Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale French Dassault-Breuget Mirage 2000-5F Multi-Role Fighter – “10 Years of GC 1/2”, 2-EQ, Groupe de Chasse, 1/2 Cicognes, September 2019
While other manufacturers struggle, Hobby Master doesn’t seem to be phased by either the pandemic or slowdown in the global supply chain, announcing its latest flock of warbirds scheduled for a June fly-in. Nothing remarkable was included in the showing although it is important to note that no new toolings were unveiled, meaning lots of current air frames are still viable for model refresh. Also of note are a pair of Dassault Mirage 2000-5s, a model that had trouble passing the scrutiny of the Dassault licensing group years ago. Anyway, here now the latest birds coming your way in mid 2022.
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Greek Dassault-Breuget Mirage 2000-5EG Multi-Role Fighter – “237”, 332 Mira “Theseus”, Volkel AB, Greece, 2018Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy McDonnell F-4J Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 157245, VF-114 “Aardvarks”, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), 1972Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale NASA Boeing F-18A Hornet Chase Plane – N850NA/161703, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, 2005Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale NASA Boeing F-18B Hornet Chase Plane – N852NA/161217, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, 2012Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Panavia GR. Mk. 1 Tornado ECR All-Weather Bomber – Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 51, Schleswig-Jagel, Germany, June 2014 “Tiger Meet 2014” [Tiger Meet Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 85-0093, “Chaos”, 44th Fighter Squadron “Vampire Bats”, CENTCOM AOR, September 2020Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 168363, VFA-27 “Royal Maces”, CVW-5 CAG, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), Atsugi Air Base, Japan, 2015Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14D Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 164394, Lt. Cmdr. Meagan V. Flannigan, VF-213 “Blacklions,” USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), Persian Gulf, 2006
Apart from a handful of 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf-109s and a pair of 1:32 scale Grumman F6F Hellcats, it would appear as if Hobby Master is content to keep releasing jets as part of its overall strategy to maintain equilibrium well into 2022. For May, for instance, even more jets are in the offing according to their latest announcement, with no sign of any inter war era prop-driven aircraft or 1:72 scale ground vehicles anywhere in sight. Even new toolings seem to have slowed down, in favor of adding more familiar aircraft collectors have been requesting over the last several months. This isn’t necessarily a knock against the Company – just an observation that they seem happy of late to maintain a conservative release schedule replete with jets that sell out month-after-month both here and around the globe. Be that as it may, here’s a list of what you can expect to see hit the tarmac this coming May:
Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop F-5N Tiger II Fighter – 761557, VFC-111 “Sundowners”, Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, November 2020 [Aggressor Scheme]Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop F-5N Tiger II Fighter – 761554, VFC-111 “Sundowners”, Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, 2021 [Aggressor Scheme]Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy McDonnell F-4H Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 148423h, Test Pilot CDR John Watts Young, Project High Jump, April 1962Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy McDonnell F-4H-1 Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 148390f, VF-74 “Bedevilers”, USS Forrestal (CVA-59), 1962Hobby Master 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 96-0080, 480th Fighter Squadron “Warhawks”, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, 2020Hobby Master 1:72 scale USAF Convair F-102A Delta Dagger Interceptor – 61363, 196th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 163rd Fighter Interceptor Group, Van Nuys, California, 1970sHobby Master 1:72 scale USMC Boeing F-18A Hornet Strike Fighter – VMFA-314 “Black Knights”, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, 2019Hobby Master 1:72 scale USMC Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – VMFA-314 “Black Knights”, June 2019 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master 1:72 scale Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Mitsubishi F-15DJ Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 92-8068, JASDF Aggressor, 2013 [Aggressor Scheme]Hobby Master 1:72 scale Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 82nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Esfahan/Shahid Beheshti International Airport, Iran, 1987
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – Indiana Air National Guard, Stout Field, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2021 [Anniversary Scheme]
Hobby Master announced ten more warbirds were added to their April 2022 roster, plus a pair of Ju-7 Stukas that were originally slated to swoop in this March. Interestingly, this recently unveiled A-10 Warthog was among the list, clad in a sleek midnight black anniversary scheme. When you combine the popularity of Hobby Master’s 1-10 Warthogs with a stunning scheme such as this, we feel this could be one of those rare gems in the making that will likely get bid up the moment they arrive. Here’s what you can also look forward to nabbing this coming spring:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale North Vietnamese Air Force Shenyang J-5 (MiG 17F) “Fresco C” Fighter – Le Hai, 923 IAP “Yen The”, June 1968Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy McDonnell F-4J Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 157269, VF-92 “Silver Kings”, USS Constellation (CV-64), May 1972Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – 89-2048, “Wraith”, 64th Aggressor Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada, 2020 [Aggressor Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAAF Boeing F-18A Hornet Strike Fighter – A21-18, No.25 Squadron, RAAF Base Pearce, Perth, Australia, 2021 [Heritage Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale East German Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29A ‘Fulcrum’ Fighter – “Red 661”, (LSK-NVA), Germany, 1990Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC Boeing F/A-18D Hornet Strike Fighter – 165685, VMFA(AW)-242 “Bats”, Yokota AB, Tokyo, Japan, 2020Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Panavia GR. Mk. 4 Tornado IDS All-Weather Bomber – ZA542, No.31 Squadron, Operation Ellamy, Italy, 1991Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM “Flanker-C” Fighter – “Blue 77”, 2019Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 163225, VF-102 “Diamondbacks”, Operation Enduring Freedom, 2002 [Low-Vis Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Junkers Ju-87G-2 “Kanonenvogel” Dive-Bomber – T6+AD, Hans Ulrich Rudel, Gruppenkommandeur of IIII/Schlachtgeschwader 2, Budapest-Ferihegy, Hungary, October 1944
While most of the other diecast manufacturers seem to have stalled as a result of COVID, Hobby Master continues to soldier on, announcing even more aircraft models for 2022. Of particular note are a pair of 1:72 scale Ju-87 dive-bombers, perhaps signalling their intent to return to modeling World War II era aircraft. Additionally, the March announcement includes a pair of over-sized 1:32 scale World War II era aircraft, which have been absent from their lineup for several consecutive years. Here’s what you can expect to see around the March time frame:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Junkers Ju-87D-3 Stuka Dive-Bomber – T6+EK, Friedrich Reissner, II./Schlachtgeschwader 2, Eastern FrontHobby Master’s 1:72 scale German McDonnell F-4E Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 37-51, Jagdgeschwader 71 “Richtofen”, Germany, 1976Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 Multi-Role Fighter – ZK344, No.1(F) Squadron, Operation Shader, RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, 2021RAF Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 Multi-Role Fighter – ZK343, No.1(F) Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth, England, 2020Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Navy Sukhoi Su-33 “Flanker-D” Air Superiority Fighter – “Red 70”, Major General Timur ApakidzeHobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed U-2R Reconnaissance Aircraft – 80-1084, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Fairford AFB, England, 1990sHobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-4 Fighter – Oberleutnant Walter Nowotny, 1/Jagdgeschwader 54 “Grunherz”, Staraya, Russia, March 1943Hobby Master’s 1:32 scale USN Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat Fighter – CDR. David McCampbell, “Minsi II,” Commander Air Group 15, USS Essex (CV-9), 1944Hobby Master’s 1:32 scale USN Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat Fighter – “Paper Doll”, VF-27 “Kangaroos”, USS Princeton (CVL-23), October 1944
With so much hype surrounding the recently unveiled Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate Light Stealth Fighter, Hobby Master seized upon the opportunity to show off their latest Sukhoi endeavor.
The Sukhoi Su-30 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-C/G/H) is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air-to-surface deep interdiction missions.
The Su-30 started out as an internal development project in the Sukhoi Su-27 family by Sukhoi. The design plan was revamped and the name was made official by the Russian Defense Ministry in 1996. Of the Flanker family, the Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-34 and Su-35 have been ordered into limited or serial production by the Russian Defense Ministry. The Su-30 has two distinct version branches, manufactured by competing organisations: KnAAPO and the Irkut Corporation, both of which come under the Sukhoi group’s umbrella.
KnAAPO manufactures the Su-30MKK and the Su-30MK2, which were designed for and sold to China, and later Indonesia, Uganda, Venezuela, and Vietnam. Due to KnAAPO’s involvement from the early stages of developing the Su-35, these are basically a two-seat version of the mid-1990s Su-35. The Chinese chose an older but lighter radar so the canards could be omitted in return for increased payload. It is a fighter with both air supremacy and attack capabilities, generally similar to the U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle.
Irkut traditionally served the Soviet Air Defense and, in the early years of Flanker development, was given the responsibility of manufacturing the Su-27UB, the two-seat trainer version. When India showed interests in the Su-30, Irkut offered the multirole Su-30MKI, which originated as the Su-27UB modified with avionics appropriate for fighters. Along with its ground-attack capabilities, the series adds features for the air-superiority role, such as canards, thrust-vectoring, and a long-range phased-array radar. Its derivatives include the Su-30MKM, MKA, and SM for Malaysia, Algeria, and Russia respectively. The Russian Air Force operates several Su-30s and has ordered the Su-30SM variant as well.
Look for Hobby Master’s inaugural Su-30 to take wing before the end of this year.
Hobby Master 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 “Gustav” Fighter – Erich “Bubi” Hartmann, 9./Jagdgeschwader 52, October 1943
As is customary, Hobby Master announced their latest spate of new model introductions right around the middle of the month. While no new toolings were debuted, there were a number of important releases based upon some of their older molds that have taken a back seat in recent months to some of the trendier “darlings of diecast” that seem to have won the hearts and minds of collectors world over. Here now the latest list aircraft expected some time in either February or March:
Hobby Master 1:72 scale JASDF Mitsubishi F-2A Multirole Fighter – 13-8557, 8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 8th Air Wing, Tsuiki Air Base, JapanHobby Master 1:48 scale USAF McDonnell F-4D Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 66-7733, 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron “The Warhawks”, Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, 1969Hobby Master 1:72 scale German Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon Multi-Role Fighter – 30+29, Jagdgeschwader 74, Neurburg Air Base, Germany, 2013Hobby Master 1:72 scale RAAF Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – A35-028, Exercise Arnhem Thunder, 2021 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master 1:72 scale Israeli Boeing F-15I Ra’am Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 69 Hammers Squadron, Hatzerim, Israel, 2010sHobby Master 1:72 scale Soviet Air Defense Force Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD “Foxbat-E” Interceptor – “Blue 75”, 1979Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFC-12 “Fighting Omars”, NAS Oceana, Virginia, June 2021Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye AEW Aircraft – 166503, VAW-120 “Greyhawks”, Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, 2010Hobby Master 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-57 “Felon” Stealth Fighter – “Blue 056”, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russia, 2016Hobby Master 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14B Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 163217, VF-103 “Jolly Rogers”, NAS Oceana, Virginia, June 2005
Like clockwork, Hobby Master announced its latest compendium of aircraft models, all scheduled to land in February 2022. Its a bit of an eclectic mix, with models catering to the needs of collectors dabbling in different military eras and scales. Interestingly, the newest US Navy Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare Aircraft isn’t really a newbie at all: its a second rendition of this icoinc bird sans the shark mouth at the front of the aircraft. Some collectors have said it doesn’t look all that appropriate for an aircraft of this nature. Hobby Master listened, and decided to offer this aircraft without “its teeth”, a wise move that demonstrates Hobby Master’s commitment to its fans. Here’s a quick-and-dirty look at what you could be adding to your aircraft collection in early 2022:
If you like jets, and who doesn’t, then you’ll be delighted by the news that Hobby Master checked its latest list of models twice for the upcoming holiday season. While no new toolings were announced, there was a wide range of models in the announcement covering virtually every conflict and user nation. Here now the latest list of aircraft you can expect to ogle this December:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale NASA Lockheed F-104N Starfighter Chase Plane – NASA Dryden Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA, 1979Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale NASA Lockheed F-104N Starfighter Chase Plane – NASA Dryden Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, CA, 1987Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAAF Boeing F-18A Hornet Strike Fighter – No.77 Squadron, “Hornet 33 Years”, December 2020Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RCAF Boeing F-18A Hornet Strike Fighter – 425 Squadron, QIAS 2016Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29SMT ‘Fulcrum-C’ Fighter – Kubinka AB (UUMB), 2019Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Navy Panavia GR. Mk. 1 Tornado IDS All-Weather Bomber – Marinefliegergeschwader 1, 1980sHobby Master’s 1:72 scale USMC Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – VMFA-211 “Wake Island Avengers”, HMS Queen Elizabeth, “Operation Fortis,” 2021 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – No.617 Squadron, HMS Queen Elizabeth, “Operation Fortis,” 2021 [Low-Vis Scheme] Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-25 “Fist of the Fleet”, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter – VFA-103, USS Truman (CVN-75), “Operation Inherent Resolve” 2016 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Grumman F-14D Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – VF-213 “Blacklions,” Final Cruise, 2006Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 82nd TFS, Khatami AB, Iran, 1987
Never one to disappoint, Hobby Master announced today their intent to model the Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter as its next modern era subject. The Su-30 comes as no surprise to the collecting community seeing as how the manufacturer has already modeled virtually all of the other modern era combat aircraft found within the Sukhoi family. Still, it represents an important addition to the Hobby Master stable of modern era platforms, and cements their place as the preeminent maker of pre-assembed diecast military aircraft.
