If you thought you were pretty handy with a fractal design package, or knew your way around an ArtStation, you’d better think again. Ansel Hsaio, a member of the Starships and Space Stations of the Galaxy group on Facebook, posted his rendition of a so-called Bellator-class Star Destroyer drawn from the Star Wars universe. He claims his design consists of at least a billion polygons. While we’re not going to go over his creation with a fine-toothed comb, or break out our calculator to verify his claim, we believe him and frankly, so should you. Take a gander at his creation and decide if you have the chops or the time to create something as wondrous as this.
Even though they haven’t signed up a single export partner to defray some of its huge development costs, that doesn’t seem to be a stumbling block for either Suhkoi or the Russian government who have apparently decided to move forward and go into full production with the Su-57. Billed as a fifth generation fighter, the Su-57 is actually less advanced than either the F-22 or F-35 largely because it isn’t nearly as stealthy as either Lockheed aircraft. The Indian Air Force was supposed to purchase the aircraft from Sukhoi to help alleviate its overall cost, but they decided to back out of their commitment a few years ago largely for this very reason.
Popular Mechanics had this to say about the Russian decision to move forward on the project. “According to TASS,
a Russian government-owned state media source, Moscow signed a contract
for 76 Su-57s last June. At the time, Russia had only committed to
buying 16 of the fighters. United Aircraft Corporation, the parent
company of the Sukhoi bureau, somehow made the jet twenty percent
cheaper, prompting the larger buy.
The big question is how the Su-57 magically got cheaper. Currently there are nine Su-57 prototypes flying, all powered by the AL-41FM1 engine. The AL-41FM1 generates 32,000 pounds of thrust, and the big Su-57 is equipped with two of them. However, the Su-57 is supposed to be equipped with the more powerful Item 30 engines and reportedly cannot cruise at Mach 1 or faster without them. The Item 30s have proven difficult to develop but the Su-57 finally flew with them in 2017. Does the cheaper price reflect the use of the older, less powerful engines? If not, did UAC cut corners on some other aspect of the aircraft’s design?”
For more information on the Su-57, visit Popular Mechanic’s run down on the new aircraft.
Not much is known about the plot to the upcoming feature film, 1917, just that it takes place, unsurprisingly, in 1917, which is the year the United States officially entered World War I. That said, it stars George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, with Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch. An amazing cast that should do for World War I what Saving Private Ryan did for the Second World War.
It is scheduled to be released on December 25th, 2019, by Universal Pictures. Perhaps you can decide what the story is all about based upon the accompanying trailer.
Every so often, I noodle around the web looking for interesting things that might pertain to our business or simply give the average collector cause for celebration. Earlier today, I was blown away by the accompanying video, which was posted on YouTube back in July. Produced by AmazingViz, it shows most of the American tanks that saw action in World War II along with a number of proposed designs that never actually saw combat for one reason or another. Considering how many Sherman tanks Forces of Valor plans to introduce in 2020, I immediately thought it pertinent, and helps to give everyone a better sense of the scale and size of our US armored forces tasked with staving off the Axis onslaught. Enjoy!
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with FLaK Rohr 18 Gun Barrel and Sd. 202 Towing Vehicle – Deutsches Afrika Korps, El Alamein, North Africa, 1942 [Comes with Seven Crewmen and Rommel]
There are a number of distinctions between Unimax, the former makers of the Forces of Valor line and Waltersons, its new caretakers. While both companies cared about quality, consistency and dedication to their craft, its becoming increasingly clear that Waltersons wants to demonstrate its depth of knowledge and keen interest in the subject matter by offering a range of product that will truly sit well with today’s collector. Take, for instance, their 88mm FLaK gun, which first came out earlier this year and will now be reintroduced in just a few short months. The first model reflected a gun used by the Deutsches Afrika Korps at the Battle of El Alamein in late 1942. As such, it comes with the original 8.8cm FLaK Rohr 18 gun barrel, as well other gear designed for the first batch of 88s.
For the uninformed, the Flak 18’s carriage allowed it to fire in an emergency when still on its wheels and without its outriggers, but with a very limited traverse and elevation. For normal emplacement, one single-axle bogie was detached from the front outrigger and one from the rear, side outriggers were then hinged from the vertical position to the ground; the total time to set up was estimated at two and a half minutes. Both modes of operation made the gun much more suitable for fast-moving operations, the basic concept of the Blitzkrieg. The weight of the gun meant that only large vehicles could move it, the Sd. Kfz. 7 half-track becoming a common prime mover.
