We’ve had our eye on several partworks lines that are currently available around the world but have yet to make their way to the North American shores. One of them happens to be the DeAgostini range of 1:72 scale WWII era aircraft, a staple of the Japanese home market for a couple of years running. To date, the manufacturer has now released a whopping 97 different replicas, each accompanied by a Japanese written magazine that explains the aircraft and its role in combat in exquisite detail.
While most of the models in this range are based upon some of the better known fighters, seaplanes and reconnaissance aircraft produced by the Empire of Japan, there is a smattering of releases from the aerial armadas of other nations, meaning you’ll need quite a bit of shelf space to collect them all from start to finish even if you have no interest at all in Japanese warplanes.
Ordinarily, partworks manufacturers wait until each subscription-based line has run its course before making them available as open stock releases that can then be sold outside the home market. Interestingly, we’ve learned that some of the earliest releases are now available at one of our distributors and that they should be in stock at our warehouse by the end of this month. So, if you’re looking for a new line to collect or are simply interested in cherry-picking the range, we strongly recommend you keep an eye out for these models over the course of the next few months.
Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are heading back to the 1940s for their third World War 2-inspired limited series. Originally earmarked as an HBO special project that followed in the wake of Band of Brothers and The Pacific, Masters of the Air got the green light by the soon-to-debut Apple Plus streaming service after it became evident that HBO was either unwilling or unable to pony up the $250 million required to fund the project. For Apple, $250 million is but a drop in the bucket as it attempts to launch a new streaming service aimed at competing with the likes of Netflix, CBS All Access et al.
Originally known as The Mighty Eighth, Masters of the Air is based upon the book of the same name that was written by Donald L. Miller, which traces the exploits of the USAAF 8th Air Force and its daylight bombing campaign over Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII. Its not clear when the cable show is expected to air or how many episodes will be made to cover the tale.
Known by NATO as “The Beast”, the Ilyushin IL-10 was a Soviet ground attack aircraft developed at the end of World War II by the Ilyushin construction bureau. It was also license-built in Czechoslovakia by Avia as the Avia B-33.
In October 1944, the Il-10 first entered service with training units in the Soviet Air Force. In January 1945, the first Il-10 combat unit entered service with the 78th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, but it did not enter action due to unfinished training. However, three other Il-10 units managed to take part in the final combat actions of World War II in Europe. They were the 571st Assault Aviation Regiment (from April 15th, 1945), the 108th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (from April 16th, 1945), and the 118th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (on May 8th, 1945). About a dozen aircraft were destroyed by flak or engine breakdowns, but the Il-10 appeared to be a successful design. One was shot down by an Fw-190 fighter, but a crew of the 118th Regiment shot down another Fw 190 and probably damaged another. On May 10th, 1945, the day after the official Soviet end of the war, (Victory Day), there were 120 serviceable Il-10s in Soviet Air Force combat units, and 26 disabled ones.
After the USSR reentered the war against the Empire of Japan, with the invasion of Manchuria, from August 9th, 1945, one Il-10 unit, the 26th Assault Aviation Regiment of the Pacific Navy Aviation, was used in combat in the Korean Peninsula, attacking Japanese ships in Rasin and rail transports.
After the war, until the early 1950s, the Il-10 was a basic Soviet ground attack aircraft. It was withdrawn from service in 1956. At the same time, work on new jet-powered dedicated armored ground attack planes (like the Il-40) was canceled, and the Soviets turned to multipurpose fighter-bomber aviation. The Il-10 and its licensed variant, the Avia B-33, became a basic ground attack plane of the Warsaw Pact countries. From 1949 to 1959, the Polish Air Force used 120 Il-10s (including 24 UIl-10), and 281 B-33s. In Poland, the B-33 was modified to carry 400 l fuel tanks under its wings. From 1950 to 1960, Czechoslovakia used 86 Il-10s, including six UIl-10s, and about 600 B-33s. From 1949 to 1956, the Hungarian Air Force used 159 Il-10s and B-33s. From 1950 to 1960, the Romanian Air Force used 14 Il-10s and 156 B-33s. Bulgaria also used these aircraft.
In the late 1940s, 93 Il-10 and UIl-10s were given to North Korea. They were then used in the 57th Assault Aviation Regiment during the early phase of the Korean War. They were initially used with success against the weak anti-aircraft defense of South Korean forces (following the US refusal to supply the south with “heavy weapons”), but then they suffered heavy losses in encounters against the United States Air Force fighters and were bombed on the ground themselves. After several weeks, about 20 remained. In the summer of 1950, North Korea received more aircraft from the USSR. The North Koreans claimed that they sank a warship on 22 August 1950 with Il-10s, but it was never confirmed.
Look for Oxford Diecast’s rendition of “The Beast” some time in late 2019.
The tempo of operations here at The Motor Pool has certainly picked up in recent weeks, with new merchandise flooding in at a record pace and outbound orders noticeably increasing well before the holidays arrive. That said, we just wanted to remind everyone about the shipping deadlines we’ve instituted for both domestic and international shipments that are intended for holiday delivery. Please make sure to check out our Calendar of Events page to determine the dates and service method that best suits your needs and remember it pays to place your order as early as possibly to avoid disappointment.
Admittedly, we’ve never heard of Odeon, who, as it turns out, is a prolific maker of scale diecast automobiles that has cultivated a rather devoted following across Europe. Apparently, they too want to try their hand at military modeling, by offering up a pair of 1:43 scale WWII-era M4 Sherman tanks.
Currently, we’re not sure if anyone here in North America will be stocking the line or has any information concerning further releases beyond these two introductory vehicles. So, for now, we’ll post what we know right here and keep our fingers crossed that they are looking towards building out the category and hopefully inking a deal with one of our principal suppliers to carry their line of diecast military vehicles.
By the way, a special shout out goes to Achilletalon, a member of the Model Hanger III forum, for bringing these vehicles to everyone’s attention.
Our Panzerkampf category of diecast military vehicles has been lying fallow for several months now as we awaited news concerning the manufacturer’s release schedule. Apparently, several previously announced items have been pushed back by a few months into early 2020, no doubt to buy the manufacturer some time to fill production goals and work on other related projects. In the meantime, the following items are reportedly headed our way the third week of October, thereby making them available for the holiday rush:
Oxford’s 1:72 scale Royal Navy Grumman Avenger Torpedo Plane – No.855 Squadron FAA, Hawkinge, England, June 1944
Best known for their budget-minded line of WWII-era aircraft, Oxford Diecast announced three more entrants to their aerial armada. Due out some time in 2020, the three warbirds include:
General Dynamic’s Griffin III Infantry Fighting Vehicle Demonstrator
And then there was one. According to Defense News, the Army has disqualified Rheinmetall’s KF 41 Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle from its open competition to seek a replacement for the aging Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. This means the Griffin III remains as the only viable contender left in the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition, which will undoubtedly run into the billions of dollars to procure once Congress has agreed to fund the program. Produced by General Dynamics, the Griffin III is an interesting choice to serve along side the M1 Abrams main battle tank because it can only carry six men into battle as opposed to a full squad of 9 men the Lynx could reportedly ferry. That said, the Griffin weighs in at only 40-tons compared with the 50-ton Lynx, making it far quicker on the open battlefield and more transportable in the event of hostilities breaking out far from home.
The Griffin will be armed with a 50mm main cannon capable of elevating 85 degrees and depressing 20 degrees. The vehicle can carry an operating crew of 2 or 3 men depending upon its multiple configurations, is clad in a hexagonal-shaped Infrared heat signature management camouflage system designed to reduce its detectable footprint on the battlefield, and sports the Israeli-created “Iron Fist” integrated active protection system that is aimed at defending against incoming rockets and missiles without causing injury to dismounted infantry.
Curiously, the overall profile of the Griffin III is still rather bulky for an Infantry Fighting Vehicle, making it just slightly smaller than the high-profile Bradley IFV. Since the ammunition used is larger than a standard 25mm round, the turret must be larger to accommodate the beefier rounds. And, in order for the gun to elevate 85 degrees, thereby making it capable of engaging and defending against multiple airborne threats that run the gamut from aircraft and helicopters to weaponized UAVs – the designers needed to increase the vehicle’s overall size. It is possible that an even newer iteration, heretofore dubbed the Griffin IV IFV, could be in the works in the not-too-distant future based upon what the Army concludes from testing the Griffin III and whether it currently meets or exceeds all of the Army’s requirements for a next-generation IFV.
