Highway to the Danger Zone Takes a Temporary Detour


TSM Model Wings’ 1:200 US Navy Northrop F-5E Tiger II Fighter – “MiG-28” [Aggressor Scheme]

From time-to-time we get a little edgy, particularly when a manufacturer shows product at one show then fails to display it a year later at the very same venue. Such is the case with Sunrich Hobby, who, we have found out, owns Taiwan-based TSM Models, a prolific maker of diecast collectibles. At last year’s Nuremberg Toy Fair, TSM had on display several new aircraft toolings that immediately caught the hobby by storm and helped whet the appetite of many a collector. Oddly, at this year’s show, no such aircraft were anywhere to be seen, leaving this pundit in a lurch and immediately speculating that something had gone wrong.

Turns out all is well in Fightertown USA according to our source at Sunrich, with work proceeding smoothly on the models shown at last year’s show as well some they cannot openly discuss for obvious reasons. If you read between the lines, that means they have locked up the Top Gun 2 license, and pretty much cornered the market on Top Gun 2 collectibles well ahead of the film’s 2020 release. We’ve already learned that the now retired F-14 Tomcat will make an encore performance in Top Gun 2, and its a well known topic of conversation that Tom Cruise, reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, has been seen “puttering around” in the F/A-18 Super Hornet, meaning a new aircraft will join the ranks. What hasn’t been confirmed are some of the other aircraft and drones that will likely be featured in the sequel, meaning lots more subjects to be replicated once the film hits the silver screen.


TSM Model Wings” 1:72 Scale Aircraft Carrier Deck Base with Catapult Operator Figure [Base 1]

For now, the Company has confirmed the imminent release of a 1:200 scale MiG-28, a mythical adversarial aircraft featured in the original film, Top Gun. Also in the works is a remake of their popular 1:72 scale flight deck, which will likely see the light of day this summer. So, while Sunrich and TSM Model Wings aren’t actually showing anything in their aircraft line up at Nuremberg this year, that doesn’t necessarily mean the pump hasn’t already been primed and product, scrutinized and approved by Paramount Films, isn’t already in the pipeline.

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Eaglemoss Splits the Enterprise into Two

Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Federation Odyssey Class Starship – USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F [Version 1] [With Collector Magazine]

Looking to get the most mileage out of one of their latest toolings and take a page out of King Solomon’s play book, Eaglemoss intends to offer two different versions of the upcoming USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F starship. The first, which we have had up on our site for several months running, is an all-grey variant that seems to meld well with the existing fleet of Eaglemoss starships. The second, recently unveiled, is a bit more colorful, and drawn from the massively multiplayer online game, Star Trek Online. We have created a separate listing for the new addition and have begun accepting pre-orders, referring to them as EMSTCON09A andEMSTCON09B respectively.

Eaglemoss” Star Trek Federation Odyssey Class Starship – USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F, Star Trek Online [Version 2] [With Collector Magazine]

Please note that any orders already received for the NCC-1701-F will be applied to the all-grey variant, so if you would like to switch your order to the more colorful version or perhaps look to collect both ships, please advise as soon as possible before they start to roll in.

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Product Spotlight: Phabulous Phantoms


Corgi’s 1:48 scale Royal Navy McDonnell F-4 FG.1 Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – No. 892 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Ark Royal (R07), November 1978

The McDonnell F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber is certainly one of the most iconic aircraft of the Cold War, and is perhaps most closely associated with the prosecution of the air war over Vietnam by the US military. Used by all three major services — the US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps — the Phantom helped to wrest control of the skies over Vietnam from the infamous MiG, even if it took higher than anticipated losses doing so. Yet, despite its claim to fame, there were other operators of the Phantom that many aviation enthusiasts seem to overlook or just plain forget.

The United Kingdom operated the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II as one of its principal combat aircraft from the 1960s to the early 1990s. The UK was the first export customer for the Phantom, which was ordered in the context of political and economic difficulties around British designs for the roles that it eventually undertook. The Phantom was procured to serve in both the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force in several roles including air defence, close air support, low-level strike and tactical reconnaissance.

Although assembled in the United States, the UK’s Phantoms were a special batch built separately and containing a significant amount of British technology as a means of easing the pressure on the domestic aerospace industry in the wake of major project cancellations.[ Two variants were initially built for the UK: the F-4K variant was designed from the outset as an air defence interceptor to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm from the Royal Navy‘s aircraft carriers; the F-4M version was procured for the RAF to serve in the tactical strike and reconnaissance roles. In the mid-1980s, a third Phantom variant was obtained when a quantity of second-hand F-4J aircraft were purchased to augment the UK’s air defences following the Falklands War.

The Phantom entered service with both the Fleet Air Arm and the RAF in 1969. In the Royal Navy it had a secondary strike role in addition to its primary use for fleet air defence, while in the RAF it was soon replaced in the strike role by other aircraft designed specifically for strike and close air support. By the mid-1970s it had become the UK’s principal interceptor, a role in which it continued until the late 1980s.

In a bold move in the diecast community and follow-up to the release of their English Electric Lightning, Corgi plans to offer a 1:48 scale tooling of the Lockheed Phantom and, best of all, we have the pictures to prove it. Slated for a July touch down, plans initially call for a Royal Navy McDonnell F-4 FG.1 Phantom II fighter-bomber that was attached to No. 892 Naval Air Squadron, then embarked upon the HMS Ark Royal (R07) during November 1978 (AA27901). Impressive? You be the judge.

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Oxford Strafes the Competition

Oxford’s 1:72 scale Soviet Ilyushin IL-10 Ground Attack Aircraft

If you don’t mind waiting, you’ll eventually be able to add a Soviet Ilysuhin IL-10 ground attack aircraft to your aircraft collection (OXFAC093). Discussed at the recently concluded London Toy Fair and now posted to their web site, the IL-10 is an iconic WWII-era aircraft that laid waste to many German tanks, AFVs and soft-skinned vehicles then fighting against the Red Army on the Eastern Front during the latter stages of WWII. Its not clear exactly when the IL-10 — or the recently announced Boulton Paul Defiant fighter (OXFAC094) — will become available, but Oxford typically takes a year or more to actually release a new warbird after announcing it to aviation enthusiasts. Its not the best scenario if you’re looking to lay claim to either new aircraft in the not-too-distant future, but for $25 you cannot argue with either the price or its importance, given the state of things in the diecast hobby.



Oxford’s 1:72 scale RAF Boulton Paul Defiant Mk. I Night Fighter
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Anatomy of War: Is this the Newest Member in the International Stealth Club?

For years, the Russian military claimed that their Sukhoi Su-57 aircraft was a fifth generation stealth fighter, capable of meeting and possibly exceeding the attributes of the F-22 and F-35 in the air superiority role. Yet, even with that lofty billing, it was never made clear how Sukhoi planned to mask the heat signature put out by the aircraft’s two huge NPO Saturn engines slung behind the aircraft and whether or not they had mastered the art of making, maintaining and repairing the radar absorbent material needed to coat the aircraft’s exterior surfaces.

Be that as it may, Sukhoi seems to be making another stab at the stealth aircraft market by rolling out preliminary images of its Okhotnik-B – an unmanned strike aircraft that purportedly seems to have mastered the art of operating within the demanding conditions of low observable flight. At this point, little is known about the aircraft, although the Russians like to show off their military wares under development well ahead of their actual deployment as a means of keeping the West on their toes. The aircraft looks very similar to Northrop Grumman’s X-47B and Boeing’s X-45C Phantom Ray, sporting a beefy undercarriage, hidden internal weapons bay, and forward mounted sensor suite that likely mounts both an active and passive radar array to detect enemy threats. Its entirely possible that Russia may integrate the aircraft into its upcoming Victory Day Parade, held annually on May 9th, which oftentimes serves as their principal venue for unveiling new hardware. As a guess, the Okhotnik-B will likely carry the Russian hypersonic missile as its principal armament, which, because of its Mach 7+ speed is designed to out run any missiles fielded by the west aimed at intercepting its flight.

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Panzers Rollen in Afrika Vor!

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 German 88mm Flak 36/37 Anti-Aircraft Gun with Trailer – Deutsches Afrika Korps, El Alamein, North Africa, 1942 [Comes with Seven Crewmen and Rommel]

Well, almost. While its not quite a burly Mark IV medium tank clad in Afrika Korps markings pressing home Rommel’s attack, Forces of Valor’s opening entry in their 1:32 scale military vehicle category is an upgraded 88 FLaK gun, complete with eight accompanying figures. Painted in a desert sand motif and featuring a weathered exterior to give it a battle hardened appearance, the 88mm gun was one of the most feared weapons in the German inventory, able to take on advancing enemy armor well before they could come into range and bring their own guns to bear.

According to the manufacturer, their first shipment is now expected to ship out after Chinese New Year and should be hitting the dusty trail to our advanced encampment some time in March. Frankly, we may not have enough product available for general sale once all of our pre-orders have been addressed, so open stock may not be available for purchase until a second follow-on shipment reaches us in March. Don’t say we didn’t warn you if you wait until the first shipment arrives to place your order.

As an aside, FOV is showing their 2019 wares at next week’s Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, so we hope to have images of some of their other forays direct from the Show. Stay tuned!

