For years, collectors have been lamenting the fact that they feel as if their voices aren’t being heard when it comes to new aircraft. Frequent the forums and you’ll see there are loads of Aviation Archive enthusiasts who feel let down every time Corgi announces their upcoming releases.
So, to be fair to their critics, Corgi recently indicated that they wanted to hear directly from their fans, and were even taking a poll as to which aircraft should be produced next. What follows is the email Corgi sent out on Monday morning, along with a link to where collectors can provide details behind their decision. Oddly, no polling questions were provided in the link, so we’re assuming that this is still a work in progress.
Our Next Aircraft Subject is Up to You
CORGI collectors, we are asking your thoughts again.We are considering new tooling subjects for Aviation Archive and we want to know what you think.We’ve put together a questionnaire for some of our most important questions. But ultimately, we want to know if our next big idea is something you actually want.The questionnaire will take no longer than 10 minutes to fill out, and to thank you for your time, we’ll send you a 10% discount code upon completion. Be a part of CORGI’s future. Click the link below to get started!
Earlier today, Corgi threw back the curtains on their May-August 2026 releases, bringing back a range that had been dormant for several years running. According to their press briefing and accompanying video, two 1:32 scale WWII warbirds are in the offing, one for the Allies and a second for the Axis. Both represent mounts flown by two high-scoring aces — one in the ETO and the other in North Africa.
Corgi’s 1:32 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 (Trop) Fighter – Hans-Joachim Marseilles, “Yellow 14”, 3/Jagdgeschwader 27 “Afrika”, Egypt, September 1942
A number of other aircraft are also in the mix, most notably their third take on the Me 410 heavy fighter. Curiously, no mention was made of either the Commemorative Aircraft Collection they discussed in a previous video post or the Top Gun series they alluded to on Facebook just one day prior. Either no information was available at the time of this video blog or they could be waiting until later in the year to take the wraps off of both series.
In a somewhat curious Facebook post, Corgi intends to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the showing of the feature film, Top Gun, with the announcement that they plan to bring back the classic to the diecast fold. Several years ago, the company produced a series of “fit-to-box” Top Gun models that paid tribute to the Top Gun Maverick film. By announcing their renewed partnership, its not clear if this diminutive range will be brought back or if the manufacturers plans to launch an entirely new lineup that could include much larger 1:72 scale replicas. If so, they could be in for a strong showing, seeing as how a third film in the franchise was just discussed and will likely materialize in either 2027 or the following year.
The manufacturer is supposed to pull back the curtains on their second trimester launches tomorrow, May 15th, so I guess we will have to wait another 24 hours to see what they have in store.Stay tuned.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Messerschmitt Me 410A-1 Heavy Fighter – Leutnant Rudolf Abrahamczik, “Black F”, 14./Kampfgeschwader 2 “Holzhammer”, Late 1943
Last year, one of the mist successful models to fly onto the diecast battlefield was Corgi’s inaugural Messerschmmit Me 410 night fighter. In fact, it sold so well, that we were unable to acquire back up stock, and were forced to sell off what we did receive within mere weeks of its arrival. Fortunately, Corgi read the tea leaves, and understood that a second version was needed tout de suite.
The Luftwaffe’s long range night intruder campaign towards the end of the Second World War was intended to disrupt Allied air operations, spreading confusion and panic by infiltrating bomber streams, or striking at aircraft whose crews had ‘switched off’ as they approached their base at the end of another long mission. The Messerschmitt Me 410 was ideally suited to this task – fast and heavily armed, these Fernnachtjagd aircraft operated in conjunction with the regular Blitz bomber force, with more specific targets and often operating alone in the dark night skies.
Despite being an extremely capable aircraft in this role, night-intruder Me 410s were hunted mercilessly the second they crossed the English Channel, and no mission ever passed without incident. Britain’s air defense network had been fine-tuned to make any incursion over the country a torrid experience for Luftwaffe pilots and the cover of darkness offered little protection. RAF de Havilland Mosquito night fighters were the perfect nocturnal hunters, taking a heavy toll of Luftwaffe aircraft of all types, including the Messerschmitt Me 410.