The idea of cladding a vehicle in an Infrared heat signature management camouflage system is relatively new and remains an unproven technology on the battlefield of the 21st century. Instead of defeating a warhead as it strikes the vehicle by studding the vehicle’s exterior with a layer of explosive reactive armor cells – as is common with most of today’s armored fighting vehicles – the system has been created to make the vehicle appear more stealthy, similar conceptually to the employment of radar defeating materials used on several fifth generation aircraft. If a vehicle cannot be seen by the enemy, it is reasoned, then the need for up-armoring the vehicle is obviated.
In 2010, the Israeli company Eltics created an early prototype of a system of tiles for infrared camouflage of vehicles. In 2011, BAE Systems announced their Adaptiv infrared camouflage technology. It uses about 1000 hexagonal Peltier panels to cover the sides of a tank. The panels are rapidly heated and cooled to match either the temperature of the vehicle’s surroundings, or one of the objects in the thermal cloaking system’s “library” such as a truck, car or large rock.
Way back when, we did a fair business in the scale motorcycle category and, in particular, sold our fair share of Minichamps bikes. Several years ago, all of that changed when the manufacturer raised their prices substantially, cancelled a number of eagerly-awaited bikes, and generally took a wait-and-see attitude with the whole category that didn’t sit well with a number of folks. As a result, we decided to sell off what we had in inventory, cancel our orders, remove those listings that were no longer pertinent and focused on what we do best — sell diecast military products.
That said, Minichamps claims to be back in the motorcycle category and are looking to start up sales by reintroducing two of their previously sold out classics – a 1939 Triumph Speed Twin and a 1932 Brough Superior SS100 that was ridden by none other than “Lawrence of Arabia.” We’ve listed both bikes on our web site and have begun to accept pre-orders for each of them despite our reservations.
Minichamps’ 1:12 scale 1932 Brough Superior SS 100 Motorcycle – T. E. Lawrence “Lawrence of Arabia”
Now, anyone that knows Minichamps can immediately understand the predicament this course change put us in. While they make a terrific product that oftentimes appreciates in value once they are no longer available, they also do a less than stellar job of forecasting when their products will actually hit the market. Months have a habit of stretching into years, which means we have to constantly reassure our clientele that eventually they are going to happen. Presently, both bikes are slated for a fourth quarter 2019 release based upon information found on their own web site. The reality is that we do not know for sure if this is a pie-in-the-sky best guesstimate on their part or one that we can actually hang our hat on. So, if you’re willing to wait, sometimes years instead of months, and fully understand how this sometimes shakes out, then we are more than willing to accept your pre-order for either or both bikes and will do everything in our power to fill your orders in a timely fashion. Again, the ball is in Minichamps’ court — all we can do is wait for them to arrive on center court and serve the ball.
Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale People’s Liberation Army Navy Surface Force Liaoning Class Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier – Liaoning (CV-16), Hong Kong Visit, 2017
With National Day of the People’s Republic of China 2019 serving as a back drop, Waltersons took the opportunity today to formally introduce their 1:700 scale replica of the PLAAN Liaoning (CV-16) to the public. First announced more than two years ago, the manufacturer decided to delay its release so that they could update their original plans for the aircraft carrier. Much like their 1:32 scale vehicle series, the Liaoning will come in two flavors: the first (FOV861010A) represents the warship’s configuration as it sailed into Hong Kong harbor in 2017. A second portrayal (FOV861010B) shows the ship as it embarked upon its maiden ocean-going voyage in 2016.
According to the manufacturer, the model encompasses some 240 plastic and alloy parts as compared with 150 used in the construction of their model of the USS Enterprise. Furthermore, 80 pad printed decals have been used throughout, covering everything from identification tags to deck markings. Interestingly, the ship comes with a clear removable display arm attached to the bow and aft of the warship which can then be affixed with a 1:700 scale aircraft. A vertical display stand can be used to show a helicopter as it lifts off or lands. Best of all, a slew of fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft also come with the warship, all meticulously researched based upon the latest declassified data and photographs available to the public.
As is customary with the Waltersons line of Forces of Valor warships, the Liaoning can be displayed in two manners. Collectors can sit the warship atop a pair of golden pillars that are attached to a simulated wooden display plinth finished with an etched metallic name plate. Conversely, collectors can detach the ship from its base and display the ship within a blue ocean-inspired shell, giving it a more realistic appearance.
Look for the first version of the Liaoning to make its maiden voyage into the retailer network this holiday season.
