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.
Barrel droop. This short video demonstrates some of the issues with the original Sherman Firefly tank. Note how the gun barrel has trouble remaining in a fixed position.
Utilizing a newly machined gun barrel and tighter tooling specifications, the updated Sherman Firefly has no trouble keeping its gun in either a firing or elevated position.
Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, has hired a new
point person to deal with questions and/or concerns as they pertain to
their line. We are therefore recommending that you direct any and all
questions concerning Forces of Valor to Sunny, their new moderator, who
will likely have the latest information and release dates for upcoming
product.
As an aside, Sunny claims he will be posting new images shortly, likely for the upcoming 88mm FLaK guns and pair of Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyers. Both are tentatively scheduled for a November release, barring any logistical issues or tariffs imposed by the current administration.
All of which leads us to one final point. We are still receiving phone calls, emails and messages asking us when a particular item is coming out, what it will look like, and how it will differ compared to previous versions. Friends, we know as much as you at this juncture. Everything that has been passed along to us has been posted to our web site. We do not have firm, written-in-stone release dates despite the holidays fast approaching and we certainly do not have any images of the product other than what we have posted. We understand that a great many of you are waiting with baited breath for more information concerning the reinvigorated line, however, there is nothing more we can share with you. By contacting us with these types of questions it takes us away from other more pressing matters that we can address. Hang in there and I am sure Waltersons will be delighted to unveil product information to their fans just as soon as they are ready to discuss them.
Now that we’re getting close to the roll out of Walterson’s revamped Forces of Valor brand, we thought we’d approach things a bit differently. As pictures and information surface, we’re going to be covering them as if they were subjects of their wartime national publications: Signal for the Germans, Pravda for the Russians, and of course, Stars and Stripes for the US arsenal. So, without further ado, here’s our opening installment for our Forces of Valor profile.
Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale US Army Boeing-Vertol CH-47D Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopter – A Company, 7th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, Afghanistan, 2003
‘The Chinook is an awesome aviation airframe. It is able to lift single heavy-duty pieces of equipment and light vehicles and is one of the most reliable airframes in service in the entire United States Military. It can lift up to 50,000 pounds and nearly 26,000 can be slung below the helicopter from the center hook. It has redundancy built in that many people did not realize, which makes it a very safe airframe. Each of the huge rotor blades on the Chinook CH-47 weighs 350 pounds, and the engines work together to turn the rotors. Each of the engines work about 50 percent capacity. If one engine fails the other simply goes into high gear, and functions at 100 percent allowing the helicopter to fly just as well as it does with two engines.”
– Military.com
If you follow their Facebook page, Waltersons has indicated that they are investing heavily in retooling many of the former Unimax Forces of Valor products. Their ultimate goal is to bring each model up to today’s standards, by adding engines and engine compartments, improving the paint wash, and, in the case of the CH-47 Chinook, redoing the front of the helicopter to make it look a bit more realistic when compared with an actual Chinook. This is one of the principal reasons why it has taken the Company so long to bring product to market, as they look to cater to diehard FOV fans and build up a new fan base all of their own.
The correct color palette is used for the exterior paint scheme with weathering applied to give it a battle hardened appearance.
The Chinook, which will come in several variations, nationalities and versions, will feature a detailed crew compartment, lowering rear ramp, free spinning rotors and heavy diecast metal throughout.
Lowering rear ramp and a fully detailed interior crew compartment brings this chopper to life!
Likewise, the Company has updated the product packaging, all in an effort to appeal to the many different types of collectors eager to add a Chinook to their aviation collection. The first 1:72 scale Chinooks are expected to land in September, and, best of all, a larger 1:48 scale version, with even greater detail, is already in-the-works, and will hopefully touch down before the year is out.
New packaging discusses each feature and includes information for other products in the series.
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.
Many of the repurposed 1:32 scale military vehicles now come with a removable engine instead of redundant and much maligned accessories.
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.
“It’s a wasted trip baby. Nobody said nothing about locking horns with no Tigers.”
– Sergeant “Oddball”
A few diehard fans of the Forces of Valor range have pointed out that Walterson’s latest production schedule unveiled last week now indicates that the upcoming 1:16 scale Tiger I tank will be a late production model instead of the mid production version announced previously. To be frank, we haven’t had the opportunity to discuss this apparent change with the manufacturer so we’re not sure what’s in the cards as it stands right now. With the Shizuoka Hobby Show just a week away, we’re hoping that the manufacturer will provide some insight as to which model they indeed plan to portray, as well as its crew, commander and unit affiliation. So, before we get bombarded with requests for more information, please hang tight until we can get hard-and-fast details regarding which version they plan to offer. Lets just hope its not the T-34 conversion shown here.
