Calibre Wings

Calibre’s “In-and-Out” Belly Bombers

Well, we received our allotment of Calibre Wings B-58 Hustler bombers and out the door they went. We had several people waiting for what seemed like an eternity so we wanted to process their orders as quickly as possible and get them into the USPS slipstream tout-de-suite.

While I would’ve loved to have opened one up to see what they look like in the “diecast flesh”, we thought better of it and decided to get them ready for shipment first thing Friday morning. So, if you were lucky enough to have ordered one from us, keep one eye on your tracking information and the other on the USPS truck cause they’re headed out for the final leg of their journey.

Takeaway: Despite its price relative to other models of its size and standing, Calibre’s inaugural B-58 Hustler sold like hotcakes. We could’ve easily sold more models had we been permitted to obtain them, and had to turn away orders far in excess of what we actually sold. We anticipate Calibre will be announcing a second B-58, perhaps in a Southeast Asian camouflage scheme, very soon. While it likely won’t be as popular as the first release (second issues never are), we should continue to see brisk sales once its announced, built and inspected for imperfections. Will it carry the same price tag and come in the same presentation box? At this point its anyone’s guess and we can only hope Calibre will continue to offer subjects collectors have been requesting for several years on end.

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Calibre et al Continues to Push Back

On Friday morning, Calibre Wings produced a YouTube video claiming their eagerly awaited B-58 Hustler strategic bomber has been delayed yet again and is now expected to ship out within the March/April 2026 time frame. Noel Lee, owner of Calibre Wings, claimed there were several quality control issues with the production run, more specifically paint spray problems and assembly misalignment, that plagued several of the models. He also pointed to the upcoming Chinese New Year, which typically slows things down even further as workers head home from the factories to see their loved ones and take a break from work.

We’re not certain why this problem is now bubbling to the surface, seeing as how they were probably halfway through the quality control process that was designed to ensure that the models were in top-notch condition prior to being shipped out. We recognize this is a major source of income for the diecast aircraft manufacturer so we hope that this delay will be the last and enable them to get back to business producing first class models. Needless to say if Calibre intends to produce a second B-58 Hustler, they will need to devote more time to inspecting each model before announcing a release date, particularly since these models are fetching what can best be described as a king’s ransom in today’s market.

Moving on to other matters, it appears as if 2025 will go down as the driest year for product releases on record, with many manufacturers either delaying the release of their merchandise or continuing to take a wait-and-see stance to gauge what happens with the Trump tariffs now being ruled on by the Supreme Court. Bear in mind that even if the Court strikes down the tariffs, it will be some time before manufacturers can ramp up production and tackle the new year. Workers were laid off or sought work elsewhere, meaning it will be awhile before they can ratchet up production and resume business as usual.

Earlier today, we learned that Corgi’s last set of 2025 releases are now slated to arrive in late December, barring any further delays. Likewise, the latest items from Hobby Master and Panzerkampf are supposed to arrive in late November, although nothing is set in stone. As we have indicated in our newsletters and web site posts, please do not hang your hat on the arrival of fourth quarter releases as gifts for the holidays. We don’t want to disappoint, but the fact of the matter is we are being as forthright as possible and aren’t going to field complaints when we have absolutely nothing to do with these endless push backs.

Takeaway: Manufacturers and distributors alike are feeling the impact of the Trump Administration tariffs. Product is being delayed and prices are being increased to reflect the additional import charges.

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Calibre’s B-58 Delayed

We’re about to head off for vacation but noticed this recent Facebook post that was created by Noel Lee, head of Calibre Wings. While he is currently conducting Quality Control for over 1,500 B-58 Hustler bombers, he states that at a rate of 50 models per day, he should have the entire batch completed by the end of November, barring any further delays such as the recent typhoon that struck Hong Kong. Since they’re coming to us direct from China and still have to pass through customs and potential delays stateside, we estimate that our shipment will likely arrive some time in December, pushing their original estimated date of delivery back by sixty days. We’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news but this is obviously beyond our control.