The aircraft modelled here wears a camouflage scheme which was perfect for night intruder operations and was flown by one of the Luftwaffe’s very best, Rudolf Abrahamczik, a highly decorated bomber pilot with at least 233 combat missions to his name, many of which were in this role.
Expect Corgi’s second Me-410 to left off sometime in May.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Messerschmitt Me 410A-1 Heavy Fighter – “Black F”, 14./Kampfgeschwader 2 “Holzhammer”, Late 1943
If you missed out on Corgi’s inaugural Me-410 destroyer then we’ve got some good news for you. As part of their January-April 2026 line up, the manufacturer announced plans to roll out their second take on the twin-engine aircraft, this time around offering a night fighter version clad in a darkened camouflage pattern. Also up for consideration is a brand new Dornier Do-17 light bomber, the first one to appear on the diecast tarmac since way back in 2018.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale German Dornier Do17Z-5 Kauz Light Bomber – 1./Kustenfliegergruppe 606, October 1940
Currently, we are awaiting pricing information and actual release dates, so we’ve pegged them with an initial price point and approximate date of release. Other aircraft of interest are this Fairey Swordfish that was involved in the Battle of Taranto and this de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber that was attached to No.613 Squadron. Enjoy!
In other news, Corgi revealed that they are working in collaboration with the Commemorative Air Force to produce a wide range of models based upon actual aircraft in their extensive collection. While no further details were discussed, nor were some of the models shown, we anticipate these will start to trickle in during their second trimester showings.
Takeaway: Despite closing their North American offices late last year, Corgi is still showing no signs of slowing down by announcing the release of several new aircraft models. While none are new tooling, some old favorites are marking their return including the Dornier Do-17 “Flying Pencil”. Moreover, the second release of the Messerschmitt Me 410 is now on the calendar, clad in a subdued night time pattern and scheduled for the first trimester. With the trade tariffs still up-in-the-air, its not clear where each will ultimately be priced so we’ve listed them for what we feel is a fair price until more concrete information hits the air waves.
German Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U4 Heavy Fighter – Oberleutnant Friedrich “Fritz” Stehle, 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel”, Hildesheim, Germany, March 1944 (1:72 Scale)
The culmination of Germany’s vaunted “Destroyer” concept, the Messerschmitt Me 410 was the intended successor of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter. Despite entering service almost two years late, it was arguably the Luftwaffe aircraft which most closely matched Britain’s magnificent de Havilland Mosquito in terms of role and performance.
Unquestionably one of the most interesting aircraft of the Second World War in appearance, the Me 410 was a true multi-role aircraft and could be adapted to perform a number of offensive roles, including that of heavy bomber killer.
Equipped with the mighty Rheinmetall manufactured BK-5 autocannon which protruded from the nose of the fighter, this weapon was a development of the 50mm Kampfwagenkanone anti-tank gun found in Panzer III tanks.
With 21 shells housed in a magazine in the weapons bay of the fighter and a shell already loaded in the breach ready to fire, the pilot could usually only rely on one round being fired, before this temperamental system jammed, leaving just reduced standard armament to be used during the sortie.
A single, well-aimed shell did possess the destructive power to easily bring down an Allied bomber and could be fired at ranges where the attacking Luftwaffe aircraft were effectively impervious to the wall of return fire put up by the bomber stream. However, the additional weight and drag caused by using this powerful gun made the Me 410 incredibly vulnerable to marauding Allied fighters.
On March 6th, 1944, the US 8th Air Force launched Mission No. 250, sending 730 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers to targets in Berlin and the surrounding area. This vast armada was escorted by a total of 801 Lockheed P-38 Lightnings, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft of VII Fighter Command. The Reichsluftverteidigung controllers sent 463 Luftwaffe aircraft to intercept and engage the approaching bombers.