Targeting indicators were attached from the central controller to each of the four guns of a battery, allowing for coordinated fire. Indeed, with the automatic loading system, the gun layers’ job was to keep the gun barrel trained on the target area based on the signals from the controller. The loaders would keep the weapon fed with live ammunition which would fire immediately upon insertion — all while the gun layer aimed the weapon according to the data.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36 Anti-Aircraft Gun with FLaK Rohr 36 Gun Barrel and Sd. 202 Towing Vehicle – Unidentified Unit, Stalingrad, 1942
Rather than repaint the gun, as Unimax chose to do, to portray an 88mm gun employed at the Battle of Stalingrad, Waltersons decided to go one step further and instead model the improved 8.8cm FLaK Rohr 36 gun barrel, which had a two-piece barrel for easier replacement of worn liners. Flak 36s were often fitted with an armored shield that provided limited protection for the gunners. These shields could be retro-fitted on older Flak 18s as well.
There’s a better than average chance that the third gun in the series, the FLaK 37, will also be modeled at some point in time, thereby covering all three different versions, and hopefully appeasing collectors and historians alike. Will the average layperson be able to distinguish one gun from another? Apart from the paint schemes probably not, but Waltersons thought it important enough to avoid making some of the same mistakes the former owners of the series tended to make when addressing the evolution of the gun and its employment throughout the war in differing theaters of operation.
Eaglemoss Star Trek Federation Cardenas Class Starship – USS Buran NCC-1412
Things seem to be looking up for Eaglemoss. Last week we received a long overdue shipment of standard-sized Star Trek starships, many of which are quickly selling out. Now, we have learned that a follow-on shipment of Eaglemoss sci-fi stuff is on its way to us, this one largely containing several Star Trek Discovery and Battlestar Galactica ships. We have no doubt that these too will move quickly since many were listed as pre-orders for a number of months. The problem, as we see it, is that re-supply seems to be haphazard, so there’s a good chance we may not receive additional stocks of these items for many more months to come, if at all. So, as always, we strongly recommend reviewing everything that has already arrived as well as those items currently en route to us. The simple truth is that there’s no telling when or if these collectibles will return to stock in any significant numbers so grab ’em while you can.
I have to admit I have yet to see a single episode of the newest sci-fi series, The Orville. A staple on Fox for the past two years, the series is scheduled to move to Hulu in 2020 when it kicks off its third season. Despite the venue change and whimsical look at prime time sci-fi epochs, its apparently a strong enough license to warrant the attention of Eaglemoss, who have decided to tap it for its next model ship range. Ben Robinsion, head of development at Eaglemoss and likely overseer for the new range of ships, announced its forthcoming roll out at this year’s San Diego Comic Con. Although few details were revealed, the first models will begin to appear in early 2020. Its not clear which ships will make the cut, their relative size or numbers being considered for replication. We will likely get a better sense of what’s in store at the upcoming Comic Con held in New York City.
While they’ve been slow to get product to market and have had to make several changes to their production schedule that has led to further release delays, Forces of Valor has been making major strides of late both updating their web site and showing imagery for several upcoming 1:32 scale German weapons due out before the year’s end. Here’s what you can expect to nestle under the Christmas tree this holiday season:
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with Trailer – Unidentified Unit, Stalingrad, 1942
Originally developed as an anti-aircraft gun, the 8.8cm FLugzeugAbwehrKanone (“Flak”) was first employed in the anti-tank gun role in 1936, when the German Condor Legion was testing out its equipment during the Spanish Civil War. Amazingly, German war planners had designed the gun as an AA weapon with a heavy cruciform platform and central fire control operation, not as a multi-purpose anti-tank gun with proper anti-tank sights. Nevertheless, its capability was seen and quietly noted by commanders operating in the field. While the gun was occassionally used in the anti-tank gun role during the Polish and French campaigns, it wasn’t until the Afrika Korps joined battle in Cyrenaica with the British Eighth Army that the “88” really showed its prowess as a tank killer. Here the tactical situation was such that it was possible to deploy the guns in their anti-aircraft role in positions that would allow them to be re-trained as anti-tank guns. Moreover their range and penetrating power enabled their crews to dispose of British tanks long before the enemy was close enough to engage the guns with their own two- or six-pounder guns.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank with Zimmerit – 3/schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Orsha, Russia, June 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine]
The German Waffenamt issued an order to design the VK4501(H) (as the PzKpfw VI Ausf. E was then known) in May 1941, just one month prior to the commencement of Operation Barbarossa. Interestingly, Henschel und Sohn of Kassel was charged with building the heavily armored chassis while Krupp, by far the largest munitionwerks in Germany, was given the task of developing the turret. The PzKpfw VI Ausfuhrung E (type E) was one of the first German tanks to feature a torsion bar with eight interleaved wheels, which was designed to support the weight of the mammoth 57-ton tank. The Ausf. E mounted a huge 8.8cm KwK36 L/56 cannon and featured two MG34 machine guns for close support against enemy infantry. By war’s end, 1,354 vehicles had been produced, some rolling off the Wegmann assembly line.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer – “332”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine]
In the fall of 1942, the German Waffenamt issued an order to develop a heavy assault gun to combat the growing menace posed by Russian armored forces all along the eastern front. What resulted was the Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther tank destroyer, arguably the best long-range tank destroyer of the war. The Jagdpanther mounted a powerful 8.8cm Pak L/71 cannon within a fixed turret, which was situated atop a standard Panther V chassis. Although production of the tank was begun at MIAG in January 1944, it took another ten months before the larger NMH plant could expand the production run in time for the “Wacht am Rhein” counteroffensive. By war’s end only 392 vehicles had entered service with the Wehrmacht, but these had a telling effect on the prosecution of the war.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine]
Early in 1943, orders were given to design a heavy, self-propelled anti-tank gun, which would mate a 12.8cm gun with a Tiger II chassis. On October 20th, 1943 a wooden mock-up of the enormous vehicle was shown to the OKH planners who authorized that a prototype be finished by April 1944. Two Jagdtigers were built with the Porsche-designed longitudinal torsion-bar suspension. During field testing, this arrangement proved entirely unsatisfactory, which further delayed production of the tank destroyer. The initial series was set at 150 vehicles, but an order issued in October 1944 stipulated that when these had been completed, production capacity was to be switched over to the Panther. This mandate was reversed in January 1945, and assembly of the Jagdtiger was to be resumed as fast as possible. By March 1945, only 77 examples were produced, all assigned to either Panzerjagerabteilung 653 or schwere Panzerabteilung 512.
Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Sd. Kfz. 184 Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Italy, 1944 [Bonus Two 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM Engines]
The Elefant (Elephant) stemmed from the Porsche design for the PzKpfw VI Tiger. Henschel was awarded the contract for the new tank, but it was decided to use the Porsche design as a tank destroyer. Hitler demanded that the new vehicle be ready for the 1943 offensive on the Russian front, so development was rather hurried. As a result, many broke down to their first action at the Battle of Kursk, and the lack of proper armor and ponderous mobility made them easy targets for Soviet gunners in the battle. In addition, the lack of machine guns meant that there was no defense against Soviet troops disabling them with explosive charges in close-quarter combat. The survivors were withdrawn to Italy, where unreliability and lack of spares ensured their continued ineffectiveness.
Admittedly, all are based upon previous releases, however, that’s where the comparison ends. Each vehicle features more metal content, better painting and weathering and even a removable engine designed to better portray the horsepower necessary to get these vehicles moving.
At this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo, Corgi announced that they were adding two more aircraft to its 2019 roster, both based on the recently retired Panavia Tornado. The manufacturer had this to say about their latest additions:
The 1:72 scale limited edition models will have detailed crew figures, fuel tanks and moveable sweeping wings, with a wingspan of 181mm and 118mm for the GR.4 ZG752 and GR.4 ZG775, No.IX (B) respectively. They are an ideal addition to any aviation enthusiast’s collection for £79.99 each.”
With a year to go before its release, Paramount debuted the first official trailer for the upcoming film, Top Gun: Maverick. The sequel to the block buster film, Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick again follows the trials and travails of naval aviator, Pete Mitchel, now a captain, and thirty years after his exploits downing three MiG-28s over the Indian Ocean. This time around, Mitchel has traded in his F-14 Tomcat for a F/A-18 Super Hornet and, among other things, is seen defending his legacy as an ace and Top Gun graduate. Look for Top Gun: Maverick to spill onto silver screens some time in 2020.
