Calibre Wings

Calibre Does the F-16 Justice But will others Follow Suit?

Calibre Wings adds the F-16 to its ever-expanding line up of 1:72 scale aircraft. Look for several of the more advanced F-16s to be modeled first ahead of the legacy aircraft

Never one to sit on their laurels, Calibre Wings has officially gone on record to indicate plans for modelling the venerable F-16 Falcon. As you can see from the accompanying CAD diagram, plans initially call for modelling several of the more advanced F-16s, beginning with the Block 50/52 Plus which features bulbous Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) attached to the center line of the aircraft. CFTs are external, pod-like fuel reservoirs that are attached to the upper surface of the F-16’s fuselage, with the tank’s lower surface conforming to the aircraft’s shape. Further, the Block 50/52 sports a dorsal spine compartment for electronics, the APG-68(V9) radar, an On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS), and a JHMCS helmet.

According to research, “Poland took delivery of its first F-16C Block 52+ aircraft on September 15th, 2006. The “Poland Peace Sky program” includes 36 F-16Cs and 12 F-16Ds. All 48 aircraft were delivered in 2008. The Hellenic Air Force took delivery of its first F-16C Block 52+ aircraft on May 2nd, 2003. The Hellenic Air Force is the first Air Force in the world to operate this F-16 type. The total Greek order was 60 F-16C/D. The Israeli F-16I and its Singapore equivalent variant are based on the block 52+ aircraft. In March 2010, it was announced that the Egyptian Air Force would purchase 20 Block 52 aircraft (16 F-16Cs and 4 F-16Ds), the first of which arrived for testing in April 2012.” Therefore, its not clear which livery will be covered first and how many other variants will be included in their ambitious modelling program.

The Lockheed Martin F-16V configuration provides relevant combat capabilities in a scalable and affordable package. The core of the F-16V configuration is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution display; and a high-volume, high-speed data bus.

What makes this development so coincidental is that, according to The National Interest, earlier this month “the Slovak Republic has requested the sale of 14 advanced Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70/72 Fighting Falcon fighters to replace its increasingly obsolete fleet of Soviet-built Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrums. The new jets would give the Slovak air force a huge boost in capability with the addition of advanced new sensors such as an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and other capabilities that are not found onboard the Cold War-era Fulcrums.”

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Slovakia of F-16 Block 70/72 V configuration aircraft for an estimated cost of $2.91 billion,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement. “The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on April 3, 2018.”

Of all of the operators of the F-16 — and there are indeed many — it would be interesting if this tiny, former East Block nation would be the first to add this advanced aircraft to their inventory and do so at a time when many nations are looking towards obtaining low observable stealth aircraft as a means of guaranteeing their safety should an air war erupt.

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Calibre Wings Catches a Wave

Never one to shy away from the more intimidating projects, Calibre Wings unveiled their first-ever purpose-built display base designed to accommodate any of their F-14 Tomcats.The diorama is aimed at giving the model a sea-skimming appearance, kicking up a pair of waves as it rockets to its destination. According to the manufacturer, the twin supports shown in these photos will actually come in a transparent acrylic, which preserves the illusion of near-the-deck flying. No word on pricing or a release date just yet so keep your eyes peeled for further announcements if you’re interested in nabbing this cool-looking accessory. Ordering information should be passed along towards the end of April.

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Calibre Wings Reveals its No Longer on the Fence(r)

Calibre WIngs’ 1:72 scale Soviet Sukhoi Su-24M “Fencer” Attack Aircraft – “White 42”

Even as they continue to tease CAD drawings of their upcoming F-16 Fighting Falcon, Calibre Wings decided to post preliminary images of their upcoming Sukhoi Su-24. In development for at lease a year, the images for their first pair of Fencers reveal some of the detail we’ve come to expect from this relative newcomer to the diecast military space, even if the colors may need a little tweaking to get them to match real-world aircraft.