Convair B-58 Hustler bombers undergoing final inspection before being approved for shipment

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Congrats to Calibre

Earlier this month, Calibre Wings finally announced the pre-order price for their upcoming 1:72 scale Convair B-58 Hustler bomber. Decked out in a shiny metal finish and packed in a handsome wooden display case with all sorts of accoutrements, the B-58 was one of those oft-mentioned projects that seemed to take forever to finally come to fruition. Fortunately it has and now the manufacturer reports that they have completely sold out of the 1,000-piece production run scheduled to hit the streets shortly. We had hoped to stock this item, but weren’t sure if we could lay our hands on any of the pieces based upon the current tariff situation that seems to be permeating every facet of our business.

Calibre has officially said that they plan to make other schemes for the B-58, so if you weren’t able to nab one of these specimens from the first run take heart because other versions aren’t far behind. And, in the mean time, we’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate Calibre Wings for not only having the chutzpah to make a model of this nature but to sell it out within weeks of it being announced. Bravo!

Update: A bit of good news for fans of Calibre Wings. We heard back from the Company on Tuesday morning, April 22nd. Turns out they are holding four (4) pieces of the B-58 Hustler for us. Our wholesale cost is right around the previously announced retail price so we’ve had to list it for quite a bit more to reflect our cost and overseas shipping charges which is significant considering that the model is packed in a heavy wooden box. Due to the cost and weight of this item, we will only be accepting domestic orders within the Continental US. Sorry, no shipments will be made to either Hawaii, Alaska or any US territory.

Needless to say, based upon heavy popular demand, we will list and offer the second version of the B-58 once information has been disseminated. A second variant is likely due some time in 2026.

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Calibre Wings Does the Hustle(r)

Its been a couple of years since we heard anything from Calibre Wings regarding their oft-promised Convair B-58 Hustler bomber. There’s all sorts of reasons for the delay but suffice it to say that the owner seems to finally be prepared to share news of their upcoming project now that its entering its final phase of prototype development..

The Convair B-58 Hustler, designed and produced by American aircraft manufacturer Convair, was the first operational bomber capable of Mach 2 flight. The B-58 was developed during the 1950s for the United States Air Force (USAF) Strategic Air Command (SAC). To achieve the high speeds desired, Convair chose a delta wing design used by contemporary interceptors such as the Convair F-102. The bomber was powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods. It had no bomb bay; it carried a single nuclear weapon plus fuel in a combination bomb/fuel pod underneath the fuselage. Later, four external hardpoints were added, enabling it to carry up to five weapons.

The B-58 entered service in March 1960, and flew for a decade with two SAC bomb wings: the 43rd Bombardment Wing and the 305th Bombardment. It was considered difficult to fly, imposing a high workload upon its three-man crews. Designed to replace the subsonic Boeing B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber, the B-58 became notorious for its sonic boom heard on the ground by the public as it passed overhead in supersonic flight.

We’ve contacted Calibre Wings to express our desire to stock their B-58 provided its well within our selling regime. Thus far, Calibre hasn’t discussed pricing, dates of availability, packaging, and shipping costs from China to the US, in part due to the Trump administration’s willingness to place hefty tariffs on incoming goods from much of Asia to the United States and, in particular, the PRC. So, while we would love to stock and sell this model, it may be impractical due to higher-than-normal costs and the increasingly hostile relationship currently occurring between the US and China. As I’ve mentioned in a previous Tales of Transparency blog post, some things are simply out-of-our-control and could actually impede your ability to acquire this model should you choose to purchase this model from a US-based retailer rather than direct from the manufacturer. In any event, we will stay in touch with Calibre once they have a better idea regarding the ultimate costs associated with bringing this model to the US.

A video compendium showing the development of the Calibre Wings B-58 Hustler through the years:

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Calibre Wings Does the Hustle(r)

While we have temporarily discontinued stocking the Calibre Wings line of military aircraft, we thought it still made sense to cover them as if we did. Of late, the Company has come under fire from some of its most vocal critics, who delight in lambasting them on every conceivable issue, from quality control to licensing. While we are not going to agree or disagree with some of the online comments posted to their Facebook account, the point of this blog post isn’t to throw more fuel on the fire. Rather, it is designed to point out some of their positive achievements, which includes not only what they have brought to market thus far but what’s ahead from this rising star in the diecast community.