In other news, we contacted the manufacturer to determine the feasibility of offering a Tiger I tank as depicted in the feature film, “Kelly’s Heroes”. Thinking outside the box, if you will, the hypothetical set would include a 1:16 scale figure of its commander, actor Karl-Otto Alberty, along with scale replicas of Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland and Telly Savalas as they approached the tank on foot in sort of a High Noon scenario. We’re not sure if the manufacturer would entertain such an idea, and if so, the costs associated with using the actor’s likenesses, not to mention the licensing fee from the film studio. In this day and age anything is possible so we’ll keep our fingers crossed and shrug off any “negative waves” that might come our way.
Forces of Valor looks to add the Russian Navy Kuznetsov Class Aircraft Carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, to its growing fleet of naval replicas
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.
The all-new 88mm FLaK gun now comes with eight figures including the Desert Fox himself, General Erwin Rommel.
The Wehrmacht’s panzers never got as far as the Volga River during their assault on Bolshevism in the early 40s, no doubt a testament to the resolve of the Soviet Union and its war weary citizens. Seventy years hence, and those same tanks may have vaulted past the Soviet Union and reached the banks of Japan’s Ōi River. That’s because two important hobby shows are on the horizon, both situated on the doorstep of this Chinese manufacturer and therefore serve as excellent ways to showcase their Company’s progress.
Coming up in April is the Beijing Hobby Show (April 20th-22nd) and, one week later, is the all-important Japanese Shizuoka Hobby Show (April 26th-28th). Last year, if you recall, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, showed off snippets of their refurbished line at both shows, and are likely planning to do the same thing at this year’s events. That said, we know a great many of you are waiting with baited breath to see what’s in store for the coming year and when they’ll be hitting the virtual store shelves. Hang in there a bit longer and we feel confident you’ll get to see, hear and touch some of the latest and greatest military wares the hobby has ever seen.
Some times a picture is, as they say, worth a thousand words. Even the 1:32 scale dioramas, first introduced way back in 2002, are slated to make an encore appearance
We were concerned that Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, hadn’t put in an appearance at the recently concluded Nuremberg Toy Fair largely because no one had seen nor heard from them at the Show. Turns out the Company was in attendance, all-too-eager to demonstrate to their fans that the productions lines were already churning and that plans were laid out for the year.
The Waltersons Forces of Valor radio controlled range now includes R/C products once produced under the VS Tanks marque, which was acquired in 2017. Its not clear if the manufacturer will retain the VS Tanks logo or nestle everything under the Waltersons/Forces of Valor brands.
According to our liaison, the first grouping of product expected this Spring will be their 1:72 scale aircraft, which will be followed, in quick succession, by several different 1:32 scale armored subjects. They also plan to update their web site as well as their respective Facebook pages, thereby maintaining regular communication with their fans and dealer network.
Several new tanks can be seen along with repaints of the R/C lineup
In the mean time, several of their upcoming 1:32 scale vehicles can be seen atop one display in their Nuremberg photo gallery. New camouflage schemes are evident for several of their 1:24 scale radio controlled vehicles, as well as images for their upcoming M26 Pershing, M1A1 Abrams and MLRS.
Waltersons claims that many of the relaunched 1:72 scale aircraft are already highly detailed so they will look much the same as in the past, perhaps with more attention paid to the engines. The display stands, however, will resemble the type used for their warship line, in that they will boast a “wooden look” with the name and nationality of the aircraft appearing on the front. Moreover, the display pillar has been completely redesigned, thereby enabling the aircraft to be rotated in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion.
As far as 1:32 scale vehicles go, here is what we know thus far based upon post Nuremberg Show information passed along to us by the manufacturer. “After the 88mm guns, the Jagdpanther and Elefant will enter production. Following that would be the Sherman Firefly and Soviet T-34-85, and finally the Tiger I with lots of modifications. That would be the 1st – 2nd week of May.” So, if you read between the lines, any new molds such as the Sturmtiger and M4A3E8 Sherman are still a ways off, likely stealing the spotlight towards the end of the year. Likewise, the 1:16 scale Tiger, which everyone has been asking about, will almost certainly make it to market towards the end of 2018.
Again, we ask that you not contact us at this time to ask when a particular item is expected or to check on an order. You know as much as we do and questions of this nature are counterproductive, taking us away from things that we can fully address.
Well, its the last day at the Nuremberg Toy Fair and thus far we haven’t heard a peep from Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand. That doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom. Far from it. It could very well mean that they are so busy that they haven’t found the time to post any of their latest introductions online. So, rather than contact us and hear the same old story of not learning anything new, we would prefer that you contact them directly and perhaps get it firsthand. Oh, and if you do learn anything, please be good enough to share it with us and everyone else.