A second Fencer is in the hopper. A Ukranian Sukhoi Su-24MR “Fencer” Attack Aircraft – “Yellow 15”

Thus far, no hard-and-fast release information has surfaced, so we’re willing to bet that they’ll likely take wing in the summer, perhaps right after their second pairing of F-14 Tomcats make it to market.

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Calibre Wings Looks Ahead to 2018 with their Fencer

Ordinarily, with the holiday rush in full swing, we tend to add blog posts that have something to do with products currently available. This year we are making an exception, largely to help newcomer Calibre Wings get some traction as we enter the new year and put them on a more equal footing with some of the more entrenched players.

Earlier today, the Company release several first test shots for their upcoming 1:72 scale Sukhoi Su-24 “Fencer” attack aircraft. While unpainted and still showing areas where plastic is being used as opposed to metal, the imagery does give collectors an idea as to how far along they are with this project as well as their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Noel Lee, managing director for Calibre Wings, also had this to say about their newest tooling:

1) There will be air intake covers and nozzle covers, these will be made from soft PVC.

2) The pitot tube looks bent because the PVC used during this test shot was too soft. We may change the pitot tube to a hard plastic if the subsequent harder PVC still proves to be unsatisfactory.
Due to the length of the pitot tube, it may not hold the shape very well if it was not a straight forward hard plastic. But I am trying to have it PVC, to prevent any accidental breakage.

3) The ordnance will be shown later since at this point of the test shot, the “giove vane” (if I got the term right) pylon is not yet adhered due to the lack of mounting holes on the underside of the model.

4) You can see clearly the differential between the M & MR versions on our test shot, which was previously not visible during the Nuremberg prototype.

5) The wings are sagging at the moment, again, due to the 1st test shot, there are areas that supports the wing that is not yet enough filled with material.

6) The ejection seat is wrongly sized and will be re-done to be made taller to fit the seated pilot

7) We are considering the use of magnets to adhere the landing gear “cartridges” (gear down and gear up) instead of using press fit.

8) The removal of the air intake covers requires the removal of the entire front section of the air intake piece.

9) The canopy will be provided as separate pieces for open position and closed position. This is due to constraint for having a more uni-body front fuselage and hence there is no space for assembly of a movable canopy.

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Calibre Wings Hints at More Aircraft for 2018

A trio of new warbirds are slated to join the Calibre Wings air armada, including the vaunted Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot” ground attack aircraft

Some times it doesn’t take much to cause a stir online. Early last night, Calibre Wings posted new pix on their Facebook account, suggesting, in rather subliminal form, that three more warbirds will be added to their foot locker in 2018. The three images include a French Dassault Rafale multirole fighter, Russian Sukhoi SU-25 “Frogfoot” ground attack aircraft and Russian MiG 35 multirole fighter. Earlier in the week, as part of the run-up to the upcoming San Diego Comic Con convention, the Company also indicated plans to offer Robotech merchandise, although this range will be offered to a new distributor that caters to a significantly different market. On the surface, it would appear as if this relatively new manufacturer plans on ramping up in a big way, competing with the likes of Hobby Master, Century Wings and Air Force 1 for their own stake in the modern military space.

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Robo-Wings or Calibre-Tech? You Decide…

 

Just when you thought you had things figured out comes word that one of our newest manufacturers seems to be headed down an unexpected road. Earlier today, Calibre Wings posted a titillating teaser on their Facebook page which indicated, in rather unabashed form, that they will soon be offering Robotech-related merchandise.

Robotech is a science fiction franchise that began with an 85-episode science fiction anime television series cartoon adaptation produced by Harmony Gold USA in association with Tatsunoko Production and first released in the United States in 1985. It was adapted from three original and unrelated – though visually similar – Japanese anime television series (Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada) to make a series suitable for syndication.

