Wings of the Great War

Luft-X and Wings Receive Valuable Reinforcements

Late yesterday, Historic Sales, the owners of both the Luft-X and Wings of the Great War series, announced an additional aircraft for each of their longstanding series. In the case of Luft-X, the range will now come with its first 1:144 scale model — an Arado E.555 I long-range strategic bomber, meant to wreak havoc on the shores of the US and Canada. Its an impressive model if smaller than their predecessors, largely because of its wingspan, which measures nearly 8-inches in length. While ten different versions of the E.555 were being worked on at the Arado Flugzeugwerke, located at Warnemunde, in Mecklenburg, Germany, none took flight, victims of bureaucracy and precious resources needed elsewhere. In fact, all of the E.555 projects were abandoned, following a December 22nd, 1944, order by the Reich Air Ministry.

For the Wings line, Historic chose a subject that, in actuality, could better be positioned as a WWII aircraft than a WWI model since it was built years after the War ended. LZ 129 was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of her class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. She was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company (Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei). She was named after Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, who was President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934. The Hindenburg famously went down in flames over New Jersey way back in 1937, a victim of its hydrogen-propelled fuel being ignited by an onrushing thunderstorm.

While the finished model won’t sport the German swastika on its tail to remain PC compliant, it will come bundled with decals so that collectors can apply them to make it more historically accurate. Like all of the other aircraft in both series, the new models are composed of resin, making them far heavier than they would ordinarily appear. Both models are slated to take to the skies in January.

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Winter of My German Soldier

Luft-X’s 1:72 scale German Heinkel P.1078 Interceptor – Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, Warnemunde, Germany, 1945

Historic Aviation, owner of both the Wings of the Great War and Luft-X lines of resin military aircraft and our principal distributor, announced today that three new models are joining their rapidly expanding resin aerodrome. In the Luft-X range, look for a Heinkel P.1078 interceptor painted in a curious-looking blue, green and white camouflage scheme. Although never greenlighted by the Waffenamt, the P.1078 was created as part of a program to develop a high altitude interceptor capable of dealing with some of the new pressurized bombers believed to take to the skies over the Third Reich, most notably the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale German Fokker D.VII Fighter – Franz Buchner, Jagdstaffel 13, 1917

In the Wings of the Great War series, two WWI-era aircraft were given the nod, among them a Fokker D.VII fighter that was piloted by Franz Buchner along with a Junkers D.1 Fighter that was deployed to the Western Front during Autumn 1918. According to the marketing hand out, all three aircraft are being vectored for a February landing.

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale German Junkers D.1 Fighter – Western Front, Autumn 1918
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Wings of the Great War Takes Wing Again

We’ll be the first to admit that its been awhile since we received a shipment of models from Wings of the Great War. But as they say, patience is a virtue and we’re happy to report the impending arrival of three previously released 1:72 scale World War I era military aircraft. The list includes a U.S. Air Service Spad XIII Biplane Fighter piloted by famed ace 1st Lt. Eddie Rickenbacker ((WW15001), a German Fokker Dr.I Triplane Fighter commanded by the “Red Baron” himself, Manfred von Richthofen and a 1:700 German Imperial Navy LZ 41 Zeppelin (WW19901), .

While its certainly wonderful to receive some re-stocks, the Company that oversees the production of these models claims that newer aircraft are currently in the works. We’re not certain when some new items will be announced but typically this occurs after a known batch of products, such as the one soon-to-arrive, is finally made available.

Luft-X’s 1:72 scale German Horten Ho 229 Fighter Bomber – Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, National Air and Space Museum

Since the Luft-X line is made in the same factory as Wings of the Great War, we are also eagerly awaiting a shipment of their latest warbirds, which includes two versions of the Horten Ho 229 fighter-bomber — a super-sleek fighter-bomber that currently hangs in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, at the National Air and Space Museum.

Look for all of these warbirds to soar over the diecast battlefield next week.

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On to Valhalla! Two Lines Take Their Bows and Sign Up for a Return Engagement

Luft-X 1:72 scale German Horten Ho 229 Fighter Bomber

Two years ago, a pair of highly successful lines we stocked suddenly went dormant, no longer available from our principal distributor or the manufacturer in Asia. The reason the lights went out may never fully be known in its entirety, seeing as how they were privately run companies that seemed to ebb and flow with the fickle fate of the marketplace.

Fast forward to 2021 and I’m proud to announce that both Luft-X and Wings of the Great War are returning to the fold, bigger and badder than ever. In fact, some models are expected to return as early as June, while a handful of previously announced but never released items are slated to finally make a soft landing this September. We’ve updated both sections and are now accepting pre-orders. Get ’em while you can.

