Late yesterday we learned that the December shipment of Hobby Master products were en route to us and expected the first week of January. Several key introductions are among the cache, including this heavily-requested Israeli M48A2 Patton Medium Tank (#HG5503).
Also scheduled to arrive is this handsome A-10 Warthog (#HA1316) and a bevy of other modern and historical warbirds.
Showing no signs of abatement, Hobby Master ushered in their March introductions earlier this week. No new toolings were among the mix, although several intriguing aircraft and military vehicles were added to their order of battle, including this F-4 Wild Weasel aircraft (HA1981) painted in a tri-color camouflage pattern. All of their new offerings can be found in our November 2013 Additions subsection, found within our Product Lineup page.
Long rumored but only just confirmed, Hobby Master has announced development of a 1:72 scale replica of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (HA4401). Scheduled to join its burgeoning air armada in February 2014, their first effort will be based upon the US Air Force’s “A” Model, and will no doubt be followed up with versions for both the US Navy and US Marine Corps, as well as several export versions.
Several other new items were announced in conjunction with the announcement, all of which can be found in our October 2013 Additions section. Enjoy!
Its been a very long time since Hobby Master announced anything new in their massive 1:32 scale aircraft line, so it came as a pleasant surprise last week when they shared the news on their forthcoming Grumman F6F Hellcat. Scheduled for a January ship, their inaugural over-sized, piston-engine fighter is based on the mount flown by David McCampbell off the deck of the USS Essex in 1944 (#HA0301). “Minsi II”, as he dubbed it, will sport all the hallmark detail that went into their previous SBD Dauntless range, and will likely be followed up with several other noteworthy Hellcat replicas. A display stand will be sold separately for those collectors inclined to display their aircraft in flight mode.
As is customary with Hobby Master, the Company has announced its next batch of upcoming products, all of which are intended to ship before the holiday season ends. Several interesting entries are among the mix, including this Israeli M48 A2 Patton main battle tank which took part in the fighting for the Egyptian-held Sinai desert during the 1967 Six-Day War (#HG5503). We’ve posted the entire list of new vehicles and aircraft in our August 2013 New Additions section so pre-order to your hearts content.
In keeping with their monthly new product announcements schedule, Hobby Master unveiled their latest assortment of military aircraft and vehicles due out in November. While no new toolings were shown, the grouping did contain a couple of perennial favorites that have been out-of-stock for some time: a SBC Helldiver (HA2209) and SBD-5 Dauntless dive-bomber (HA0170).
Feel free to check out these and other notable new entrants in our July New Additions section located within the Product Round Up link.
Every so often, even a died-in-the-wool military historian such as myself learns a thing or two about the world we live in. For instance, Hobby Master’s latest product announcement concerns an Egyptian-liveried McDonnell F-4E Phantom II fighter-bomber, which apparently arose as a byproduct from the Camp David Peace Accord in the late 70s. Flown by the Egyptian Air Force in the 1980s, this interesting if intriguing replica is painted in a startling desert camouflage pattern with day-glow orange sections adorning the top of the fuselage, wingtips and tail fin (HA1936). Look for this wonderful new entrant some time in August.
Ordinarily, we take a pass when it comes to listing civil airliners on our web site, largely because this isn’t our core competency. Add to that the fact that we generally sidestep the smallish 1:200 scale sector, and you can readily see why we prefer to go with larger scale replicas with military overtones. However, when Hobby Master announced that it planned to offer a 1:200 scale Lockheed EC-121D Warning Star Aircraft (#HL9012), we were all ears, figuratively as well as literally. Measuring approximately 7 inches in length by about 7-1/2 inches across, a 1:200 scale representation of this iconic early warning flier seemed to fit the bill, offering unrivaled fidelity and decent scale at a price most collectors can afford. Expected some time in September, we believe aviation enthusiasts will enjoy adding this important aircraft to their diecast collection.
