Forces of Valor

The Forces of Valor Update: 2021 and Beyond

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 505, Kursk, Russia, July 1943 [Bonus Maybach HL 210 TRM P45 Engine]

Our distributor was kind enough to pass along the latest Forces of Valor production schedule which encompasses all of 2021. Its an ambitious run rate, to say the least, calling for multiple items to be released each and every month and cutting across virtually every category and sub-category. It even includes their on-again, off-again 1:16 scale radio controlled T-72 tank, which, according to a Facebook posting by Waltersons, was originally supposed to come out way back in May 2020. Interestingly, the production schedule passed along to us does not contain any of their 1:24 scale radio controlled tanks, nor any of the VS tanks they were supposed to start producing after they acquired the line several years ago.

We have updated all of our Forces of Valor sections using the information at-hand, but padded the release dates by at least sixty (60) days to address any production mishaps, delays in shipping and any other issues that will likely affect each item’s true release date. Moreover, we highly doubt that several of the items expected in the fourth quarter will actually hit their mark as manufacturers of all stripes and colors attempt to bring in their own merchandise during these hectic months. More likely several products will either come in towards the tail end of 2021 or, quite possibly, the early part of 2022.

Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale USMC Chance-Vought F4U-1D Corsair Fighter – Lt. Ira Kepford, VF-17 “Jolly Rogers”, 1944

While a couple of new items were added to the roster, such as a second version of the USS Enterprise and a handful of metal track upgrade kits, most of the product shown on the list have already been discussed in detail and are simply awaiting their turn in the production cycle. Many vehicles, such as the Tiger I and Sherman tanks have been spaced out by several months to avoid oversupply in the supply chain and logjams in the production pipeline. No new photos were shown apart from some placeholder line art imagery and other similar faux photos. Should the anticipated dates of delivery change, we will update our web site accordingly.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Whiskey Anyone?

As we await notification that our distributor has received the first batch of 1:32 scale Sturmtigers, Forces of Valor released a new instructional video to their YouTube account, this time taking a closer look at their soon-to-be released trio of 1:48 scale AH-1W Whiskey attack helicopters. Although the video seems to have been created for their Asian consumers, viewers can nevertheless get the gist of how to remove the helicopter from its base then put together its various components. The first three helicopters to come out are based upon ROCAF machines; USMC versions are expected to roll out some time this spring.

In other news, the manufacturer has begun talking up their range of 1:32 scale Sherman tanks, which has been languishing on their drawing boards for over two years. The Company claims that each of the new Shermans will boast features and components typically found in their larger 1:16 scale Extreme Metal series, thus making them heavier in the hand and ultimately more realistic for the diehard FOV collector. To that end, the manufacturer has produced a short video that focuses on the removable engine located in the rear of the vehicle, and will likely follow up this video with additional clips showing off some of the other detail. They have mused that the first vehicles will street this spring, right around the same time as the first Tiger Is are expected. Hope they’re right!

Incidentally, we noticed another pair of Sherman tanks were announced on the FOV website, although no images were posted for either model. This brings the total number of new Shermans to eleven. No doubt there are other versions in the works, possibly as many as three vehicles for each type of Sherman tank being introduced. That’s a lot of Sherman tanks although this probably comes as no surprise since it would seem as if this is their strategy going forward.

One final note. While it appears as if the tempo of operations has finally improved at the manufacturer’s end, and they are now posting anticipated release dates on Facebook and elsewhere, this does not mean it will be in our hands and ready for shipment to our customers at the same time as they are forecasting. Generally, it can take upwards of a month to transit the Pacific Ocean, clear customs and get offloaded from a container ship. Afterwards, the goods must then be shipped to our distributor, who, in this case, is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. After they review the shipment, it can then take another week or so before it reaches us here in New York thereby enabling us to finally ship out said product to our customers. So, please bear this in mind when they indicate that their first 1:32 scale Tiger I will be completed some time in April. From our standpoint, we are expecting to take delivery of the item around the end of May, fully six weeks after the item was “finished” at the manufacturer’s facility.

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The Forces of Valor Update: The Sturmtiger

While much of China is celebrating their New Year, Waltersons decided to post a video of their soon-to-be-released 1:32 scale Sturmtiger assault mortar. A cinematic tour de force, the 2-1/2 minute video shows off the Sturmtiger in all of its exquisite detail, both inside and out, thereby cementing its position as the preeminent maker of pre-assembled, large scale diecast military vehicles.

We are still anticipating taking delivery of the first batch of Stumtigers some time in March, so there is still time to place your pre-order. No word as yet as to when the other two Sturmtigers in the three-vehicle series are expected to be released.

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Forces of Valor Super Sizes its Cobra

Forces of Valor’s 1:48 scale ROC (Taiwanese) Bell AH-1W Super Cobra Attack Helicopter Equipped with M261 19-Tube Rocket and M260 7-Tube Launcher – “528”, 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade Attack Battalion, Hsinchu Air Force Base Open Day, April 2008

There is no question that Forces of Valor’s stable of 1:72 scale Chinooks have done incredibly well at retail, with their MH-47G taking center stage and the lion’s share of the spotlight. We therefore had hoped that the manufacturer would choose it as the basis for its larger 1:48 scale range of helicopters to kick things off in 2021. Instead, the manufacturer chose the AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter, a chopper the previous owner of the line released a dozen or more years ago. No matter, images of the first Cobra were released today, all based upon a Taiwanese (ROC) attack helicopter that will come in three different configurations and markings. For now, we’ve included the standard isometric image for comparison purposes and hope to have close-up shots for each helo as soon as the manufacturer posts it to their web site.

