Calibre Wings

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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Calibre Wings: In Defense of the Shah

Calibre Wings’ 1:72 scale Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – “3-6079”, 82nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Esfahan/Shahid Beheshti International Airport, Iran

When someone mentions the ubiquitous Grumman F-14 Tomcat, images of the feature film Top Gun spring to mind, along with Tom Cruise, his character, and the so-called “need for speed”. And yet, with all of the hoopla that surrounded the plane, the competition, and its impact on US Naval recruiting back in the latter half of the eighties, there was one other nation that managed to nab several dozen of the plane at the height of the Cold War. And that country, believe it or not, would be Iran.

Calibre Wings, never one to shy away from a subject or livery, has decided to replicate one of these warbirds as part of their latest wave of F-14 models. Due out in early 2021, the Iranian F-14 comes in a scintillating, multi-colored desert camouflage scheme and represents one of the aircraft used with great effect against its neighbor Iraq, in their long running Iran-Iraq War of the eighties. We’ve listed this model on our website are are now taking pre-orders, looking to take delivery in either January or February.

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Calibre Wings Fires Up the Tracker

Calibre Wings 1″72 scale US Navy Grumman S-2G Tracker Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft – Bu. No. 152806/NH-720, CAG “Tooter” Teague, VS-37 “Sawbucks”, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), 1974

The Grumman S-2 Tracker Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft is one of those oft-requested planes that never seemed to earn the respect it so dearly deserved from several of the leading model making houses. Its a pity really, since it enjoys a rich history all its own, and helped to put US Naval Aviation on a par with every other branch of the military during the Cold War.

The Tracker (S2F prior to 1962) was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy. Designed and initially built by Grumman, the Tracker was of conventional design — propeller-driven with twin radial engines, a high wing that could be folded for storage on aircraft carriers, and tricycle undercarriage. The type was exported to a number of navies around the world. Introduced in 1952, the Tracker and its E-1 Tracer derivative saw service in the U.S. Navy until the mid-1970s, and its C-1 Trader derivative until the mid-1980s, with a few aircraft remaining in service with other air arms into the 21st century.

According to Calibre Wings, the model has already entered the prototyping stage with images of their achievement already proliferating around the web. If the rumors are true, the first production model is expected in early 2021 with other follow-on models expected throughout the rest of the year. There’s a good bet that Calibre is already eyeing the Tracer and Trader as likely candidates to succeed the Tracker once the obvious schemes and high profile squadrons have run their course.

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Calibre Wings Debuts Images of its Upcoming F-16

Calibre Wing’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Block 50D Fighting Falcon Fighter – 91-0353, 77th Fighter Squadron “The Gamblers”, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina

We’ve been a fan of Calibre Wings ever since their inception, silently rooting on the underdog who’s been fighting for its fair share of marketing and shelf space for several years running. That said, the manufacturer has at last unveiled images of their upcoming F-16 multi-role fighters, one clad in Hellenic markings and representing a F-16D Block 52 aircraft, the other draped in US insignia and replicating an older F-16C Block 50 warbird.

Calibre Wings’ 1:72 scale Hellenic General Dynamics F-16D Block 52 Fighting Falcon Fighter – 91353, 337 Squadron “Ghost”, Larissa Air Base, Greece [Low-Vis Scheme]

Both aircraft are likely due out before year’s end, thus capping off a very successful year for this dynamic upstart. Priced at $149.99 apiece, we believe these models are the ultimate in “Viper” reproductions.

Side-by-side images of the forthcoming pair of F-16 Flying Falcons due out by year’s end

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Calibre Wings Pulls Back the Curtains on the Stalwart F-16

Barely a day after we first announced plans to resume carrying the Calibre Wings line of military comes in-depth news concerning their upcoming F-16 Fighting Falcon. First hinted at a few years back, and occasionally discussed online in conjunction with different hobby expos, Calibre Wings recently put together a 21-minute video montage explaining the model in detail, which includes the amount of metal being used in its construction, salient features, how the aircraft can be taken apart, and multiple display configurations. While I’d love to go into greater detail and gush over its accuracy, we thought it best to whet your appetite by embedding the manufacturer’s video here. Bear in mind that the model shown is a Block 52 version of the F-16. Follow-on models will be based upon newer builds of the Fighting Falcon, which now come with conformal wing tanks attached to the upper surfaces of the aircraft giving them extended flying time. Enjoy!

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Calibre Wings Returns to Action

Calibre Wings’ 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter

We’ve had a difficult time getting Calibre Wings’ line of military aircraft with any regularity from a reliable seller so we’ve decided what better way to bring them back into the fold than to buy direct. Beginning in October, we plan on carrying the core line of Calibre Wings models which covers their F-14 Tomcats and Su-24 Fencers, along with several of their newer models, among them the Lockheed U-2 spy plane, General Dynamics’ F-16 Fighting Falcon and Convair B-58 Hustler strategic bomber. Based upon fan reaction, all of these models are doing fabulously well at retail, so we expect much the same results when they return to stock. The pre-order window is now open and the first batch of aircraft are expected to arrive some time next month.

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