Several other noteworthy aircraft were also shown for the first time, all of whom are tentatively slated for a November release. What follows are the balance of the May product announcements:
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb Fighter – RF-D/EP594, Lieutenant Jan Zumbach, No.303 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Northolt, England, August 1942Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb Fighter – BM592, Wing Commander Alois Vasatko, No.312 (Czech) Squadron, Exeter Wing, RAF Duxford, England, June 1942Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Israeli Boeing F-15A Baz Multi-Role Fighter – “672”, No.133 Squadron, Tel Nof Airbase, Israel, February 13th, 1981Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 86-0169, Lt. Colonel Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez, 493rd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, March 24th, 1981 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale NASA Lockheed ER-2 High Altitude Research Aircraft – “809”, Dryden Flight Research Center, California, 1999Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Spanish Boeing Harrier II Plus EAV-8B Jump Jet – VA.1B-24, Naval Air Station Rota, Andalusia, Spain, 2019Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Spanish Navy Boeing Harrier II Plus AV-8B Jump Jet – 1-19, Marina Militare, North Arabian Sea, Operation Enduring Freedom, 2002 [Low-Vis Scheme]
Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USN Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat Fighter – Lt. Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, “White F-15”, VF-3, USS Lexington (CV-2), 1942
Some time ago, Hobby Master released a 1:48 scale tribute to Lt. Commander John S. Thatch, inventor of the so-called “Thatch Weave,” an early war combat tactic that was aimed at preventing enemy aircraft from assuming a position behind friendly aircraft for fear of being shot down themselves. Of course, Thatch wasn’t alone in developing the combat tactic — he was assisted by then Lieutenant Edward “Butch” O’Hare.
Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare was an American naval aviator of the United States Navy, who on February 20th, 1942, became the Navy’s first flying ace when he single-handedly attacked a formation of nine heavy bombers approaching his aircraft carrier. Even though he had a limited amount of ammunition, he managed to shoot down five enemy bombers. On April 21st, 1942, he became the first naval recipient of the Medal of Honor in World War II.
O’Hare’s final action took place on the night of November 26th, 1943, while he was leading the U.S. Navy’s first-ever nighttime fighter attack launched from an aircraft carrier. During this encounter with a group of Japanese torpedo bombers, O’Hare’s Grumman F6F Hellcat was shot down; his aircraft was never found. In 1945, the U.S. Navy destroyer USS O’Hare (DD-889) was named in his honor.
A few years later, Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, suggested that the name of Chicago’s Orchard Depot Airport be changed as a tribute to Butch O’Hare. On September 19th, 1949, the Chicago, Illinois airport was renamed O’Hare International Airport to honor O’Hare’s bravery. The airport displays a Grumman F4F-3 museum aircraft replicating the one flown by Butch O’Hare during his Medal of Honor flight. The Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat on display was recovered virtually intact from the bottom of Lake Michigan, where it sank after a training accident in 1943 when it went off the training aircraft carrier USS Wolverine (IX-64). In 2001, the Air Classics Museum remodeled the aircraft to replicate the F4F-3 Wildcat that O’Hare flew on his Medal of Honor flight. The restored Wildcat is exhibited in the west end of Terminal 2 behind the security checkpoint to honor O’Hare International Airport’s namesake.
“Butch” O’Hare’s 1:48 scale Wildcat is now in stock and ready for immediate shipment.