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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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Is that a Tiger in Your Tank?

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 505, Kursk, Russia, July 1943 [Bonus Maybach HL 210 TRM P45 Engine]

Looking to cause a little stir on the very last day of 2020, Forces of Valor has finally posted pictures of one of their upcoming Tiger I heavy tanks to their Facebook account. While the vehicle sports its tactical number, its iconic knight on a red charger symbol hasn’t been applied just yet, nor have any of its balkenkreuz nationality insignia markings. Still it represents an important first step in the launching of this oft-discussed range, which is expected to begin fanning out this spring. According to the manufacturer 20 Tiger Is are in the offering, covering everything from the initial production machines that rolled out in 1942 to the late production versions responsible for defending the Reich towards the latter stages of the war.

We’ve doctored the photos somewhat to make them a bit more presentable since the original images sported a very dark background with extraneous errata thrown in. That said, you can get an overall idea as to how the model will look in its final form, complete with opening hatches and other equipment unique to this version. So please keep this in mind if you’re planning on ordering this model, which will no doubt be updated with better photos once the vehicle has entered its final building stages. Panzers vor!

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Forces of Valor Presents the Sturmtiger to the Fuhrer and the Collecting Community

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale German Early Production RW61 Sturmtiger Rocket Assault Mortar with Loading Crane – Prototype Presentation to Hitler, Ehrenfriedhof Arys Proving Grounds, East Prussia, October 20th, 1943 [Bonus Maybach HL 210 TRM P45 V-12 Water-Cooled Engine]

It appears as if Waltersons has at last posted final images of its upcoming 1:32 scale Sturmtiger assault mortar. The gallery shows the vehicle from a number of perspectives and even includes interior photos that show off its detail and working features. While the Company claims that the vehicle will be completed in early January, we believe that shipping delays and other issues points more towards either a February or possibly a March release.

We’ve learned that the price for a pair of metal tracks offered as an upgrade to the Sturmtiger is being pegged at $34.99, although its not clear if they will be available day and date with the arrival of the first Sturmtiger.

Forces of Valor Metal Tracks for the Sturmtiger Assault Mortar

The same tracks can likely be used for their upcoming torrent of Tiger I tanks, which should start to appear sometime in the first quarter of 2021.

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The Chinook Update

I’m sorry to say that we’re all out of the Forces of Valor 1:72 scale MH-47G Chinook helicopter. Of course, it didn’t help that we were short-changed, receiving one case of a Japanese CH-47JA instead of the MH-47G we were counting on. We decided to keep it instead of returning it and have listed it on our web site. Typically, the Far Eastern liveries of US-built equipment (Japanese, Taiwanese, Singapore, Korean, etc.) don’t sell as well as models based upon machines designed for the primary user nation. However, seeing as how well all of the previous Chinooks have sold, we decided we could be making a mistake by rejecting it out-of-hand. Be that as it may, we are expecting a follow-on shipment probably towards the middle of December but this could change based upon all manner of issues. We highly doubt that we will be able to turn around all of the helicopter models in the follow-on shipment as soon as they come in and have them arrive at their appointed destinations in time for Christmas. More likely, they will arrive some time thereafter, perhaps as late as the New Year, if the shipping carriers run into problems getting all of their Christmas deliveries out and on time. My gut instinct is to say they are going to get slammed for the holidays, so I’ll err on the side of caution and say that the second wave will more than likely arrive at their final destinations the first week of January.

I know a great many of you have been waiting for a long time for this model, and more orders were placed once word got out that the helo arrived over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. On the plus side, I think there’s a good chance that the manufacturer is quite content with its sales and will more than likely offer a larger scale version of it sometime down the road seeing as how several 1:48 scale helicopters are expected in early 2021.

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The Forces of Valor Update: We Own the Night

Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale US Army Boeing-Vertol MH-47G Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopter – 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “Night Stalkers”, 2014

According to our distributor, the Forces of Valor MH-47G Chinook helicopter, which is famously operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment “Night Stalkers”, is en route and expected by the end of October. This is a significant announcement because we have quite a few pre-orders to fill as soon as they arrive and won’t have all that many left available for general sale once the pre-orders have been filled. However, we also wanted to point out that the manufacturer has decided to revise the tooling by moving the front set of landing wheels a bit further forward under the fuselage as one savvy collector pointed out on an aviation forum. While we applaud the manufacturer’s decision to revise the mold and bear the cost of making these changes it does create a bit of a lag in the supply chain. According to the manufacturer, they are sold out of the original helicopter model and have begun retooling the mold to address this modification. As a result, a second batch of models sporting this tooling change is not expected before the holidays and could likely make its way back into the distribution network as late as February. So, if you prefer to wait for the second version of the model, we will need to hear from you as soon as possible otherwise we will assume that the initial version is okay with you.

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The Forces of Valor Update: The Sturmtiger Rocket Mortar

We’ve received some preliminary photos for the prototype Sturmtiger rocket mortar, as it was presented to der Fuhrer and other dignitaries at the Ehrenfriedhof Arys Proving Grounds, East Prussia, on October 20th, 1943, which, as you can see, is bereft of any camouflage or unit markings. Besides several shells, this particular version comes with fully-painted 1:35 scale renditions of Adolf Hitler and his Minister of Armaments, Albert Speer. Bear in mind that although production has commenced for this particular version of the Sturmtiger, the vehicle may or may not appear by year’s end due to logistics issues. Based upon previous experience, it will likely show up sometime in early 2021. No word concerning the other two vehicles in the series or when they will become available.

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