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale German Pfalz D.IIIa Biplane Fighter – Carl Degelow, Jasta 7, March 1918
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Tales of Transparency: Line Discontinuance

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale Royal Flying Corps Nieuport 17 Fighter – Lt. William “Billy” Bishop, 60 Squadron, Filescamp, France, March 1917

Until we have evidence to the contrary, we are now presuming that AF-X, Luft-X and Wings of the Great War are no longer being made and have therefore been discontinued by our distributor. Any orders that have been submitted to us thus far for the pair of pre-ordered Wings of the Great War aircraft (WW19002 and WW11004) we were expecting along with any items marked as back ordered will now be cancelled. If our distributor has concrete proof that these lines will be continued then we will re-open the ordering window again and update our site accordingly.

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The “Shock”-Tober Update, Part 2

So, news has been flooding in of late concerning the release schedule. To begin with, we now have a fair idea of which Eaglemoss Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica items are expected in November, and which have likely been pushed back to a late year arrival. Rather than list everything here, we’ve updated our Eaglemoss sections and release schedule accordingly. Bear in mind that Destination Star Trek, which is currently being held in Birmingham, England, will undoubtedly show off some new items, which we’ll add to our web site the minute the news rolls in.

We were under the impression that both Wings of the Great War and Luft-X were terminally ill and on their respective death beds and that we weren’t likely to see anything new from either line, much less receive our back orders, which have been languishing for months on end. Well, we’ve been set straight, so-to-speak, and can now happily report that both lines are expected to resume production in early 2020. We’re not sure what is happening with their distant cousin, AF-X, a similarly conceived line unveiled earlier this year, that has received little in the way of further reinforcements beyond the lone X-15 produced to date. Reading between the lines, that means AF-X will likely take a back seat until both Luft-X and Wings of the Great War have resumed their aerial campaigns.

Modelcollect seems to be back in the swing of things after lolling about with their fantasy-based Fist of War series. Two BMP-3s are schedule for a late year release and we’re willing to bet that other more-traditional AFVs are probably falling in behind them. While the Company has been making 1:35 scale model kits, it remains to be seen if they are giving the go ahead to a pre-assembled line of military vehicles.

As we indicated in a previous post, Dragon has caught its breath and is finally resuming production of their iconic Dragon Armor line. Three replicas, all based upon the Stryker family of Infantry Carrier Vehicles, are slated for a November roll out, although the manufacturer has been known to delay releases for extended periods of time. Stiff upper lip and all that chums as we await their release and hopefully more new items as we head into the new year.

That’s it for now, but expect further updates as we transition to a November war footing.

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Product Spotlight: Hannover – Reluctant Warriors

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale portrayal of a German Hannover CL.II Biplane Fighter – Fliegerersatz-Abteilung: Replacement Detachment (FEA), 1918

Ordinarily, you’d think any manufacturer handed a contract from the WWI-era German War Cabinet would be thrilled to build war machines for the Kainer’s cause. Not so for Hannoversche Waggonfabrik AG, a German aircraft manufacturer that had to learn the ropes while others were all-too-eager to feed the war effort. The Company had been known as a railway rolling stock constructor until required by the German government in 1916 to start the construction of aeroplanes. The aircraft branch of the company was established at Hannover-Linden where other types were first manufactured under license until 1916 when the Hannover type itself came on stream.

The Hannover CL.II was an escort fighter, produced in Germany during World War I, designed in response to a 1917 requirement by the Idflieg for such a machine to protect reconnaissance aircraft over enemy territory. It was a compact biplane of largely conventional configuration with single-bay staggered wings of unequal span. The fuselage was a thin plywood paneled, wooden monocoque design, very similar to the style of fuselage in Robert Thelen’s Albatros series of single-seat fighters. The main units of the fixed tailskid undercarriage were linked by a cross-axle, and the pilot and tail gunner sat in tandem, open cockpits, with the gunner’s cockpit elevated above the line of the upper fuselage to afford him a greater field of fire. For the same purpose, the aircraft featured an unusually compact empennage, with a short fin integral with the rear fuselage structure and a biplane tail unit that allowed the rear gunner to have a larger field of aftwards fire when defending the aircraft. Smaller than the usual C-class reconnaissance aircraft, it was easy for enemy pilots to mistake it for a single-seat fighter; a mistake that would bring them into the line of fire of the rear-facing dorsal gunner when closing from astern.

The CL.II was also produced under licence by LFG, under the designation CL.IIa. The type was widely produced, and as the war continued, was increasingly employed as a ground attack machine, remaining in service in this role until the Armistice.

