With March just a day away, I sit here, yet again, having to explain why the eagerly awaited Forces of Valor 88mm FLaK gun has been further delayed. Back in early February, just before the start of Chinese New Year, we were told that our shipment of 88mm FLaK guns could be expected to ship out in late February after Chinese New Year had concluded. That meant we would see our merchandise in early to mid-March, barring any shipping or customs issues. Earlier today, we were told by our distributor that their shipment of FLaK guns was being delayed again and could now be expected sometime in May, two months beyond the original forecast date. Ordinarily, I hem and haw, but typically accept the news with a grain of salt since there isn’t all that much we can do, except tell our clientele that they must wait even longer to receive their order.

What I find troubling is that for the past few weeks the manufacturer has been selling the product online through Facebook while retailers and distributors are left wondering when they will be receiving the product. I’m not sure why this issue is playing out the way it is but it simply does not sit well with me nor should it sit well with everyone that pre-ordered the gun. Moreover, I’m not clear why the manufacturer has decided upon this course of action or can justify their decision to sell it to interested parties while their distribution network continues to wait.

Thus far, the new caretaker of the FOV brand has done a marvelous job of producing some fan favorites, taking existing tooling and tweaking them to bring them up to today’s standards. The problem is that they are promising the moon but delivering moon dust – continually changing the production schedule, delaying the release of certain items and generally not keeping up with requests for background information in any reasonable fashion. In years past, we heavily advertised the line in various enthusiast print publications and planned to do the same with the revamped range later this year. The problem is that putting together an ad campaign for FOV is akin to aiming at and attempting to hit a moving target, with information changing to the point where it becomes utterly useless. So, we’ve made the decision not to advertise the line at this time, which would have attracted even more buyers to the fold and likely would have led to even greater demand. We’ve also amended the timetable for previously announced FOV releases, pushing them out to the end of the year since no hard-and-fast information is still on the table.

Right now, its upsetting to have to share this information with you but I thought you ought to know where things stand. It’s frustrating to be sure, and we certainly hope that they get their act together soon before we throw in the towel. It wouldn’t be the first nor the last time we gave up on a line. 

Lets face it, if you’re a fan of Forces of Valor, and who isn’t, then you should be delighted to learn that the Company has started to pick up speed, both in terms of production as well as over the air waves. Earlier this week, they embarked upon a series of Facebook posts that explains some of the delays they have faced for 2018 along with some of the projects currently in development and nearing completion. While finished product images are still being held at bay, they have uploaded several shots showing some of the vehicles and accessories currently being created and discussed their philosophy regarding how they plan to take the line to new heights. For more information, click on the image above, which will take you to their Facebook page. You can even ask them questions if you so desire.

We recognize that information coming out of the Forces of Valor camp has been a little sparse of late, so we’d like to share some news with you concerning the Company’s progress to date. Presently, they are putting the final touches on six different versions of the 1:72 scale CH-47 Chinook helicopter and have almost completed work on the packaging phase (front shown here). All six are expected to finish production by August with the SD version of the helicopter slated to be completed by September.

According to our contact, several 1:32 scale vehicles should be leaving Asia by September and will likely arrive in North America by October, barring any trade-related issues. These include the 88mm FLaK gun, the Sherman Firefly Vc medium tank, the Jagdpanther tank destroyer, Jagdtiger tank destroyer and finally the Elefant tank destroyer. Waltersons has indicated that they have developed a new method of weathering that gives each vehicle a more realistic appearance in line with many of the enthusiast edition vehicles released between 2003-2009. The balance of 2018 will see work continue on a number of other previously announced 1:32 scale projects as well as a bevy of 1:72 scale aircraft. Its not clear which items will be shown at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in February since the Company has already gone on record as having a wide array of products in the pipeline. 

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.

At long last, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has shed light on its production schedule for the balance of 2018. You can see firsthand which items are in the pipeline as well as their anticipated release dates by visiting their Facebook page. Frankly, we are going to add sixty days to the dates listed, thereby giving them a fair bit of leeway as they look to get each item into the marketplace given the sheer number of items they are looking to undertake, as well as the logistical issues they will likely face in the summer and autumn months.

Of note, the Company has announced plans to reproduce the Russian aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetnov, and their 1:16 scale Tiger I tank is still slated for a late 2018 release. Beginning with their 1:32 scale Sturmtiger, they also plan to offer model kits for much of their 1:32 scale line, so modellers can build, mod and paint them up any way they see fit. Several of their modern era 1:72 scale aircraft have been postponed, according to Waltersons, in order to add more metal content where needed and make other refinements to bring them up to current standards. In their place, the Company has resurrected several 1:72 scale twin-engine bombers, a number of 1:48 scale helicopters and even a few of their long out-of-stock 1:32 scale WWII era fighters, hopefully making some changes to each mold to address some of the shortcomings collectors have pointed out over the years. It would appear as if the Company plans to delve ever deeper into the model making business, by relaunching their 1:72 scale model kit line and, as pointed out earlier, creating a parallel business model whereby their 1:32 scale vehicles will be offered as pre-assembled replicas and un-built and unpainted models.

Over the next few days, we plan to digest and review the information just announced and make the necessary changes to our web site where applicable. The Japanese Shizuoka Hobby Show is just a week or so away, so we’re confident Waltersons will be making further product announcements and uploading imagery for many of their upcoming projects. Note: We are also updating our semi-regular newsletter to reflect those items expected in 2018, including any new additions gleaned from their recent update. Please do not get overly concerned if you do not see some items listed. They were likely pushed back into 2019 and therefore may wrongfully give our customers the impression that they are due out shortly.