Led by Staffelkapitan Oblt. “Fritz” Stehle, 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel” operating from Hildesheim dispatched 10 Messerschmitt Me 410 aircraft, and formed part of a large ‘Gefechtsverbande’. Some of the aircraft were fitted with the Bordkanone 5 (BK 5) a hard hitting 50 mm Kanone which it was planned would enable the Me 410s to engage the attacking bomber aircraft outside of the range of their withering defensive fire. In practice, this was not realized and they were forced to commence their attacks at close range, making them vulnerable to both return fire from the bombers, and slow and thus outmaneuvered by the escorting fighters.
5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel” were able to engage Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft from the 1 Bombardment Division, and claimed 7 ‘abschuss’ between 12:35 and 13:15. Claims were submitted by Uffz. Hartl, Oblt. Stehle, Uffz. Retschy, Fw. Schneider, Ltn. Kutscher, Ofw. Fros and Ofw. Pennekamp. In the ensuing air battle, 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel” were intercepted by North American P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft over the Doberitz-Brandenburg-Bernburg area, and six Messerschmitt Me 410 aircraft were shot down. Ofw. Ziesch, Feldwebel Bonnecke and Uffz. Patsch were all killed in this engagement. The Luftwaffe lost 63 fighters, with a further 19 damaged on this day. The US 8th Air Force lost 74 bombers and 14 fighters. Oblt. Stehle would go on to fly Focke Wulf Fw 190 aircraft with 6./Jagdgeschwader, before being assigned as Kommandeur I./Jagdgeschwader 7 flying the Messerschmitt Me 262.
On May 8th, 1945, Oblt Stehle shot down a Russian Bell P-39 Airacobra which crashed near the village of Klinyin. This may have been the last fighter victory of WWII in Europe. Post war, he helped train the Syrian Air Force before joining Lufthansa. He died in October 2008, and was credited with 26 victories. He was awarded the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold, and the Ehrenpokal fur besondere Leistung im Luftkreig.
Note: the barrel of the BK 5 with five white abschuss rings. The machine was fitted with the Zielfernohr ZFR4 telescopic gun-sight installed in the cockpit. Characteristic of II./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel” is the yellow ‘Holzschuhe’ (wooden clog) ‘Wappen’ on the engine-cowling.
Late last week, Corgi announced their Aviation Archive introductions for the balance of 2025. While there were no major surprises in the accompanying video, the lineup did include a pair of 1:48 scale World War I efforts, along with an all-new 1:72 scale Beaufighter and a 1:48 scale USMC Harrier jump jet that pays tribute to the Black Sheep squadron of WWII fame. Now that Hornby has indicated that they are shuttering its US Corgi operation, it is possible that these new aircraft models may appear from our US distributor in early 2026. The prices we are currently listing for these models do not reflect any tariffs being applied to product coming in from China so we may have to increase these prices shortly once our distributor has officially announced their addition to the Corgi range.
Royal Flying Corps Sopwith Camel F.1 Fighter – B7190/C, Walter ‘Hinch’ Hinchliffe, “Donner Wetter!”, No.10 Squadron RNAS, Teteghem, Dunkirk, February 1918 (1:48 Scale)
Royal Flying Corps Bristol F2B Fighter – C4636 – Lieutenant Anthony Arkell, “Devil-In-The-Dusk”, No.39 Squadron, England, May 1918 (1:48 Scale)
RCAF Bristol Beaufighter TF.X Torpedo Bomber – LZ451 / EE-M, “The Ancient Mariner”, No.404 “Buffalo” Squadron, RAF Dallachy, Scotland, October 1944 (1:72 Scale)
USMC Hawker Harrier AV-8B+ Jump Jet – VMA-214 “Black Sheep”, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, 2022 [Commemorative Scheme] (1:48 Scale)
Earlier today we learned that Hornby Hobbies USA has decided to shutter its Corgi North American distribution channel in an effort to reduce expenses and bring about a more streamlined experience. The Corgi product range will now be handled exclusively by Motor City Classics, which is based here in Florida.
The following announcement was made in regard to the Corgi hand over:
Its been a couple of years since Corgi released their last B-17 “Flying Fortress” heavy bomber. Mind you they have several large bombers in their growing portfolio so they have to be careful where they place their eggs in the product basket. But with the recent airing of the mini series “Masters of the Air”, hype was building for a 1:72 scale model that could both live up to its name and entice more collectors into the hobby. So, when Corgi indicated that a new B-17 was in the works, one that had a storied history behind it, we were downright giddy and looking forward to taking orders for the holiday season.
That is until now. Last week, as part of their regular Diecast Diaries newsletter, preliminary images were shown for “Royal Flush”, a legendary B-17F that, as it turned out, was the only aircraft to survive a bombing mission over Munster in 1943. As a member of the “Bloody 100th” bomb group, so named for the number of aircraft lost on this single mission, “Royal Flush” somehow survived this strike, despite being set upon by countless Luftwaffe fighters intent upon destroying the entire bomb group. At the controls of “Royal Flush” was Lieutenant Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, an accomplished pilot that somehow performed a number of defensive maneuvers so that they could return home to their base at Thorpe Abbot Field in England.
But now the model. As you can see, the replica has a huge gap that runs from its nose down the fuselage, with a tampo-printed insignia overlaying the forward part of the model. The gap is so large that it almost seems as if you can peer into the nose section to see inside. Now I can understand if this was Corgi’s first attempt at modelling the B-17, but folks this is at least their 15th look at bringing the B-17 to their collector base. How they managed to bungle the job and introduce such a large join line at this point in the model’s lineage is, quite frankly, baffling, especially since they pride themselves on offering professionally-built and heavily researched scale models to their Aviation Archives series.
I don’t often criticize a model for its accuracy, especially one that hasn’t been released as yet and represents a sizeable impact on Corgi’s overall revenue this holiday season. But with the Trump Administration’s hike in tariffs on product brought in from China, we thought it made sense to say something now since there may be some time to re-work the model so that the join lines aren’t so noticeable. “Royal Flush”? Well, you decide if the name has a dual meaning.
German Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U4 Heavy Fighter – Oberleutnant Friedrich “Fritz” Stehle, 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel”, Hildesheim, Germany, March 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Hinted at some time ago, Corgi has finally unveiled details concerning their inaugural Messerschmitt Me 410 Hornisse heavy fighter. Slated for a fall arrival, their first bird is based upon a mount flown by Oberleutnant Friedrich “Fritz” Stehle, who was attached to 5./Zerstorergeschwader 26 “Horst Wessel”, then deployed to Hildesheim, Germany, during March 1944. Priced at just $129.99 and long a heavily requested model, we believe it will do exceptionally well when it reaches the marketplace.
Two other WWII-era warbirds were also announced today, including a USAAF Spitfire Mk. IXc fighter flown by Lt. Robert Connor and a Martin B-26C-45-MO Marauder medium bomber piloted by Lieutenant Leo A Lampman. It appears as if Corgi plans to remain a stalwart actor in the military diecast aircraft space, even as other relative newcomers seem to be sharpening their knives in an effort to carve out a greater share of the overall pie.
USAAF Martin B-26C-45-MO Marauder Medium Bomber – Lieutenant Leo Lampman, “Miss https://www.themotorpool.net/USAAF-B-26C-45-MO-Bomber-Miss-Arkansas-p/aa29502.htmArkansas”, 444th Bomb Squadron, 320th Bomb Group, Montesquieu Airfield, Algeria, 1943 (1:72 https://www.themotorpool.net/USAAF-Supermarine-Spitfire-Mk-IXc-Fighter-p/aa29104.htmScale)
USAAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXc Fighter – Lieutenant Robert Connor, “Porky II”, 309th Fighter Squadron, North Africa, 1943 (1:72 Scale)
Also up for your consideration is another take on the English Electric Lightning, created in a wonderful if immense 1:48 scale that seems to be quite popular among collectors. Boasting a natural metal exterior finish and all the hallmarks of past Lightning interceptors, this will certainly be a welcome addition to the Aviation Archives series as well as a reminder that Corgi doesn’t fear dabbling in the larger-sized military aircraft market.
RAF English Electric Lightning F.6 Fighter – XR726, No.5 Squadron, RAF Leconfield, England (1:48 Scale)