A copy of Hannover CL.II, named CWL SK-1 Słowik, was the first aircraft built in independent Poland, in CWL in Warsaw in 1919. It however crashed during a public flight on August 23, 1919 in Warsaw, due to faulty bracing wires, killing its constructor Karol Słowik.

Look for Wings of the Great War’s rendition of the Hannover CL.II biplane fighter (WW11901) to assume its role in the war effort this March.

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On the Ground and In the Air with Wings of the Great War

Wings of the Great War’s French Saint Chamond Heavy Tank – “Chantecoq,” As31, Laffaux, France, 1917

While we were away on vacation last week, Wings of the Great War announced two new weapons of war for a January roll out. On the ground, the Company unveiled a French Saint Chamond heavy tank, a curious if failed attempt by the French Army to break the stalemate that had settle over the Western Front and prevented either side from winning the war (WW10207).

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale US Air Service Breguet 14 A.2 Bomber – Capt. James A. Summersett Jr., “Photo,” 96th Aero Squadron, Nancy, France, 1918

In the air, a French-built Breguet 14 A.2 bomber is expected to lift off around the same time (WW12101). Attached to the US Air Service’s 96th Aero Squadron, the aircraft was piloted by Capt. James A. Summersett Jr., and deployed to Nancy, France, in 1918.

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Wings of the Great War: Amiens or Bust

Wings of the Great War’s 1:72 scale British Mk. A “Whippet” Light Tank then attached to B Company, 3rd Tank Brigade, Amiens, France, August 17th, 1918

The Battle of Amiens, France, fought in August 1918 near the tail end of the Great War, has always held special significance for my family since a German regiment, taking its name from a distant relative, was virtually destroyed by advancing Allied armor, specifically two Mark V tanks. So, when Wings of the Great War announced plans to offer a British Whippet light tank that saw action at the same battle, we obviously sat up and took notice.

Whippet’s were first employed in 1917, designed to operate in conjunction with some of their heavier counterparts.

Expected some time in October, the British Mk. A “Whippet” light tank (WW10209) shown here, known as “Firefly”, was attached to the British Army’s B Company, 3rd Tank Brigade, and is now on display at  the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels, Belgium, still showing the damage it took on August 17th, 2018. The Whippet actually saw service for the first time a year prior, when a light tank called the Mark A was ready to be used on the Western Front. Nicknamed the Whippet, it was faster than previous tanks, particularly the ponderous Mark IV, but was still unreliable and vulnerable to artillery fire. Weighing in at 18 tons, it could traverse ground at nearly double the speed of its heavier counterpart, clocking in at a blistering 6 mph.

For more information on the Battle of Amiens, feel free to click on the following link:

https://books.google.com/books?id=B_KBBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT786&lpg=PT786&dq=Composite+Regiment+Dultz&source=bl&ots=90U93uZz9A&sig=50uuBuK-C3q7ro7g6AdagJ80yKs&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib5N-xkLvWAhVHQSYKHUH6BDQQ6AEITjAJ#v=onepage&q=Composite%20Regiment%20Dultz&f=false

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Product Spotlight: Ach Du Lieber! Ein Zeppelin!

Wings of the Great War’s first ever 1:700 scale replica of LZ 41 Zeppelin, Tactical No. L 11, as it looked in 1915

“We who strike the enemy where his heart beats have been slandered as ‘baby killers’ … Nowadays, there is no such animal as a noncombatant. Modern warfare is total warfare.”
– Peter Strasser, chief commander of the German Imperial Navy Zeppelins during World War I

There are, without question, certain aircraft that have come to symbolize a conflict. The Harrier and Super Entendard are instantly recognizable as the instruments of war during the Falklands Conflict. The Spitfire, P-51 and Bf 109 are, of course, the tools of the Second World War. The B-52, F-4 Phantom II and MiG 21 are synonymous with the Vietnam War.

When it comes to the Great War, most associate the War to End All Wars with the biplane – the flimsy, open cockpit invention that took chivalry to new heights and created an added dimension to modern warfare. But, it was the Zeppelin that struck fear in the hearts of the civilian population, enabling Germany’s Imperial Air Service to bomb cities, docks and industrial targets with relative impunity – or so they thought.

Recognizing its significance on the battlefield of Central Europe, Wings of the Great War has decided to pay homage to this slow and ponderous behemoth by offering its first ever 1:700 scale replica of a Zeppelin (WW19901). The Zeppelin P Class was the first Zeppelin airship type to be produced in quantity after the outbreak of the First World War. Twenty-two of the type were built as well as 12 of a lengthened version, the Q Class. They were used for many of the airship bombing raids on the United Kingdom in 1915-16, for naval patrol work over the North Sea and Baltic and were also deployed on the eastern and south-eastern fronts. 

Look for the Zeppelin to take to the skies this August.

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