Well, not exactly but try telling that to Legion Models. Earlier today, the manufacturer indicated that they were getting into the Sherman game with the Firefly medium tank, due out by year’s end if you can put stock into their marketing material. Legion, a budget-minded producer of military diecast models and an offshoot of Panzerkampf, seems to like the British Firefly tank — so much so that five models will be offered when they roll out for front line duty this holiday season. Why they have a penchant for releasing so many versions of any given subject all at the same time is anyone’s guess apart from economies of scale, no doubt an effort to keep the retail price as low as possible. Be that as it may, we’re in the process of listing the quintet to our web site, and should have the diminutive platoon ready for pre-sale by the close of business today.
And, if you’re wondering about the difference between the standard US-built Sherman medium tank and the British conversion, check out the accompanying video that was produced by the British Tank Museum:
Diecast sometimes makes for strange bedfellows. Take the case of Militaria Diecast, who recently indicated that two more 1:72 scale warbirds were joining their growing pantheon of military aircraft. According to our distributor, two new fighters are winging their way to us, each, in its own right important additions to the Allied war effort in World War II. As it turns out, both are the mounts of two high-scoring aces, one in the ETO, the other halfway around the world in the PTO.
USMC Chance-Vought F4U-1A Corsair Fighter – “Lucybelle,” Major Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, CO of VMF-214 “Black Sheep,” Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands, November 1943 (1:72 Scale)
The first aircraft represents Francis “Gabby” Gabreski’s P-47D Thunderbolt fighter, a plane that made him one of the top scoring ace’s facing the Luftwaffe over the western front. And, if that weren’t enough, collectors can look forward to a rendition of Greg “Pappy” Boyington’s F4U Corsair, who famously went on to become the leader of the “Black Sheep” squadron operating against the Japanese in the vast Pacific Theatre of Operations.
Pegged at just $39.99, these replicas have become synonymous with quality at an affordable price, at a time when just about everything else in the diecast military space seems headed towards the stratosphere. Both models are on their way to us and we should have them in stock and ready for outbound shipping by the middle of August.
Like clockwork, Hobby Master recently announced a gaggle of new aircraft models that are slated for a January release. While no new toolings debuted, the roster includes a number of fan-favorites that have demonstrated a strong sales history among collectors world over. Included are two models from their SkyMax Models range — a separate budget-mind line that has largely been ignored over the last few years., Both introductions are based upon the Grumman F8F Bearcat fighter, a highly respected if late-to-the-party warbird that ended up being pressed into service at the start of the Cold War.
Here now what you expect to place on your diecast tarmac in early 2026:
SkyMax Models US Navy Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Fighter – 121717, VF-61 “Jolly Rogers”, 1949 (1:72 Scale)
SkyMax Models US Navy Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Fighter – 121714, Duxford, England, 2014 (1:72 Scale)
USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 09-4190, 90th Fighter Squadron “The Diecemen”, 3rd Fighter Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 2017 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 80-0283, 25th Fighter Squadron “Assam Draggins”, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Force Base, Japan, 2015 (1:72 Scale)
USAF Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 88-0705, 90th Fighter Squadron “The Dicemen”, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, August 2005 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)
French Dassault Rafale B Multirole Fighter – “113-1E”, EC 01.007 Provence, Libya, 2011
US Navy Boeing E/A-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – 168256, VAQ-139 “Cougars”, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, 2025 (1:72 Scale)
Additionally, Hobby Master is bringing back a fan-favorite with the re-release of HA33003. This aircraft sold out quickly when it was first issued earlier this year, so its encore performance will certainly be viewed with great fanfare.
USAF Northrop F-5C Tiger II Fighter – 64-13332, 10th Fighter Squadron, Commando “Skoshi Tiger”, Bien Hoa AFB, Vietnam, 1965 (1:72 Scale)
With each military conflict, new weaponry oftentimes get introduced and tested under real-world battlefield conditions, all in an effort to gain the upper hand against the other side. In Word War I, attempts at breaking the stalemate ended up giving rise to the submarine, tank and rudimentary forms of air power. In WWII, the aircraft carrier gained prominence, particularly in the vast Pacific Ocean, forcing battleships to take a less pivotal role. The war in central Asia being waged by both Ukraine and Russia is certainly no different and will quite possibly be known as the “war of the drones” due largely to incredible technological developments being put forward on both sides of the ledger.
Recently, Russia provided a behind-the-scenes look at a factory located within the country that is designed to build and supply their forces with their own fleet of reconnaissance and attack drones. The drones borrow heavily from Iranian-supplied attack drones Russia once purchased early in the conflict as a means of breaking a stalemate they themselves faced largely due to the effectiveness of Ukrainian-deployed drones. Interestingly, now the US has entered the fray with Epirus Leonidas, a new as yet-to-be-deployed system designed to cheaply and effectively locate, identify and destroy incoming drones before they can do any damage. Essentially, the Leonidas is a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon developed to disable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms. It was named after Leonidas of Epirus.
Epirus was founded in 2018 to enter the counter-drone market and it unveiled the Leonidas in 2020. The threat of small drones, especially cheap consumer models, is difficult to counter in large numbers using traditional kinetic means. Against regular air defenses, cheap drones can be deployed in large numbers to overwhelm a defender or force them to expend more expensive interceptors. Leonidas is designed as a directed energy weapon that fires electromagnetic pulse (EMP) beams to disable electronics. The system is able to pick individual targets or cover a large area in wide beam mode to affect any electronic device that passes through. While it was intended to be used against airborne drone threats, it has the ability to knock out ground vehicles and sea vessels; it works against any electronics, and has been demonstrated to disable an outboard ship motor.
Due to its use of gallium nitridetransistors previously used in radars instead of magnetronvacuum tubes, Leonidas can maintain a durable microwave beam while being smaller and requiring less power. As a directed EMP, the system has advantages over other DEWs; lasers can only be used against one target at a time while an HPM can focus on a large area, and it works against autonomous UAVs with no link back to an operator that radio jamming would be ineffective against. Because it is software-based, it is able to discriminate between enemy and friendly aircraft, allowing it to take down enemy drones while enabling friendly ones to operate in the same vicinity. The original configuration was as a towed trailer. In October 2021, Epirus and General Dynamics announced they were teaming to integrate Leonidas onto the Stryker to provide mobile short-range air defense. Epirus unveiled the Leonidas Pod in February 2022 capable of being carried by a heavy-lift UAV. The Leonidas Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) was unveiled in September 2024 as a small version for mobile forces such as the U.S. Marine Corps. The Leonidas H2O, a system one-third the size of the original, was used in a U.S. Navy exercise in August 2024 to disable small boat motors. It was effective at 100 meters working at half power, and can achieve greater ranges than normal by reflecting off the water’s surface.
On January 23rd, 2023, Epirus was awarded a $66.1 million contract by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to deliver the Leonidas to the U.S. Army as part of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High-Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) program after outperforming six other systems. Four prototypes were to be produced by 2024 and then transitioned to a program of record in 2025.Epirus announced on November 1st, 2023, that the first prototype had been delivered and all four were delivered by March 2024. Some of the IFPC-HPM prototypes were deployed to CENTCOM to see how they perform in a real-world environment, with two deployed by early 2025.
Presently, its not clear if the US will purchase and deploy the Leonidas as a means of bolstering their own forces should they come into contact with swarms of drones on the battlefield. If they do, you can bet the system will first be deployed in Ukraine to both demonstrate the system’s effectiveness and gain an understanding of drone warfare and the best means of defeating them.
While much of the focus on the Middle East has either been about the War in Gaza or Iran’s teetering nuclear program, an important headline surfaced last week that seems to have eluded many. Giora Epstein, known by aviation enthusiasts as the “Ace of Aces”, passed away at the age of 87. Having been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, Epstein, later known as Giora Even, was an Israeli Air Force (IAF) officer and a fighter ace credited with 17 victories, 16 against Egyptian jets and one against an Egyptian Mi-8 helicopter, making Epstein the ace of aces of supersonic fighter jets and of the Israeli Air Force. Epstein was an active IAF pilot from 1961 until May 26th, 1997, when he retired at age 59. Like many retired IAF flyers, he later worked as a pilot for El Al Airlines.
After we learned of his passing, we brought this news to the attention of Hobby Master and they confirmed that they already had a 1:72 scale replica of Epstein’s Mirage in the works. According to William Liu, head of development at Hobby Master, Epstein’s Mirage will probably come to fruition in early 2026. There’s also a good chance that the Company will make a 1:72 scale take on his F-16 Viper, although Epstein was never impressed by the plane since much of the emphasis on the F-16 was on the aircraft’s fly-by-wire capabilities, thereby making the jet less of an actual aircraft and more of a computer, as he himself explains in the accompany video.
According to a recent Facebook post, Panzerkampf is planning to offer up a 1:72 scale rendition of the Sikorsky HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter. While no images were provided other than a partially-built prototype still under construction, the manufacturer is soliciting paint scheme and background information requests from collectors to help them determine which helicopters to portray. Its not clear how many versions of the HH-60 will be modeled or when they will come to market, particularly here in North America where we are rapidly approaching the August 1st deadline the Trump Administration has imposed on tariff imports from China. Nevertheless, its refreshing to see that Panzerkampf’s helos have done well in the marketplace since first being introduced and continues to produce even more heavily requested models as the years wear on.
So, if you have a suggestion or a favorite unit you’d like to see made, contact Panzerkampf directly but be prepared to send them images and why your helo should be considered for reproduction.
With the recent sighting of the J-36 on eBay, it got me thinking that Air Force 1 was also likely building and selling a replica of the Avic White Emperor. Well, close. I did come across a 1:50 scale example of the futuristic-looking space plane that is produced by KDW (Guangdong Kaidiwei Culture Co), although my knowledge of Mandarin is nil so I have no idea if they are affiliated with Air Force 1. According to the listing, the build comes with adjustable engine nozzles and is available in 1:50 scale, so sitting them side-by-side with the smaller J-50 and J-36 models Air Force 1 is peddling may be problematic if you’re intent on showing their size difference within the same overal regime. Still, its refreshing to see that at least one company has already picked up the mantlet and has available a nice-looking take on the third sixth-generation aircraft that recently made the news.
Update: While surfing eBay, I came across several 1:72 scale examples of the White Emperor that are also produced by KDW. Curiously, they’re priced like the 1:50 scale version, but come bundled with a slick-looking display stand that resembles a runway launching pad. So, there seems to be no shortage of sixth-generation models to choose from this holiday season.
Whether they’ll be available for North American collectors is a different matter, largely dependent upon current trade talks between the US and the PRC and our ability to bring in new merchandise during the hectic third and fourth quarters when big box retailers are doing their utmost to import key product lines and maintain a strong in-stock position.
When it comes to new aircraft and their scale reproductions, Air Force 1 certainly wastes no time pumping them out. Earlier today, we noticed that one Chinese seller was proudly offering a 1:72 scale take on the Shenyang F-50 strike aircraft, one of three sixth generation aircraft that the Chinese PLAAF debuted just seven months ago.
Presently, we are awaiting word from our distributor whether or not they’ll be able to stock these cutting-edge models in time for the holiday season. Bear in mind that the Trump Administration’s proposed tariffs has put the kabash on a great many projects that were originally intended to come out later this year. By tacking on another 55% to the cost of a model, many manufacturers and distributors feel they’d rather take a wait-and-see attitude before committing to making and selling a new model that could potentially languish on store shelves well beyond their intended sell-by dates. So, while we’d love to hear more about this and other models in the works, its quite possible that they may make it to other nations first before becoming available to collectors here in the North American market.
German Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U4 Heavy Fighter – Oberleutnant Friedrich “Fritz” Stehle, 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel”, Hildesheim, Germany, March 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Hinted at some time ago, Corgi has finally unveiled details concerning their inaugural Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse heavy fighter. Slated for a fall arrival, their first bird is based upon a mount flown by Oberleutnant Friedrich “Fritz” Stehle, who was attached to 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel”, then deployed to Hildesheim, Germany, during March 1944. Priced at just $129.99 and long a heavily requested model, we believe it will do exceptionally well when it reaches the marketplace.
Two other WWII-era warbirds were also announced today, including a USAAF Spitfire Mk. IXc fighter flown by Lt. Robert Connor and a Martin B-26C-45-MO Marauder medium bomber piloted by Lieutenant Leo A Lampman. It appears as if Corgi plans to remain a stalwart actor in the military diecast aircraft space, even as other relative newcomers seem to be sharpening their knives in an effort to carve out a greater share of the overall pie.
USAAF Martin B-26C-45-MO Marauder Medium Bomber – Lieutenant Leo Lampman, “Miss https://www.themotorpool.net/USAAF-B-26C-45-MO-Bomber-Miss-Arkansas-p/aa29502.htmArkansas”, 444th Bomb Squadron, 320th Bomb Group, Montesquieu Airfield, Algeria, 1943 (1:72 https://www.themotorpool.net/USAAF-Supermarine-Spitfire-Mk-IXc-Fighter-p/aa29104.htmScale)
USAAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXc Fighter – Lieutenant Robert Connor, “Porky II”, 309th Fighter Squadron, North Africa, 1943 (1:72 Scale)
Also up for your consideration is another take on the English Electric Lightning, created in a wonderful if immense 1:48 scale that seems to be quite popular among collectors. Boasting a natural metal exterior finish and all the hallmarks of past Lightning interceptors, this will certainly be a welcome addition to the Aviation Archives series as well as a reminder that Corgi doesn’t fear dabbling in the larger-sized military aircraft market.
RAF English Electric Lightning F.6 Fighter – XR726, No.5 Squadron, RAF Leconfield, England (1:48 Scale)
Its been awhile since we had anything to post regarding Forces of Valor and with good reason — nothing new has surfaced. While we’ve been pestering them regarding new and re-purposed products, they seem to have been reluctant to share information with us — until now.
Earlier today, we checked their revamped web site to see if anything new was being announced. Lo and behold, a new Sherman tank was added to their product portfolio, one based upon a Sherman tank commanded by Lt. Colonel Creighton Abrams. “Thunderbolt VII” as it came be known was one of the last tanks he led into battle, largely because his previous vehicles were shot out from under him. But now, the bad. According to the Waltersons’ owned web site, Thunderbolt will carry a MSRP of $289.00, well above even their recently released Ferdinand heavy tank destroyer. Now, I can understand that this is a new tooling, but a near $300 price tag is a bit much considering the series started out twenty or so years ago with tanks fetching $40 apiece.
Then there’s the ugly. Its not clear if this latest 1:32 scale vehicle will be available as a web exclusive or if it will be made available to retailers such as ourselves at some point during its product development cycle. Thus far, the Company has remained mum regarding their marketing plans and quite possibly is exploring other means of getting their products into the hands of collectors, at least here in North America. The vehicle does not appear on any of their other web sites, although that could change as more information is disseminated. If they do go the exclusive route, it could mean they are parting ways with their dealers and looking to market all of their latest products direct-to-consumers. Other companies have opted to go that route over the years, using the Internet as a means of reaching the consumer at an affordable rate. It does, however, leave a bad taste in the mouth’s of their retail network and takes quite a bit of work getting them back into the fold should they decide to reverse course down-the-road.
In any event, we’ve reached out to the powers that be to determine when this product will become available and if it will be offered to retailers. So, we will hold off listing it on our web site until we have a better idea of their marketing plans going forward.
Update: We heard back from the manufacturer this morning and they indicated that “Thunderbolt VII” wasn’t mass-produced and will therefore be made available to customers only through their web site. Frankly, the costs associated with making a new vehicle are quite high and it oftentimes takes a large production run to recoup an initial investment. Add to that the fact that the bulk of FOV collectors have traditionally spent no more than $150 or so for a new vehicle, so pegging this product at almost twice that figure is a somewhat questionable marketing strategy that will no doubt cause backlash from both collectors and their retail network. “The die is cast” so-to-speak, and its now up to Waltersons to weather the storm.
