BBI F-16C Enduring Freedom

[KKH]

Up for pre order at badcat...

[Yoxford]

Breaking News From Bad Cat Toys, Inc.

Blue Box Toys has announced they will resume production of 1:18 scale preassembled models. The first release due this summer will be a repaint of their venerable 1:18 F-16C Fighting Falcon. The livery will be 389th Tactical Figher Squadron Thunderbolts based Mountain Home AFB. This aircraft was a major participant in Operation Enduring Freedom. Preorders are open!

[gliderdwm]

Wow
Great news for 1:18 collectors.
2011 is looking better now. $150.00 preorder price. Not bad considering what there going for on Evilbay

[aferguson]

from Badcat:

"Blue Box Toys has announced they will resume production of 1:18 scale preassembled models. The first release due this summer will be a repaint of"

So does that mean something NEW is coming or just repaints? If nothing else maybe a new Zero and 109. But it would be nice to get something NEW, like the Hind that was supposed to have been released 5 years ago.

[tmanthegreat]

This is good news and I'm glad to see BBI is still in the game Their $150 preorder price and $160 retail price are quite a steal compared to the several-hundred-dollar prices the BBI F-16s have been bringing lately on eBay, even if its a $50 increase over what I paid for my F-16 originally... Nevertheless, I'm glad to see this plane getting released again and in a standard scheme. It would be great if BBI fixed some of the soft plastic issues on the missiles. The fins on my "Wolf Pack" F-16's armamemt tend to get droopy...

I'm very tempted to order another

[Yoxford]

aferguson
wrote "If nothing else maybe a new Zero and 109."

Quite Right! come on Hartman 109

[Birddog]

How about the A-10 since they are supposed to have a good prototype waiting and ready to be produced.....

[aferguson]

yes that's right. I'd forgotten about it. Yes it was a beauty and all ready to go until TRU snuffed it. I wonder if it is a possibility now?

[Birddog]

I would definitely hope so unless they feel it needs to be re-worked. The F-16 doesn't appear to be re-worked anywhere so I would think the A-10 prototype would still be good to go with some years on it.

Size, price, and retail outlets shouldn't be an obstacle for them now with JSI's F-14 release and the current market of 1/18 scale.

[aferguson]

looks exactly the same except for markings and a new, JSI like box.

Due august....so i guess next release will be sometime in 2013..

[Birddog]

At their previous release rate......you're probably right. Hope their MAJOR come back is a bit more fast paced with NEW subjects instead of re-paints only. A-10 and Hind....hint, hint....I'm sure we will see the re-paints though. It's a bit understandable to get the foot back in the door quickly. Unless they've been planning behind the curtain of silence for the past couple of years. We can only hope....

Good to see them coming back overall though!

[NightVyper]

i preordered 3! YAY!!! I have one that a collector sold me to help me get started for a 100 bucks but now i will have 4 FOUR 4!!

[NWarty]

Awesome news!

[AMERICAN_GRENADIER]

i dont know how hes selling them? just got of the line with BBI and no price has been set yet. they havnt even been told what wholesale cost is yet

we will be offering preorders to forum members at a SPECIAL price once the plane once the price is offically set.

[Birddog]

i dont know how hes selling them? just got of the line with BBI and no price has been set yet. they havnt even been told what wholesale cost is yet

we will be offering preorders to forum members at a SPECIAL price once the plane once the price is offically set.

Any hints as to what might be coming down the pike?

[dragon53]

This sounds like the "Enduring Freedom" F-16 that was supposed to be released two years ago with a Thunderbirds F-16.

[iballdriver]

A1 please.......(sigh) dreams come true. right?

[AMERICAN_GRENADIER]

i dont know how hes selling them? just got of the line with BBI and no price has been set yet. they havnt even been told what wholesale cost is yet

we will be offering preorders to forum members at a SPECIAL price once the plane once the price is offically set.

Any hints as to what might be coming down the pike?

sometimes i feel like talking to BBI is like going the long way around the barn. they never reall have much info on future stuff. I was surprised to hear of the new paint F-16. i called and they confirmed its true but dont really know yet when and how much. they say they hope to have more going on this year then last. but that said it wouldnt take much since they did nothing last year.
they said a update email will follow shortly once they get the final price on the F-16

[Birddog]

Sounds like what we've always heard. You're right, this one release qualifys as more than they did in two years.... . Hope there is alot more to come and not just on the F-16.

Thank you.

[vulgarvulture]

I thought the 1:18 plane market was shut down because manufacturers required major commitments upfront from retailers to sell "X" thousand units to cover manufacturing costs. This commitment applied to repaints as well, hence the reason, for example, why the BBI T-bird project got pulled a few years ago. What changed?

Anyway, it's nice news.

[Jay]

This is good news. I thought there would be no chance of having a Falcon in my collection. Looks like this will be added this year!

[aferguson]

the thing that's changed is the price. BBI is seeing that higher prices for these things will be paid by collectors (the JSI Tomcat was the trail blazer here), so there is less need for big box retailers, to guarantee the lower prices that 10,000 units will bring. Plus, internet sales have grown dramatically over the last couple of years, meaning sales of products with scattered demand is easier than ever before. The new box for the F-16 is not a box you would see in TRU or WM. It's windowless....an internet sale box.

[AMERICAN_GRENADIER]

the thing that's changed is the price. BBI is seeing that higher prices for these things will be paid by collectors (the JSI Tomcat was the trail blazer here), so there is less need for big box retailers, to guarantee the lower prices that 10,000 units will bring. Plus, internet sales have grown dramatically over the last couple of years, meaning sales of products with scattered demand is easier than ever before. The new box for the F-16 is not a box you would see in TRU or WM. It's windowless....an internet sale box.

very good point

[Dauntless]

This must have been the rumor Badcat mentioned we might have gotten news from Toy Fair 2011 about the possibility of some 1:18 and 1:32.

I see their blog is still up, blog is good.

[snake]

Great news.

And I have to agree with Aferg that the price point has now been reached where it is much more economically attractive to do this repaint. And even at $160, significantly less than what these have been going for on Ebay. Not sure if they will do other schemes, but I am in for at least one from every squadron that they release.

Maybe get some F-18 "Aggressors" as well?

I will be pre ordering mine through AG.