With the holiday shopping season in full stride, Hobby Master seized the opportunity to announce their release schedule for August of 2022, which, as they like to do, covers just about every era and scale they offer up. Of particular note is their first ever Lockheed F-15EX, the latest in a long line of upgraded air dominance platforms in the longstanding and highly regarded series of Eagle twin-engine fighters. While stealth is still of paramount importance to the US Air Force as we head into the mid 2020s, its clear that we still need an effective aircraft capable of carrying a huge load of air-to-air missiles to the FEBA should the stealth aircraft run out of weaponry. The F-15EX, working in conjunction with more stealthy aircraft such as the F-22, F-35 and upcoming sixth generation fighter, fits that bill nicely demonstrating that older air frames still serve a useful purpose on the aerial battlefield. Here now the rest of the August line up:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 RCAF Canadair CF-104 Starfighter Interceptor – 104733, 1 Canada Air Group, West Germany, 1964Hobby Master’s 1:72 Imperial Japanese Navy Nakajima B5N1 “Kate” Torpedo Bomber – 9-348, Sanzao Dao, 14th Kokutai, South China, 1939Hobby Master’s 1:72 Imperial Japanese Navy Nakajima B5N1 “Kate” Torpedo Bomber – A11-311, Lt. Ichiro Kitjima, Aircraft Carrier Kaga, December 1941Hobby Master’s 1:72 USMC Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless Dive-Bomber – Major Lofton Henderson, VMSB-241 “Sons of Satan”, June 4th 1942Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless Dive-Bomber – Commander Howard Young, Commander of the Enterprise Air Group, 1942Hobby Master’s 1:72 USAF McDonnell YF-4E Phantom II Reconnaissance Aircraft – 65-0713, Air Force Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, 1985US Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter – Warrant Officer Donald Runyon, VF-6, USS Enterprise (CV-6), 1942Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat Fighter – Lt. Commander John Raby, VF-9, USS Ranger (CV-4), November 1942Hobby Master’s 1:72 USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22 Air Dominance Fighter – “Cripes A’ Mighty,” 192nd Fighter Wing, Langley-Eustis, Virginia [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 US Navy Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye AEW Aircraft – 168599, VAW-121 “Bluetails”, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), September 2018
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN Douglas A-1H Skyraider Attack Aircraft – VA-176 “Thunderbolts”, USS Intrepid (CV-11), 1966
Despite extensive shipping delays here in the North American market, Hobby Master announced yet another batch of new warbirds, this one purportedly set to arrive in July 2022. The “July” shipment contains a number of models that haven’t been made available for some time, including a Douglas A-1H Skyraider and a Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor. Its not apparent if these new models will actually arrive as advertised considering the huge logjam of ships still waiting to dock and be offloaded. At this point, July may be an optimistic forecast since a great many aircraft that were previously touted are taxiing onto the diecast tarmac awaiting their own clearance for takeoff. To be clear, the incessant delays aren’t the fault of either Hobby Master or our distributor, since the product is being made on time and can oftentimes be found in other parts of the world. The culprit, as has been pointed out by the media, is the current breakdown in the global supply chain, which has played havoc with the release schedule here in North America, If cargo ships are sitting idle for weeks on end and there aren’t enough truckers available to transport the containers from the ports to the distributors, two key bottlenecks that still haven’t been overcome, then the net result is incessant delays in being able to ship out product to retailers.
In any event, I’ll get off my soapbox and offer up the rundown of what the “July” roster entails:
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F-18A Hornet Strike Fighter – “Red 02”, VFA-127 “Cyclons”, NAS Lemoore, California, 1995 [Aggressor Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD “Flogger-K” Fighter – “Green 03”, Bagram, Afghanistan, July 1987Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale East German Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML “Flogger-K” Fighter – “Red 340”, Jagdfliegergeschwader 9 “Heinrich Rau”, Peenemunde-West, East Germany, 1990Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale German Lockheed F-104F Starfighter Interceptor – “BB+377”, Waffenschule Der Luftwaffe 10, 1961
Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Japanese Air Self-Defense Force Lockheed F-104J Starfighter Interceptor – “TAC Meet”, 46-8587, 202nd Squadron, Nyutabaru AB, Japan, 1980Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale RAF Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 Multi-Role Fighter – RAF Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands, 2015 Note: Two versions will be made available – one with a light weapons loadout and the other with a more robust loadoutHobby Master’s 1:72 scale JASDF McDonnell F-4EJ “Kai” Phantom II Fighter-Bomber – 501st Squadron, 2020 [Retirement Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM “Flanker-C” Fighter – “Blue 34”, “Russian Knights”, 2019Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor Air Dominance Fighter – 03-4046, 19th Fighter Squadron “Gamecocks”, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, 2018 [Low-Vis Scheme]Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc Fighter – No.43 Squadron, RAF Acklington, England, August 1942Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc Fighter – Flt. Lt. Karel Kuttlelwasher, No.1 Squadron, RAF Tangmere, England, 1942Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale RAF Hawker Hurricane Mk. IIc Fighter – Squadron Leader James MacLachlan, No.1 Squadron, RAF Northold, England November 1941-June 1942
Somewhere in this corrugated morass, are our September and October Hobby Master shipments, which will likely become the fate of our remaining shipments unless something is done to dramatically improve the situation
If you’re wondering why we and other retailers in North America haven’t been receiving the latest Hobby Master products for several weeks running, you may want to read this insightful article that recently appeared in the New York Times. Several months back, when our distributor for Hobby Master, Historic Sales out of Minnesota, was sold to Collectors Armory in Georgia, the Company re-routed each Hobby Master shipment away from Los Angeles to the port of Savannah, Georgia. This made sense because at the time both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the principal ports of entry for inbound freight from Asia, were deluged with shipments and unable to keep up with the logjam of ships and containers arriving on a daily basis. Recently, it was reported that there were at least 200,000 shipping containers either ready to be unloaded or parked in a holding area, waiting for their turn to be picked up by local truckers. While both ports are now operating on a 24-hour, around-the-clock basis, the problem is exacerbated due to the lack of truckers picking up their loads and ferrying them to their distribution centers.
It turns out that Savannah is faring no better than the west coasts ports, itself inundated in cargo bound for distributors and retailers around the US. According to this article, over 50,000 containers are either sitting idle or languishing off-shore in any number of cargo ships, thereby suffering much the same fate as other ports of entries around the country. So, while you may be seeing certain Hobby Master products appearing overseas, on Facebook or elsewhere, take heart and understand that these same items will eventually make it to Historic Sales of Georgia and in turn to us and every other retailer patiently waiting to take delivery of their orders.
Mind you this problem plagues every Forces of Valor shipment as well since Historic Sales has once again been appointed the official distributor of the line in North America. Likewise, Air Force 1 has been beset by the same problems, although we recently received a shipment from them, which will likely have to last well into the first quarter of 2022. No matter how you look at it, its going to be a very long holiday season that will certainly extend into the first half of the new year…
Update: Late on Tuesday, we were informed that the trucking company responsible for picking up Historic’s inbound containers has been notified that the September shipment of Hobby Master products has been offloaded, passed customs, and can be picked up in good order. Presently, they are attempting to take delivery of this shipment by week’s end and, if successful, we should be receiving our order sometime towards the end of the first week of November. With Thanksgiving looming, there is no way of knowing if the “October” Hobby Master shipment will arrive before the start of the holiday season. We will post further updates on both the “October” and “November” shipments, along with the Forces of Valor shipment still pegged for a late November arrival once information has been passed along to us.
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:
