May.
Taking immediate evasive action, the Camel sped past his triplane, with the incident attracting the attention of his famous cousin – Manfred von Richthofen pursued the Camel which seemed destined to become his 81st victim. Wolfram von Richthofen would survive the encounter to become a fighter ace in his own right, however, this meeting of two novice pilots over the trenches of the Western Front would ultimately claim the life of the world’s most famous airman.
Having just led an attack against two British RE8 reconnaissance aircraft above the Somme battlefield, Manfred von Richthofen re-joined the rest of Jasta 11’s Fokker triplane fighters, in time to lead a further attack against a formation of Sopwith Camels from No.209 Squadron RAF. Displaying all his legendary flying skills, the Red Baron attacked the enemy aircraft, whilst at the same time keeping an eye on his cousin Wolfram, a novice pilot who had been instructed not to engage in combat.
On seeing that one of the Camels had attacked Wolfram’s triplane, he broke away from the dogfight and went to his aid, quickly positioning himself on the tail of the Sopwith fighter. Clearly flown by an inexperienced pilot, the Camel was the mount of young Canadian airman Wilfred ‘Wop’ May, who realizing his error, dived at high speed for the ground and the safety of Allied lines.
Flying perilously close to the ground and narrowly missing the church steeple at Vaux-sur-Somme, May knew that if he pulled up, he would fall to the guns of the ace pilot behind him, but as the high ground of Morlancourt Ridge approached, he had no option.
Miraculously, his aircraft was not peppered with bullets and the Triplane giving chase was seen to rear up and make a forced landing in a nearby field – although he didn’t know it at the time, May was being hunted by Manfred von Richthofen and whilst he had managed to escape with his life, the famous Red Baron had not been so fortunate and lay dead in the cockpit of his red Fokker Triplane.
Corgi’s replica of this famous triplane is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Douglas A-1H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – “The Good Buddha”, 1st Special Operations Squadron, 56th Special Operations Wing, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 1968
Its been quite awhile since we last received a shipment of Hobby Master products and with good reason: the COVID-19 pandemic created a logjam for several months running that affected a number of successive Hobby Master shipments. This logjam created a ripple effect for the balance of 2020, delaying the arrival of other new products heretofore not received by at least two months.
In any event, no need to despair because there is some good news to report: a new Hobby Master shipment is en route to us and expected to land at our facility early next week. Here now the rundown of new products we anticipate receiving:
Frankly, we’ve been surprised by the success of DeAgostini’s 1:72 scale WWII-era Military Aircraft series, a line of fighters that comes attractively packaged in Japanese-only marketing material. Its a bit difficult to talk up a range when we’re not even sure what the text both inside and outside the box says, although we’re pretty confident collectors aren’t purchasing the line just for the prose. Nevertheless, the models continue to sell extremely well, and we’ve had to re-order several of the models numerous times to maintain inventory. That said, four more fighters are expected to arrive in July, along with yet another restock of models that have been out-of-stock for several weeks running. Here’s what you can add to the DeAgostini stable in just a week’s time:
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK II Survivability Kit
Several years ago, in a bid to further protect their M1 Abrams tanks against RPGs, mines, IEDs and the latest generation of anti-tank missiles being fielded by the Russian Army, the US Army began to up-armor their fleet of tanks with the TUSK survivability kit. TUSK, which stands for Tank Urban Survival Kit, improves protection, firepower, and Situation Awareness of the tanks. The TUSK includes such components as add-on explosive reactive armor and a slat armor, which provides protection against RPG rounds, 32 dischargers for 66-mm defensive grenades, which loaded with a combination of smoke and anti-personnel grenades, a transparent shielding around vehicle commander’s 12.7-mm machine gun that allow vehicle commander to be protected from enemy fire.
The TUSK also has a thermal weapon sight for a shielded loader’s 7.62-mm machine gun that allows him to locate targets and fire from his machine gun at night, additional remotely controlled 12.7-mm machine gun over the main gun that is fitted with a spotlight. In addition, the TUSK includes a 7.62-mm coaxial machine gun, a 360-degree camera for a vehicle commander that improves SA, new safety sear and rear vision camera for a driver, and an infantry phone that allows the nearby infantry to communicate with the tank commander and coordinate their actions in combat.
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit
The TUSK includes additional protection at the loader’s gun station on the turret and the commander’s gun station, reactive armor to protect the tank’s side from attack by rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and slat armor to protect the tank’s rear from the same weapon, and the tank/infantry telephone to allow infantry and armor soldiers to work together in combat.
All the upgrades use off-the-shelf technology, and the goal is for the entire TUSK to be applied by units in the field, without requiring a return to a depot for modification. The reactive armor, for example, is a product similar to what’s on the Bradley (Armored Fighting Vehicle). It’s explosive armor that protects the vehicle. Another example would be the slat armor designed to protect the tank’s rear from RPG attack. It is similar in design and concept to the slat armor used on the Stryker armored vehicles for the same purpose.
The first TUSK component to reach the field was the Loader’s Armored Gun Shield, which provides protection to the loader when the soldier is firing the 7.62mm machine gun on the Abrams’ turret.
Panzerkamp’s 1:72 scale US M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK I Survivability Kit
The Abrams Reactive Armor Tile system is a component of the Tank Urban Survival Kit that was mounted on Abrams tanks during deployments to the Middle East. It consists of a set of two types of reactive armor tiles. Maneuvering the Abrams on the European continent requires different armor configurations. Using the ARAT and not the TUSK will allow the tanks the maneuverability and operability they will need in more verdant areas. ARAT retains the cross-country abilities of the tank because it is not completely loaded down with extra armor. This has the added benefit of being more capable against things like heat rounds and things like explosive ordinance that get fired at the tank.
