Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base [Low-Vis Scheme]
We have great news for all you Joint Strike Fighter fans. A squadron of F-35A Lightning IIs just landed at our distributor without so much as an early alert from the control tower. Our order is now en route to us and should be in stock some time next week. Typically, the AF1 F-35s sell very well at retail and we’ve been out-of-stock of the A version for several months running.
Of the three JSF variants, the A version is flown by the US Air Force. As such, the F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant intended for the USAF and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest F-35 version and is the only variant equipped with an internal cannon, the GAU-22/A. This 25mm cannon is a development of the GAU-12 carried by the USMC’s AV-8B Harrier II. It is designed for increased effectiveness against ground targets compared to the 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon carried by other USAF fighters. On August 2nd, 2016, the USAF declared the F-35A basic combat ready. The F-35A was scheduled to be fully combat-ready in 2017 with its 3F software upgrade.
A restock shipment isn’t expected until March, meaning this shipment will likely sell out quickly once word spreads of its availability.
A pair of Dragon Armor 1:72 scale ZBL-09 Infantry Fighting Vehicles flanking their upcoming United Nations “chase” vehicle
At one time, Dragon and their Chinese-based specialty arm, Cyber Hobby, ruled the 1:72 scale diecast military space, producing a dazzling array of standard as well as exclusive models that, in some instances, commanded a king’s ransom to purchase outright. When Dragon kicked off their Dragon Armor range with a 1:72 scale rendition of Michael Wittmann’s Tiger tank (DRR60001) almost twenty years ago, Cyber Hobby went the subject one step further, by introducing a bevy of highly coveted variations that included numbered collector cards, etched bases, accessories, display plinths, and special collector tins. Although we are long since sold out of most of these Cyber Hobby exclusives, we’ve left the majority of them up on our web site to give collectors an idea of what was offered and their approximate value based upon after market prices collectors seem willing to pay for these rarities.
Taking a page from their playbook, it would seem as if Cyber Hobby intends to revisit this tried-and-true strategy of offering specially hyped vehicles and, whenever possible, including a “chase” product within the assortment to help spur interest. For the uninitiated, a “chase” vehicle can best be defined as a completely different vehicle included within each master assortment of standard vehicles, a common practice in their Can.Do line of smaller 1:144 scale vehicles. For their upcoming Peoples Liberation Army ZBL-09 Snow Leopard Infantry Fighting Vehicles, the plan calls for the inclusion of a whitewashed United Nations vehicle within a master pack of 20 standard vehicles.
From Dragon’s point-of-view their goal is two-fold: by including one specialty vehicle within the master assortment, the retailer is more than likely going to order an entire case of standard vehicles in order to obtain this specialty vehicle, thereby bumping up the size of their order. And, for the collector, these “chase” vehicles typically command exorbitant prices in the after market, oftentimes many times more than the standard vehicle could ever hope to reach. So, the manufacturer, retailer and collector are all happy with the arrangement, provided interest doesn’t wane for the standard vehicles, and the manufacturer doesn’t run out of the “chase” products.
Each Master carton of Snow Leopards includes twenty standard vehicles and one “chase” vehicle
Judging by the accompanying diagram it would appear as if two of the standard vehicles in this DRR63001 assortment carries a “05-02” identifier while the rest are labeled “05-01”, thereby making the pair a bit less scarce than the other vehicles.
We’re assuming that the Cyber Hobby Snow Leopards will become available in the first quarter, although its not clear if they will be sold exclusively through Cyber Hobby or by Dragon Models USA. We’ll provide more information to everyone once everything gets sorted out and the hyperbole takes its inevitable course.
Note: Interestingly, Cyber Hobby is following a slightly different strategy for their second PZL Snow Leopard Infantry Fighting Vehicle (#DRR63000). Instead of providing a completely different vehicle as the “chase” item, two vehicles in the master carton have been designated as special editions, one boasting a slightly different paint scheme and the second coming with a PLA flag. The remaining nine vehicles in the master carton will come with different numbered identifiers.
This week, it would appear as if all we have on our mind is Corgi. Apart from a solitary post regarding new Hobby Master products for the month of June and another covering the return of Skymax Models, it seems as though Corgi has stolen the limelight with us and perhaps with good reason.
Earlier today we learned that Corgi has joined forces with the massively multiplayer online game, World of Tanks, and intends to produce a range of diminutive tanks that you might find in the game. There is no set scale for these vehicles as is the case with their larger brethren found in the Military Legends series. Rather, they are all designed to fit a common one-size-fits-all packaging, much like their Showcase range. In fact, there’s a good chance that this may be a re-branding move on the part of Corgi, intended to leverage the popularity of the game to help propel sales and give the makers of the game and avenue into the diecast market.
This new re-branded range is not to be confused with another World of Tanks range in which all of the vehicles are produced in 1:72 scale and where several are paired to form an adversarial pack such as a T-34 versus a Panther. We are still working to procure this range under a separate working relationship and will share the news once we have something more concrete to go on.
Incidentally, the inclusion of a US-built M48A3 tank, the only post WWII-era vehicle in the series, would suggest that Corgi is preparing to bring back their Vietnam War series as they did with their WWII line. If true, this is certainly welcome news for many collectors, still eager to collect a range that sold out several years ago.
Corgi’s 1:50 scale German Sd. Kfz. 171 PzKpfw V Panther Ausf. D Medium Tank – Panzer Abteilung 2, Panzer Brigade 107, Bamberg, Northern Bavaria, April 1945
At last we’re seeing some movement on the Corgi front. Their long awaited 1:50 scale Panther medium tank (#CC60215) is now on its way to us along with their 1:72 scale Ju-87 Stuka dive-bomber (#AA32518), both of which we originally expected towards the end of 2019. The remaining items in their 2019 range for both their Military Legends and Aviation Archives series are tentatively expected towards the end of January, again barring any unforeseen issues. We expect to take delivery of the Panther and Stuka on or around the 21st, so please do not contact us ahead of that date asking about your order or when you can expect to receive it.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Junkers Ju-87B-2 Stuka Dive-Bomber – J9+BL, 9./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, St. Pol, France, November 1940
We will process all of our outstanding orders for both items the moment they arrive and provide everyone with tracking information once the orders are ready to be handed off to our carrier. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and hope you can wait just a little while longer for these goodies to arrive.
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3 Fighter – Walter Horten, Stab/Jagdgeschwader 26, France, Spring 1940 (1:48 Scale)
As news spreads concerning the receipt of their December shipment, Hobby Master announced their latest spate of military hardware being readied for battle. Here’s what you can look forward to claiming for your very own this June:
Skymax Models 1:72 scale USN Douglas TBD-1 Devastator Torpedo Plane – T-16, LCDR John C. Waldron, VT-8, USS Hornet (CV-8), June 4th, 1942 “Battle of Midway”
No doubt the box office success of Midway this past year contributed to the decision for Skymax Models to return to the collecting community after all but vanishing from the aviation radar. Expected in June, the Company plans to kick things off by delivering a pair of Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo planes. Both models are based upon aircraft that served with VT-8, then embarked upon the USS Hornet (CV-8) during the pivotal battle of Midway in June 1942. Its not clear if the manufacturer plans to upgrade the packaging so that they resemble 5-panel Hobby Master packaging or retain the clear open box look they adopted when they first came into being well over a dozen years ago.
Still in the early stages of development, the announcement of a new scale model representation of Britain’s impressive new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers demonstrates continued new tooling investment in the Corgi range.
As an addendum, of sorts, to their list of 2020 product announcements made earlier this week, it appears as if Corgi intends to stick its toes in the diecast warship space with the release of two surface ships. According to the Corgi Developer Diaries found on Facebook, two 1:1250 scale aircraft carriers are in development, both looking to pay homage to the latest pair of capital ships now serving with the British fleet.
“Attempting to select highlights from any new Corgi model range can be something of a challenge, as each one will contain a great many new models, be they new tooling announcements, modified toolings, or one of the host of model livery changes which make up the bulk of any new range. With toy and collectable models falling into several sub categories, which as well as including the ranges already covered above, include gift products, Film and TV subjects, Best of British, Original Omnibus and Showcase collections, we really do try to include something for every occasion and every model collecting taste.
That being said, the subject which is always of most interest during range launch week is most definitely that of new model tooling announcements and we have even more news to bring you on that score. Staying with the theme of military related models, our design team have been working on producing a new 1/1250th scale representation of Britain’s impressive new aircraft carriers, the flagships of the nation and the most capable warships ever built for the Royal Navy. With both HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales scheduled to be produced, this pair of new models mark the service arrival of these huge ships and the culmination of years of planning and construction work. Endowing the Royal Navy with more striking power than they have ever possessed, these mighty warships are destined to stay in service for the next 50 years and will become a highly visible embodiment of Britain’s naval power.”
No dates of availability or pricing were announced so it remains to be seen when they are expected and their cost. We’re also assuming that both ships will come with a complement of embarked aircraft to give them a more robust look.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – 42-31322 “Mi Amigo”, 364th Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group, Chelveston, England, February 22nd, 1944
As we hinted at last week, Corgi revealed it’s latest line up of military aircraft and vehicles at the 2020 Hong Kong Toy Fair. Frankly, there weren’t any huge surprises in the mix, the only new tooling being a 1:48 scale Bristol F2B fighter of WWI renown. Anyway, we’ve listed all of their newest aircraft and military vehicles in their respective sections and are now accepting pre-orders. Most are expected towards the latter half of the year. Here’s the list of what’s on the horizon from the folks at Corgi:
One of our principal goals is to make the implements of war sexy. Its a somewhat strange conundrum we find ourselves in trying to talk up weapons of war that have contributed to the death of millions and the wholesale destruction of entire nations over countless generations, yet here we find ourselves in now undertaking our twentieth year of operation delivering scale military models to the masses. I’ve often wondered what makes the study of war so intoxicating to the average onlooker when they could just as easily set about pursuing other more peaceful pursuits and learn about the creation of civilizations instead of their obliteration. I’m not sure I’ll never know the answer to that vexing question, which has dogged us and others despite the Bible telling us that we should beat our swords into plowshares and study war no more.
That said, we have a tough road ahead of us for the next few months, as we attempt to discuss many of the newest scale models headed everyone’s way. Presently, we’re also laying out our strategic vision for year 21 and moving into our new digs at Shopify all in the next few weeks. Our dance card is certainly full even though we’ve done our best to accept new partners here and there when the music abruptly stops and we’ve had a quick run at the punch bowl. So sit back and relax as we take it to the next level and hopefully continue to provide the very best service we can muster. Panzers vorwarts.
In years past, the American International Toy Fair was the preeminent means of showcasing new releases for the calendar year. Over time, the Nuremberg Toy Fair supplanted the American venue, typically opening to the trade and public a few weeks earlier and oftentimes boasting a larger exhibitor list. Now it seems as if the Hong Kong Toy Fair is beginning to take center stage, not only because it comes even earlier than either the Nuremberg or American shows, but because more and more companies are based in China.
On Monday, January 6th, the Hong Kong show opens its doors to a worldwide audience eager to see what’s in store for the 2020 calendar year. While we won’t be in attendance, the power of the Internet and email enables us to learn about the new releases almost as quickly as if we were standing on line ogling the new products. And, with the power of online computing, we can post this new information within moments of receiving the news, thereby keeping our clientele informed and up-to-date like never before.
Two brands, Corgi (which is one of the flagship brands of Hornby) and Forces of Valor (now managed by Waltersons) will be showcasing some of their latest wares, providing information and imagery for their newest products and hopefully guidance as to when we can expect them. So, get to bed early on the night of the 5th, because we’re sure we have lots to share with you early the next morning.
