I guess some former Hollywood A-listers are past their prime and will do anything for a buck. Such is the case with Bruce Willis, who stars in a Chinese-made WWII flick entitled Unbreakable Spirit (formerly The Bombing). According to Cinema Escapist, “Unbreakable Spirit aims to dramatize Chinese resistance during the Bombing of Chongqing, which lasted from 1938-1943. Located deep inland, Chongqing served as China’s temporary capital from 1937-1946, as Japan captured many coastal cities including the formal capital Nanjing. Aiming to crush China’s government, Japan flew 268 raids over Chongqing. The raids killed over 10,000 civilians and destroyed much of the city center.”
While the CGI generated combat scenes look decent enough, we’ll leave it up to you decide when this film will go straight to video in the english-speaking market and whether or not its worthy of serious discussion as a war tribute.
Every Wednesday, Eaglemoss draws back the curtains on a handful of upcoming Star Trek starships. While nothing was in the hopper this week, the Company did announce plans to produce yet another subscription-based series — this time around offering busts of several major Star Trek characters. The first is, of course, Captain Kirk, as he was portrayed in the Original TV Series (TOS) by William Shatner. Each bust stands between 4.5″ to 6″ tall, comes with a full-color magazine, and carries a MSRP of $29.99. Kirk is holding both a communicator and a hand-held phaser and is wearing a gold-tone uniform befitting a command officer. The first bust is tentatively scheduled for a fourth quarter release, so get your gold-pressed Latinum laid out in neat piles ready for processing.
Beginning today, we are launching a new section in our blog entitled Tales of Transparency. The ultimate goal is to establish a clear line of communication between the customer and the vendor and reduce the so-called “friction” that can occur as each attempts to understand the other and make any transaction as seamless as possible.
To kick things off, we amended our Diecast Military Helicopter section to reflect the growing use of tilt-wing rotorcraft in many of today’s air forces. With new aircraft coming online soon, such as the Bell V-280 Valor title rotor aircraft, and the increasing usage of drones to spy on and engage the enemy in real-time, we felt it was high time that our web site remained in lock-step with today’s headlines and advances in military hardware. So, we’ve updated the name of the main category, moved around some sub sections, and generally performed some housecleaning exercises aimed at better segregating each type of diecast replica. We hope you enjoy these changes.
Eaglemoss’ Star Trek Discovery Klingon Bird-of-Prey (23rd century)
I have to admit that when I first laid eyes on the Eaglemoss rendition of a Star Trek Discovery Klingon Bird-of-Prey I was a bit mystified. To me, it looked nothing like I was expecting and resembled something from a different sci-fi universe. Apparently, the sample was photographed from a strange angle, showing off little in the way of detail and an oddly-shaped configuration to boot. Happily, the manufacturer has finally uploaded a couple of more acceptable images of the starship, which better shows off the craftsmanship that when into the replica as well as the angle of its dihedral wings. Expected some time in June, we anticipate brisk sales of this replica now that everyone can better appreciate what is in the offing.
If you know anything about US naval tradition, then you are likely aware of the Herndon Climb, a rite of passage where the freshmen class at the Naval Academy form a human pyramid around an obelisk covered in lard in order to reach its summit. Exhausted, soaked and dressed only in their skivvies, both men and women embark upon the grueling multi-hour exercise under a punishing midday sun, demonstrating their determination and team building skills, and representing the class’ transition from plebes to mid-shipmen, thereby symbolically ending their first year at the academy.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale rendition of a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 “Fullback” Strike Fighter – “Red 03”, Khmeimim Air Base, Latakia, Syria, January 2015
Like clock work, Hobby Master debuted their list of product due out for an October hay ride. While most of the offerings are based upon existing toolings, we did take note that they have added the Suhkoi Su-34 Fullback strike aircraft to their ever growing array of modern era aircraft. Their inaugural aircraft (HA6301) is based upon a warplane that saw service in the Syrian Civil War and was likely deployed to the Russian controlled Khmeimim Air Base, located at Latakia, Syria.
Hobby Master knows they a good thing going by offering a pair of USMC M60A1 Patton Medium Tank with Reliability Improved Selected Equipment (RISE) IR/White Light Spotlight. This one is clad in a MERDC camouflage scheme.
Other items of particular interest are a pair of M60A1 Patton tanks, this time around clad in European tri-color camouflage schemes (HG5604 and HG5605). Their first M60A1 tank, wearing a Vietnam-era olive green paint scheme, sold out within days of their release, so Hobby Master has certainly taken the cue by adding more Cold War era armor to their roster.
The Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, as it looked way back in 1908 upon its completion. Initially a dirt covered toll road with ropes acting as guard rails, it was designed for use by the elite of New York looking for a fast way to “motor” out to the Hamptons. Bereft of any lights and with wild animals still scouring the island, it was an adventure, to say the least, just to get out of the city, much less drive all of the way out to the summer residences without so much as a flat tire. The borough of Manhattan can be seen in the distance.
Over the years, some people have asked us how we came by the name “The Motor Pool.” The obvious implication is that is has something to do with an army Motor Pool, where military vehicles are repaired, put into storage or are simply awaiting assignment to different military units. In part, that’s true, but it also pays deference to The Motor Parkway, a segment of which runs right behind our house in Oakland Gardens, Queens, New York. While vehicular traffic hasn’t run along the highway in several decades, there is a lovely bike path that is used by joggers, runners, bicyclists and other enthusiasts year round.
The Long Island Motor Parkway (LIMP), also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway and Motor Parkway, was a parkway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. It was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. The road was privately built by William Kissam Vanderbilt II with overpasses and bridges to remove intersections. It opened in 1908 as a toll road and closed in 1938 when it was taken over by the state of New York in lieu of back taxes. Parts of the parkway survive today in sections of other roadways and as a bicycle trail in Queens.
William Kissam Vanderbilt II, the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, was an auto-racing enthusiast and created the Vanderbilt Cup, the first major road racing competition, in 1904. He ran the races on local roads in Nassau County during the first decade of the 20th century, but the deaths of two spectators and injury to many others showed the need to eliminate racing on residential streets. Vanderbilt responded by establishing a company to build a graded, banked and grade-separated highway suitable for racing that was also free of the horse manure dust often churned up by motor cars. The resulting Long Island Motor Parkway, with its banked turns, guard rails, reinforced concrete roadbed, and controlled access, was the first limited-access roadway in the world.
The Motor Parkway, as it looks today, now bracketed by trees, fauna and other growth and serving as a popular bike path, runner’s lane and mile long walkway near our location. Just don’t ask us about the supposed ancient Indian burial grounds, now covered over by trees, situated just a block or two away from us.
Many of the repurposed 1:32 scale military vehicles now come with a removable engine instead of redundant and much maligned accessories.
Admittedly, its been a little difficult trying to locate images of the Forces of Valor booth at the recently concluded Shizuoka Hobby Show in Japan. We’ve scoured YouTube, Facebook and the Internet, looking for anything that could help whet everyone’s appetite. That said, we did finally manage to unearth some photos, thanks to the good folks at Amiami.
As you can see, most of the product on display are still works in progress, bereft of any painting and background data. Moreover, it appears as if the bulk of the items on display have to do with their 1:72 scale military vehicle line, with a smattering of aircraft thrown in for good measure. Still, its nice to see that progress is being made across several different categories, and that the upcoming holiday season will feature a good deal more Forces of Valor products than in year’s past.
Four new 1:72 scale US 8-wheeled vehicles will join the Fist of War franchise
Never one to shy away from an intimidating project while simultaneously looking to build out its pseudo sci-fi military series, Modelcollect unveiled the first Allied vehicles in its Fist of War franchise. Based upon an eight-wheeled armored car, the Company debuted a family of four different 1:72 scale combat vehicles, each utilizing a different turret type and weapons system. Its not clear when these vehicles will hit the streets and whether they will be made available in both kit form and as pre-assembled models.
In other news, Modelcollect acknowledged on Facebook that they will soon be producing a range of 1:35 scale military vehicles, although no further details were made public. If true, this could not only mark a major departure from this prolific modelmaker but also become an important development for the pre-assembled market, who have been without a viable supplier of larger scale military vehicles for several years running. Both Minichamps and Dragon Models were heavily invested in the sector years ago, but have since withdrawn their support in favor of other pursuits. And with the resurrection of the Forces of Valor brand, larger scale military vehicle collectors could have lots to crow about this holiday season.
An M26 “Lobster”, whatever that is, has been added to the Allies’ Order of Battle
Ever since it decided to intervene in the Syrian civil war back in 2015, Russia has been steadily, if furtively, battle testing some of its latest air and ground equipment to see if they are ready for a 21st century war. Word out of Syria is that they have now introduced the Uran-9 to the crucible of battle, likely deploying it near the capital of Damascus where the bulk of Russian forces are stationed. The Uran-9 is a drone tank that must be within 1.8 miles of its manned operator to function effectively. It boasts a wide array of hi-tech weaponry, which includes anti-tank missiles, an automatic cannon and a machine gun, thereby enabling it to take on a wide variety of targets. It is “equipped with advanced optics and targeting systems including a laser warning system and thermal imaging,” says the World Defence Forum, which has been monitoring the usage and testing of the unmanned weapons system ever since it was officially unveiled several years ago. For more information on the vehicle and its deployment, visit the World Defence Forum.