Looking to demonstrate the effectiveness of this upgraded armor, Panzerkampf plans to release three different 1:72 scale M1 Abrams tanks equipped with the TUSK I and II surviavibility kits. One model represents an M1A2 SEP Abrams equipped with the TUSK II kit. A second showcases a M1A2 Abrams with the TUSK I kit while a third looks at the older M1A1 series of Abrams tanks being fitted with the TUSK I kit. Look for these and other vehicles this fall.
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Russian (Object 695) Kurgenats-25 infantry fighting vehicle with four Kornet-EM guided missiles
While other modelmakers still seem to be recovering from the effects brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Panzerkampf seems to be stoking the diecast fires, announcing an ever widening array of diecast products for the months ahead. This week, for instance, the Company announced plans to replicate the Russian Kurgenats-25 infantry fighting vehicle in 1:72 scale, thereby adding yet another new vehicle to the pantheon of Russian armor first debuted a few years ago at the Moscow Victory Day Parade. The Kurgenats-25 is a tracked, 25-ton modular infantry fighting vehicle and armored personnel carrier being developed for the Russian Army. The Kurganets-25 will evolve into various models, gradually replacing BMP, BMD, MT-LB and other types of tracked Soviet armored platforms. The Kurganets-25 will have modular armor that can be upgraded for specific threats. Two variants of the Kurgenats-25 are initially being offered: the Object 693 is the armored personnel version and bears the insignia used during the Moscow Victory Day Parade while the Object 695 comes equipped with four Kornet-EM guided missiles and is painted in a camouflage scheme.
Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Red Army KV-220-2 Heavy Tank – Multi-Colored Winter Camouflage
Additionally, the Company intends to bring out two versions of the WWII-era KV-220-2 heavy tank, a vehicle that never entered into mass production but was seen as one potential antidote to the growing array of German armor massed along Russia’s European borders prior to the run-up to Operation Barbarossa. Previously, the Company showcased their KV-3 heavy tank, which should be rolling in shortly, so the impending release of the KV-220 tank made sense from a design standpoint. Other combat vehicles are expected to be announced shortly, along with a dizzying array of additional aircraft, helicopters and who knows what else they have in the pipeline. Keep an eye on Panzerkampf as they continue to gain traction in the diecast military space.
Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has finally revealed details concerning their eagerly awaited aircraft line. While no mention has been made concerning their over-sized 1:32 scale aircraft, the manufacturer decided to pull back the curtains on several different 1:72 scale military aircraft now being developed. Thus far, only line art drawings are being used to show off those fighter planes purportedly in the pipeline, all of which will carry a $49.99 MAP. We’re not sure how they will differ from previous Forces of Valor aircraft, seeing as how the manufacturer likes to revamp each existing mold and incorporate added features, particularly removable engines, as evinced in their 1:32 scale military vehicle range. The Company has taken down information concerning a couple of twin-engine bombers that were also expected, so its unclear if or when they will turn up.
We’ve listed many of the upcoming fighter planes in our Forces of Valor military aircraft category but please keep in mind that we do not know when they will actually hit the market. It could be late 2020 or they could slip into the next year’s lineup.
Just days after Calibre Wings announced their intent to model the famous Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft comes word that Hobby Master plans to bring the spy plane to market ahead of its wily competition. While we are still awaiting word concerning pricing, the street date for the initial release has been set for February. This announcement certainly serves as a clear shot across the bow of the Calibre Wings warship, and perhaps signals their designs for the diecast military aircraft space, stealing thunder away from other modelmakers to prevent them from gaining further traction in the widening marketplace.
Our web site’s facelift was implemented on June 18th. Obviously, we now have to work on some of the technical issues the update caused and have already asked our design team to look into most of them. The New Arrivals scroll on the home page does not reflect any of the newest items to come in. Likewise, the sliders have not been added, and some technical issues, such as a somewhat smallish font size, may make it difficult to read text across our web site. If you feel the new font is too small, press the Control key and the “+” sign to increase the font size. Conversely, press the Control key and the “-” size to reduce the font size should it get too enlarged. Hopefully, we’ll have most of the most glaring issues addressed over the course of the next few days.
In other news, we’ve been asked to join the eBay Partner Network which, as far as I can tell, serves as a means of driving additional traffic to eBay by adding product links to third party e-commerce sites, blogs, and social networking sites that point directly to items that can be purchased on eBay. In a nutshell, it acts much like the Amazon affiliate advertising program introduced some ten or more years ago, something most retailers have abandoned in recent years. That pretty much shows how far eBay is in its relationship with Amazon, its principal online competitor. Although sales are up at eBay — largely due to increased ordering as a result of the pandemic — they pale in comparison to Amazon, who seems to routinely add associate positions while eBay has shed itself of thousands of workers. Its no wonder eBay is reportedly up for sale, after having divested itself of its StubHub and Classified businesses to generate added capital. While we will likely add several links to our blog to support this initiative, don’t be a bit surprised if eBay decides to accept an offer from the likes of Walmart, Google or someone else, thereby conceding that it can no longer stay apace of Amazon or even Walmart.com in the aggregate e-commerce business. Sad considering it had an early lead and squandered it by not recognizing industry trends that others had either fostered or accepted over the years. Goes to show that it pays to stay current.
Atlas Editions’ 1:72 scale USMC LVTA-1 Amtank with 37mm Howitzer
While June has turned out to be an extremely dry month for new arrivals, Atlas saw it as an opportunity to announce six more tanks to its growing arsenal. Priced to perfection at just $19.99 apiece, these introductory level 1:72 scale military vehicles represent an ideal way to build out a battlefield on an affordable budget. Here’s what you can expect from the folks at Atlas Editions later this month:
