Hobby Master

Hobby Master Steps on the Gas this March

US Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Dive Bomber – 41-S-13, Lieutenant John M. DeVane, Jr., VS-41, USS Ranger (CV-4), November 1942 (1:32 Scale)

Another month passes by and even more models make it into the mix of Hobby Master military aircraft. For March, several scintillating models were tapped for production, including this 1:32 scale Douglas SBD-3 dive bomber shown here. We’ve culled the list of additions so as not to bring in some of their slower moving models and concentrate solely on the more popular models and liveries. The remainder tend to take up shelf space and oftentimes need to be price-adjusted to help get them airborne and into the collector jet stream.

Of note are several aircraft display bases that had been sold out for some time even though demand for them remained strong throughout the years.

Here now the list of models we plan to add to our ever-growing list of Hobby Master products.

USMC Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 170533, VMFA-533 “Hawks”, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina, 2025 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 49-8759, 8th Squadron, Tsuiki Air Base, Japan [Notional Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

USMC Boeing F/A-18D Hornet Strike Fighter – 164874, VMFA-112 “Cowboys”, NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas, 2025 (1:72 Scale)

USAF Lockheed U-2S “Dragon Lady” Reconnaissance Aircraft – 80-1094, 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Fairford AFB, England, 2025 (1:72 Scale)

Russian Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-31BM “Foxhound-D” Interceptor – “Red 12”, 2017 (1:72 Scale)

US Navy Modern Aircraft Carrier Deck (1:72 Scale)

US Navy Assault Carrier Deck (1:72 Scale)

Airfield Base (1:72 Scale)

With the re-introduction of their aircraft base series, we plan to offer special bundles that combine a popular military aircraft with one of these highly sought after decks. The end goal is to create a separate value-added series that will help bring these aircraft to life and save you some money. Bear in mind that Forces of Valor will soon be offering a pair of 1:72 scale aircraft carrier deck handlers, that can be added to these bundles to both heighten the experience and give these models added realism.

USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter and Airfield Base Bundles (1:72 Scale)

Forces of Valor US Navy Aircraft Carrier Deck Crew [A] and [B} Figure Sets (1:72 Scale)

In a separate matter, our Hobby Master distributor has provided us with an updated list that shows the arrival dates for the balance of the year and into early 2026. Several models have been pushed back due to an Asian holiday as well as the adverse effects the tariffs have had on the production schedule for many of these models. We’ve updated our Hobby Master sections to reflect these changes. Our distributor also claims that after Chinese New Year — which typically plays out in early February — they should be back on track with monthly imports as opposed to combining shipments to best offset the effects of the recently introduced tariffs.

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Wow! Wowee, Wow, Wow, Wow!

Years ago, actor/comedian Christoper Walken performed a sketch on Saturday Night Live, one in which he played a so-called sophisticate speaking to the camera as if there was a supposed woman in his apartment. Decked out in a smoking jacket and likely living in a simple and unremarkable one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan, the performance struck a note with me. In fact, I oftentimes try to mimic his daffy performance for anyone who is willing to give me a moment of their time. Anyway, I’ve always been struck by that skit, both for its comedic value, his range as both an actor and comedian and its application in real-life.

USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter – 87-0781, Dave Maurice, “Gray Ghost”, PAV-2, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California, 1990 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

Which leads me to the point of this blog post. Last week, we finally got in our batch of Hobby Master 1:72 scale Northrop YF-23 air dominance fighters, after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the shipment to reach our shores. When we put this item up for sale on both our web site and on eBay, I couldn’t believe how quickly it sold out, even when we nudged up the price a bit to throttle sales. As you might imagine, the first batch is now gone and we obviously under-anticipated demand for this model and its legacy as a potential aerial platform.

We’ve since placed a large re-order with our distributor, who claims more are expected in November. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see another piece as they get gobbled up by collectors worldwide. I know they made quite a few of these models and even with the tariffs imposed on product coming in from certain countries still managed to break our sales records with inquiries about its availability still filtering in.

USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter – 87-0800, “Black Widow II”, PAV-2, 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California, 1990 (1:72 Scale)

Anyway, we’re leaving this model up on our web site and are still accepting orders should they indeed materialize for the holiday rush. Just as importantly, however, is the second release of the YF-23, known rather surreptitiously as the “Black Widow II”. Painted in matte black, we believe this version will also sell like hotcakes, possibly even breaking the first model’s sell-through rate which, as I’ve already pointed out, may have been our fastest selling aircraft model in our 25-year history. Food for thought if you don’t mind waiting a bit, have space set aside for this beauty and have your heart set on what many believe should have been our nation’s fifth generation air dominance fighter.

Update: If sales are any judge of a model’s success, then I think we can safely assume that Hobby Master’s initial release of the YF-23 will be hailed as the 2025 model of the year, perhaps usurped by the dark grey/black follow-on release expected by year’s end. We don’t acknowledge runaway “runway” hits all that often but it certainly appears as if the YF-23 may indeed receive these honors when the year is out. We did mention to Hobby Master that a navalized version of the YF-23 was planned by the aircraft manufacturer back in the 90s, featuring, among other things, more robust landing gear, canards and other external improvements so there’s a possibility that they may examine its feasibility as a potential model come the new year. What follows is some information on the at-sea version, excerpted from, you guessed it, Wikipedia.

A proposed naval variant of the F-23, sometimes known unofficially as the NATF-23 (the proposed naval variants were never formally designated), was considered as an F-14 Tomcat replacement for the U.S. Navy. The original HSF configuration of the F-23 was first considered with the initial DP500 design but would have had issues with flight deck space (it was to be no longer than the F-14), handling, storage, landing, and catapult launching, thus necessitating a different design. By 1989, the design was narrowed down to two possible configurations: DP533 with four tails and DP527 with two V-tails and canards. DP527 was determined to be the best solution. The NATF-23 design was submitted along with the F-23 proposal for full-scale development, or engineering and manufacturing development (EMD), in December 1990. However, by late 1990 the Navy was already beginning to back out of the NATF program and fully abandoned it by FY 1992 due to escalating costs. A wind tunnel test model of DP527, tested for 14,000 hours, was donated (with canards removed) by Boeing St. Louis (formerly McDonnell Douglas) in 2001 to the Bellefontaine Neighbors Klein Park Veterans Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri.

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Despite Looming Tariffs and Fears of a Recession, Hobby Master Still Claims “Life is Good”

Looking to build out their assemblage of diecast military aircraft, Hobby Master debuted their February 2026 list of military muscle. While no new toolings were among their latest introductions, several significant models were included in the mix, among them two new General Dynamics F-16 Vipers including “Play to Win”.

Here now the balance of the recently announced models we plan to stock:

USAF North American F-86F Sabre Jet Fighter – 25333, 461st Fighter-Day Squadron “Deadly Jesters”, Hahn Air Base, West Germany, 1955 (1:72 Scale)

USAF Northrop F-5A Tiger II Fighter – 38381, 1960s (1:72 Scale)

USAF General Dynamics F-16A Viper Fighter – “Golden Bat Viper”, 185 Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard, 2022 [Commemorative Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

US Navy Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 166817, VFA-136 “Knighthawks”, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), 2024 (1:72 Scale)

Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy Sukhoi Su-30MK2 “Flanker-G” Fighter – “Blue 08”, 2012 (1:72 Scale)

Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25RBF “Foxbat-B” Interceptor – “Red 20”, 47th GRAF, Shatalovo AB, Russia, 2001 (1:72 Scale)

Admittedly, the prices of many of their newest introductions seem to be reaching stratospheric levels, in part due to the tariffs being applied to Bangladesh where the Hobby Master product range is currently manufactured. As a result, we are careful as to which of their newest introductions are included in our product mix, largely based upon past sales performance and the need to discount slow-moving items to improve turn. For instance, Typhoons and Red Arrows aerobatic aircraft seem to appeal more to European collectors than they do to home-grown collectors here in the US. Couple that with increasing international shipping costs and we end up being reluctant to carry these types of models in favor of what we feel would appeal to domestic collectors. We’re not happy about this situation but its one we have to abide by to prevent inventory build at our end and keep our stock levels to within reasonable limits.

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Hobby Master Does the J-10 Hustle

There seems to be no shortage of sharp, pointy things coming out of the Hobby Master camp. All kidding aside, the Company announced their intent to model the Chengdu J-10 multirole aircraft as part of their effort to introduce every new warbird to their adoring public.

The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon (NATO reporting name: Firebird) is a Chinese medium-weight, single-engine, multirole combat aircraft using a delta wing and canard design, with a maximum speed of Mach 1.8. It is produced by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) of China, and exported to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The J-10 is mainly designed for air-to-air combat, but can also perform strike missions.

While specific information in the press release was rather light, Hobby Master was kind enough to supply us with photos of the prototype. The inaugural aircraft is likely due out in early 2026.

For those of you unfamiliar with the J-10 “Vigorous Dragon”, the accompanying video does an admirable job of showing the capabilities of the aircraft. Enjoy!

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Hobby Master Pours Fuel on the Fire this January to Keep Everyone Warm and Cozy

Israeli Defense Force Lockheed-Martin F-35A “Adir” Joint Strike Fighter – “Black 268”, Nevatim Airbase, Israel, 2025 [Notional Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

Like clockwork, Hobby Master recently announced a gaggle of new aircraft models that are slated for a January release. While no new toolings debuted, the roster includes a number of fan-favorites that have demonstrated a strong sales history among collectors world over. Included are two models from their SkyMax Models range — a separate budget-mind line that has largely been ignored over the last few years., Both introductions are based upon the Grumman F8F Bearcat fighter, a highly respected if late-to-the-party warbird that ended up being pressed into service at the start of the Cold War.

Here now what you expect to place on your diecast tarmac in early 2026:

SkyMax Models US Navy Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Fighter – 121717, VF-61 “Jolly Rogers”, 1949 (1:72 Scale)

SkyMax Models US Navy Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Fighter – 121714, Duxford, England, 2014 (1:72 Scale)

USAF McDonnell RF-101A Voodoo Reconnaissance Aircraft – 54-1512, 29th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 363rd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 1965 (1:72 Scale)

USAF McDonnell F-4D Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 66-8738, 497th Tactical Fighter Squadron “Night Owls”, Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, 1972 (1:72 Scale)

USAF McDonnell F-4C Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 63-7666, 57th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron “Black Knights”, Keflavik, Iceland, 1977 (1:72 Scale)

Israeli Defense Force Dassault-Breguet Mirage IIICJ Fighter – “Black 56”, Giora Epstein, 101 Squadron “First Jet Squadron”, Hatzor Air Base, Israel, 1967 (1:72 Scale)

USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 09-4190, 90th Fighter Squadron “The Diecemen”, 3rd Fighter Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, 2017 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 80-0283, 25th Fighter Squadron “Assam Draggins”, 51st Fighter Wing, Osan Air Force Base, Japan, 2015 (1:72 Scale)

USAF Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 88-0705, 90th Fighter Squadron “The Dicemen”, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, August 2005 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

French Dassault Rafale B Multirole Fighter – “113-1E”, EC 01.007 Provence, Libya, 2011

US Navy Boeing E/A-18G Growler Electronic Warfare Aircraft – 168256, VAQ-139 “Cougars”, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington, 2025 (1:72 Scale)

Additionally, Hobby Master is bringing back a fan-favorite with the re-release of HA33003. This aircraft sold out quickly when it was first issued earlier this year, so its encore performance will certainly be viewed with great fanfare.

USAF Northrop F-5C Tiger II Fighter – 64-13332, 10th Fighter Squadron, Commando “Skoshi Tiger”, Bien Hoa AFB, Vietnam, 1965 (1:72 Scale)

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“Sister. You have a Sister”

Anyone steeped in Star Wars lore knows the meaning of this casually said yet iconic line, first uttered by Darth Vader mid way through his confrontation with son, Luke Skywalker, in the feature film The Empire Strikes Back. Interestingly, it also has some bearing on today’s military diecast market now that Hobby Master has officially announced the second Northrop YF-23 fifth-generation fighter, the so-called “Black Widow II”.

Formally designated as the YF-23A, the first aircraft (serial number 87-0800), Prototype Air Vehicle 1 (PAV-1), was rolled out on June 22nd, 1990. PAV-1 took its 50-minute maiden flight on August 27th with chief test pilot Alfred “Paul” Metz at the controls. The second YF-23 (serial number 87-0801, PAV-2) made its first flight on October 26th, piloted by Jim Sandberg. The first YF-23 was painted charcoal gray and was nicknamed “Spider”. The second prototype was painted in two shades of gray and nicknamed “Gray Ghost”. PAV-1 briefly had a red hourglass painted on its ram air scoop to prevent injury to ground crew. The red hourglass resembled the marking on the underside of the black widow spider, further reinforcing the unofficial nickname “Black Widow II” given to the YF-23 because of its 8-lobe radar cross section plot shape that resembled a spider and as homage to the Northrop P-61 Black Widow of World War II. When Northrop management found out about the marking, they had it removed.

According to their latest literature, Hobby Master claims that we can expect the “Black Widow II” towards the end of the year, largely dependent upon the tariff situation with Bangladesh, where Hobby Master products are made. Word from our distributor is that the first YF-23 is pre-selling exceptionally well, so we anticipate sales of the second version to be as strong if not stronger largely due to its sinister appearance. As a guess, both models were on the assembly line simultaneously to take advantage of any cost savings associated with producing two models at the same time rather than in piece-meal fashion. If that is the case, we expect images of the second model to be forthcoming, perhaps over the summer.

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Enter the J-16

In a move that will likely be seen as shaking up the industry, Hobby Master announced plans to replicate the Shenyang J-16. The Shenyang J-16, also known as Qianong (NATO reporting name: Flanker-N) is a Chinese all-weather 4.5 generation, tandem-seat, twin-engine, multirole strike fighter built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and operated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). It is developed from the Shenyang J-11, the licensed production variant of the Russian Sukhoi Su-27.

Thus far, no official SKU designation has been assigned to the prototype model, nor has pricing, background information and a release date been discussed. Still, its refreshing to see Hobby Master building new models again when it seemed as if they were content to re-hash existing molds. While the J-16 may not be as sexy as say a US-built F-47 stealth fighter or some of the classified US Air Force projects still under wraps, it represents an important step in fleshing out all of the aircraft currently in service with the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force. We will have further information regarding the J-16’s inaugural model when Hobby Master provides additional details.

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It’s Raining Planes (and Helicopters)

After speaking with our principal supplier, it looks as though we’re about to be deluged with loads of new models towards the end of March. For starters, we’re expecting 15 different MH-53 helos from Panzerkampf along with a nice re-stock of Forces of Valor items. Besides the long sold out MH-47 helicopter, we’re about to receive a pair of F/A-18 Hornets that have long been hinted at and have finally gotten their marching orders.

More importantly, we’re going to be receiving both the February and March shipments of Hobby Master products, along with several key re-stocks that will help to fill out our coffers. So, if you have already submitted pre-orders for any of these items, please hang in there while we sift through these shipments. We will provide you with tracking information so you know when you can finally lay claim to them just as soon as everything has been inspected and segregated. Enjoy!

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The YF-20 Takes Shape

Even though its still several months away from lifting off for the diecast skies, Hobby Master showed off images of its upcoming Northrop YF-20 Air Dominance Fighter. Meant to portray the so-called “Gray Ghost”, their inaugural replica is based upon Prototype Air Vehicle 2 (PAV-2), which underwent rigorous analysis and fly-offs against the YF-22 by the 412th Test Wing, based out of Edwards Air Force Base in California during 1990. While the first set of images do not reflect the aircraft’s markings and insignia, it does give everyone a sense of the fit and finish that is lovingly going into the product.

The second YF-20, perhaps due out by year’s end, will almost certainly be based on the PAV-1 test aircraft, and its a good bet that the third model, likely due out in early 2026, will be based on a notional aircraft flown by the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force. Amazingly, the YF-20 is still being considered by the Japanese as a viable fifth-generation aircraft bereft of certain cutting edge avionics and other super-secretive developments to keep them out of the hands of certain adversaries and even a few allies.

Thus far, the YF-20 looks superb, with no unseemly joins, heavy-handed panel lines, or noticeable differences between the replica and the aircraft it portrays. The model looks true-to-form in virtually every aspect and even some of the most ardent rivet-counters are beginning to take notice and recognize its uncanny appearance to the real aircraft. Once the markings and insignia get applied, the YF-20 will likely become the de facto winner in the annual modelmaking awards.

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Its Notional not National

Its no secret that Hobby Master has been dabbling in the notional or “what-if” market of late, producing aircraft schemes that aren’t exactly grounded in historical accuracy. An Egyptian Su-35 and digitally clad Ukrainian F-16 spring to mind, the latter doing extremely well at retail even if it isn’t based upon an actual aircraft. But when they decided to do a Japanese F-22 Raptor, I had to do a double-take, not sure what to make of the surprising offering. My understanding is that the F-22 is so super-secretive that the DoD has deemed that it will never be offered to any other nation, much less our closest of allies who have been chomping at the bit for a cutting edge fifth general fighter aircraft.

According to their latest sales literature, the Japanese F-22 is being billed as a “pseudo scheme”, whatever that may mean, and I think that even Hobby Master will acknowledge that it’ll never actually see the light of day with any Air Force other than the USAF. Moreover, even if it did see service with the JASDF, it almost certainly wouldn’t be painted in a so-called “sea camouflage” pattern as shown here, which defeats the whole purpose of being low observable and could quite possibly interfere with the aircraft’s radar absorbent coating.

Finally, there’s a reason why the F-22 made the cut as a fifth generation aircraft, and its a closely guarded secret that few will ever get to lay their mitts and eyes on. Still, speculation on the look and likelihood of the F-22 seeing service with the JASDF is just that, provided, of course, that the manufacturer feels as if there’s a large enough market that will accept something into their collection that will never come to fruition. Personally, I’m a big fan of the many incarnations of the F-22 produced to date so seeing an all-blue one with Japanese insignia may not be as hard to swallow as some of the other speculative schemes I’ve ogled over the last few years.

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