In the series, Robotechnology refers to the scientific advances discovered in an alien starship that crashed on a South Pacific island. With this technology, Earth developed robotic technologies, such as transformable mecha, to fight three successive extraterrestrial invasions. (courtesy Wikipedia)

Presently, we have no idea as to what they plan to offer, although the image does hint that more information is forthcoming at the soon-to-debut Comic Con Convention being held in San Diego from July 20th-23rd.

Unveiled at the San Diego Comic Con on July 21st, Calibre Wings’ first pair of Robotech F-14s are shown here.
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Calibre Wings Takes it to the Next Level

Calibre Wings announced plans to model the General Dynamics F-16, which could be moved ahead of the Eurofighter Typhoon, Sukhoi Su-24 and MiG-29 already hinted at

There seems to be a mad dash, of late, to see which manufacturer can lay claim to replicating some of the most iconic aircraft of the modern era. While Hobby Master is taking on the Su-35S Flanker-E and Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat, Calibre Wings has set its stakes on other high profile aircraft, the most notable now being the General Dynamics F-16 Flying Falcon. According to several postings on their Facebook page, the Company is already hard at work putting the finishing touches on the CAD program for the F-16, rather than porting over model kits, which could contain their own anomalies. This permits the Company greater flexibility when attempting to model the intricacies of each Falcon variant, and shows the lengths with which this newcomer to the replica game is prepared to carve out its own niche in the marketplace.

Sophisticated Computer Aided Design (CAD) programming is now utilized by most serious manufacturers rather than reliance on porting over model kits
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Calibre Wings Lets Its Pictures Do the Talking

Calibre Wings US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – E212, VF-142 “Ghostriders”, USS America (CV-66), 1976

If you had any doubts or reservations that newcomer Calibre Wings had the chops to do the F-14 Tomcat justice, then you may want to think again. The Company posted images for their second pairing of Tomcats, which are tentatively due out this coming August. The next duo include a US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense fighter that was attached to VF-142 “Ghostriders”, then embarked upon the USS America (CV-66) during 1976 (CA721404).

Calibre Wings US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – AJ200, VF-14 “Tophatters”, USS Enterprise (CVN-65), Last Cruise 2001

The second Grumman US Fleet Defense Fighter is also an “A” variant, this time around attached to VF-14 “Tophatters”, then embarked upon the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), during its last cruise in 2001 (CA721403). Both products show some of the craftsmanship that have gone into the F-14, which includes variable geometry swing wings, opening canopies, adjustable engine exhaust nozzles detailed crewmen, a full suite of ordnance and more, plus a novel display stand. More images for both aircraft can be seen on our web site. Pre-orders for both aircraft are moving briskly.

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Calibre Wings Looks to Take the Tomcat to the Next Level

The first trio of F-14s collectors can expect to add to their Tomcat pantheon

Perhaps looking to catch up with Century Wings in one fell swoop, newcomer Calibre Wings posted an intriguing graphic to their Facebook page indicating they plan to offer six more F-14 schemes within the “forseeable future.” They also also indicated that their first pairing of F-14s — announced in early 2016 — have been delayed until May of this year, no doubt running into some unexpected production snags along the way, and that their second element has been pushed back to August. Apparently, they are very confident that their F-14 mold and its attendant accessories will unseat Century Wings as the reigning king of Tomcat producers, so we will have to see if the proof is indeed in the pudding some time next month.

The second trio of F-14s collectors can expect to add to their Tomcat pantheon
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Calibre Wings Straddles the “Fence” and Provides a First Look at Their Upcoming Su-24 Attack Aircraft

Despite running into some manufacturing issues which has delayed the released of their first pair of F-14 Tomcats, Calibre Wings used the Nuremberg Toy Fair to show off their next tooling: a Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer all weather attack aircraft. Initially, two planes are being planned for an end-of-year release: one based upon a Ukranian Su-24MR and a second, and likely more popular, Su-24M variant flown by a Russian squadron.

Thus far, neither version is being shown in their markings and insignia, although the prototype was displayed with its ordnance and some of its characteristic features, among them variable geometry swing wings and opening cockpit.

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