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USPS Shipping Costs Rise Dramatically for 2019

All three of the major shippers operating within the US are passing along pricing increases for the 2019 calendar year even though the price of oil has fallen over the past year. The USPS, which is the only service we currently use, are making two important changes which will have a major impact on the way we ship out products across North America. The first, which goes into effect on January 27th, is as follows:

USPS First Class packages are increasing an average of 11.9%. Note that USPS First Class Package Service pricing will change from a flat rate per ounce to zone-based pricing per ounce

USPS Priority Mail increases an average of 5.9%

Moreover, changes in weight distribution of packages will affect pricing on USPS packages starting in June.

Effective June 23, the USPS is planning to change the way they calculate dimension weight on Parcel Select Ground, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express. They currently apply dimensional weight (DIM Weight) pricing on medium to large packages with lower weights to take into consideration the amount of space taken up on a truck rather than a package’s physical weight.  As pricing changes take effect, the rate charged will be the higher cost of either Dim Weight or physical weight of a package.

As a result, shipping larger items, such as the upcoming 1:32 scale Forces of Valor vehicles and several of the larger 1:72 scale aircraft offered by a variety of manufacturers, will cost us dearly to ship out, particularly if the item(s) must be mailed to the West Coast, northwest and even the midwest. As a result, we will likely have to dispense with our flat rate shipping model on January 27th and determine shipping costs based upon what the USPS will assess us for each shipment. We regret having to make this decision but hope you recognize that we simply cannot afford to sell at a loss in order to make a sale.

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Hobby Master Claims, “Its All in the Family”

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Navy Sukhoi Su-33 “Flanker-D” Air Superiority Fighter – Bort 67, 1st Aviation Squadron, 279th Shipborne Fighter Aviation Regiment, Feb 2014

Never one to disappoint, Hobby Master announced this week that they plan to complete their Sukhoi family of modern era aircraft with the addition of a bouncing baby Su-33 “Flanker-D” Air Superiority Fighter (HA6401). Scheduled for a June landing, the Sukhoi Su-33 is, essentially, (NATO reporting name: Flanker-D) an all-weather, carrier-based, twin engine, air superiority fighter designed by Sukhoi and manufactured by Komosomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association, derived from the Su-27 and initially known as the Su-27K. Complete with canards for better maneuverability under high stress maneuvering, it was first used in operations in 1995 aboard theaircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the fighter officially entered service in August 1998, by which time the designation “Su-33” was used. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union and the subsequent downsizing of the Russian Navy, only 24 aircraft were produced. Attempted sales to China and India fell through. With plans to retire the Su-33 once they reach the end of their service life, the Russian Navy ordered the MiG-29K as a replacement in 2009.

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Corgi, Part Duh?


Corgi’s 1:50 scale Captured German Sd. Kfz. 171 PzKpfw V Panther Ausf. A Medium Tank – 4th Battalion Coldstream Guards “Cuckoo”, Netherlands, 1944-45


I’ve been sick as a dog since Saturday although I feel confident that all of the in-house orders for Dragon, Corgi and Hobby Master have now been handed off to the USPS. Of course, we are still receiving other in-bound shipments as we speak, including a new cache of Eaglemoss Star Trek starships, along with a bunch of back ordered products that we ran out of during the hectic holiday season. Have no fear — we will soldier on despite looking like death incarnate just to keep the wheels of progress greased and churning ever onward. Words of encouragement from you gents would be welcome right about now.

Earlier this week, we stumbled upon all of the new products Corgi plans on releasing throughout 2019. Thus far, we’ve listed all of the new/old 1:50 scale military vehicles and will start uploading the aircraft range over the next few days. To be honest, we have mixed feelings about the re-introduction of the military vehicles now dubbed the Military Legends. While collectors have been lamenting the series’ demise for years on end, this rehashed ranged is a bit pricier than before and truthfully doesn’t break any new ground as far as we can see. Most of the vehicles are just re-releases of previous efforts that first saw the light of day some ten or more years ago. Priced at $65 apiece, however, you can quite literally purchase several Altaya, Atlas or Eaglemoss vehicles in their stead, making their relative worth quite questionable given the state of the hobby and the influx of new model makers entering the hobby.

Anyway, we’re not going to pass final judgement on the line, since that doesn’t pay the bills or keep the gophers going (too much Dayquil I guess). So, keep your eyes peeled for the new aircraft listings and rest assured we’ll be burning the midnight oil to get everything up on our site in the most expeditious manner possible.

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Corgi Sets its Sights on 2019

Just one week into the new year, Corgi has announced their entire 2019 lineup. Previously, the Company had unveiled their annual releases in six-month increments so it looks as if 2019 marks a departure of sorts for this longstanding model maker.

While a number of new aircraft were announced, what really struck us was the return of their 1:50 scale military vehicles series, a line that had performed very well over a decade ago when it was first offered but has since languished on the back burner without so much as a feeble attempt to dust it off and bring it back from the dead. No new toolings make up this re-purposed range, however, we feel confident that its return will do quite well, particularly since 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, advance across northwest Europe and, of course, the Battle for the Ardennes.

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