By now, most of you are no doubt aware that the Company has a MiG-31 “Foxhound” in the works, which can still be pre-ordered direct from the manufacturer and is currently listed as a 2023 release. What you may not know is that they are also working on their long-promised if oft delayed Convair B-58 Hustler, a supersonic bomber that saw yeoman service with the USAF during the Cold War. While the mold is still being finalized and pre-orders are not yet being taken by the manufacturer, they did take time out to cobble together this short video which discusses their labor-of-love. Enjoy and don’t forget to support your favorite manufacturers any way you can! BTW, Noel Lee, the owner of Calibre Wings, has hinted that the retail price of the B-58 could be as high as $300, although its likely he will offer it at a far lower price on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site, for a limited time only. The Hustler is an iconic Cold War aircraft that helped to form the backbone of our so-called Triad nuclear response for several decades. As such while it may be expensive vis a vis other diecast aircraft, we feel confident that Calibre will do it justice and thus represent a worthwhile investment.

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Calibre Wings Kills Two Birds with One Stone

No stranger to YouTube, Calibre Wings has posted yet another instructional video to their YouTube account, this time offering a close-up look at their latest F-14 Fleet Defense Fighter. Based upon a Tomcat flown at the NFS/NSAWC, the latest release should appeal to both Top Gun fans as well as F-14 enthusiasts, striking a chord with both communities along with diecast aficionados. Enjoy!

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Calibre Wings Fires Up the F-16

As was the case with their previous releases, Calibre Wings has crafted an elaborate tutorial explaining the inner workings of its latest release, the F-16 Viper. The 15-minute instructional video is hosted by the Company’s owner, Noel Lee, who does a marvelous job of discussing the packaging, model, and all of its attendant detail, going so far as to show how to attach and detach various parts of the model to the main body of the aircraft. The video can be viewed here, within the body of each product listing on our web site, or seen on YouTube.

As a reminder, the first pair of F-16s are expected to land on our tarmac some time in February and Noel has publicly indicated that the inaugural model, the USAF F-16C Block 50D, is already sold out at the factory level. A second pair of F-16s is likely expected some time this spring.

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Rotorheads Rejoice

I’m convinced that January must mean rotorcraft in Latin even at a time when they had no idea what it meant when it was included in the Julian calendar. Dopey innuendoes aside, we are finally going to be receiving our second shipment of MH-47G helicopters from Forces of Valor and will likely have to place a further order once this allotment has evaporated. Also in the shipment are the first pair of Royal Australian CH-47 choppers, both clad in a desert yellow paint scheme.

Additionally we are heard that all three MH-53 Super Stallion helicopters from Panzerkampf are en route. The MH-53s are big and beefy and represent a great way for Panzerkampf to kick off their entry into the helicopter category. Rumor has it that a Hind is in the works, also these won’t likely touch down until the latter half of 2021.

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Calibre Wings Explains the Fencer in Detail

One of the reasons some model makers succeed in this business where others fail stems from the fact that a select few actually take the time to fully explain their model(s) in detail. Rather than rush their products out the door, Calibre Wings is one such company, oftentimes opting to take a few moments out of their busy schedule to describe their latest offerings so that customers can fully appreciate all of the work that went into the design process. Either through Facebook postings or YouTube videos, Noel Lee, the architect behind the Calibre Wings phenomena, has never shied away from the lime light and, with the release of their second pair of Su-24 Fencers, has created a polished 8-minute plus video showing off all of the model’s details as well as the procedure for assembling and dis-assembling the model both to prevent damage from occurring and showcasing all of the components found throughout the build. We invite you to watch the accompanying video, which will no doubt be followed up with additional post-release videos and testimonials.

We’ve decided to integrate these videos within the affected product listing, whenever and wherever possible. In the past, we were hesitant to do so since we had heard that embedded videos can have an adverse effect on a product’s search ranking on Google. Be that as it may, we’ve decided to change course and, where applicable, incorporate these videos into our listings since its value as a selling aid far exceeds its impact on the search ranking charts.

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