Small Scale Military Headquarters

and i do mean a LOT. I had no idea. I just spent about 20 minutes perusing them on ebay and wow. Just wow.

Altaya's line is incredible, both airplanes and helicopters. The Viggen and Draken both caught my eye and are what got me started looking. A sea vixen, sky ray, desert storm buccaneer, mig 31 and on and on and on.

wow.

Well it IS the predominant scale, by far.

If you want the ultimate choice of subjects, and schemes, 1/72 is the way to go.

I collect every (commen scale) from 1/200 up, and a few off scales, such as 1/250, but 1/72 seems to be the number one scale for most colecters, seems to sell easier, just take HM for example, their main scale is 1/72, and the same with most well known manufacturers, so there is definitely a LOT of 1/72 out there!..

Lots of aircraft out there in 1:72.

Just a matter of sorting out the really good ones from the fair to craptastic examples.

Not sorry I started collecting 1:72 again more than a year ago, though missed the boat on getting many bombers for a decent price...and I thought 1:18 was expensive.

No shortage of four engine bombers in 1:144 though, so happy again.

1:72 has been around for quite a while. Corgi has been offering pre-built 1:72 aircraft since at least the late 1990s with all others following suit. IXO has been around for a while as well. While we talk about "golden ages" for 1:18, 1:32, etc. that have come and gone, 1:72 has been on a role for at least a decade and there just keeps getting to be more and more. Some lines have gone up in price over what they were a few years ago (think HobbyMaster) but a ton of new ones have come in to fill the void and one can fill their collection with low to high quality items.

When I work out the numbers, I have more 1:72 than 1:18 and 1:32 aircraft combined. Same with the 1:72 armor.

Take a look at this retailer, The Flying Mule, which deals mostly in diecast planes and armor, to get an idea of the variety of companies making 1:72 products: http://www.flyingmule.com/

one thing i don't get is the big lack of 1/72 prebuilt bombers. Aside from a few from Corgi and a couple from FOV there's virtually nothing. That's very strange because in 1/72 most bombers are really not all that big...on a par with 1/48 fighters or 1/32 fighters in size and there are plenty prebuilts of those.

You'd think with the huge popularity of 1/72 there must be a huge demand for planes other than fighters and small twins, yet there is very little to satisfy that demand.

aferguson wrote:one thing i don't get is the big lack of 1/72 prebuilt bombers. Aside from a few from Corgi and a couple from FOV there's virtually nothing. That's very strange because in 1/72 most bombers are really not all that big...on a par with 1/48 fighters or 1/32 fighters in size and there are plenty prebuilts of those.

You'd think with the huge popularity of 1/72 there must be a huge demand for planes other than fighters and small twins, yet there is very little to satisfy that demand.

A perplexing thing to me and others. While Corgi's B-17 is going from $200 to over $500 for a "Nine O Nine" they don't seem to want to re-issue it again.
Maybe once they get past re-issueing the umpteenth Lancaster which is ok, but they generally look the same they might get wise to pent up demand.

The new Short Sterling is wonderful from what I've read though.

how much do new corgi bombers generally cost, before they get inflated on the secondary market?

They're up to $149 now for a new one.
http://www.flyingmule.com/products/CG-AA39502
They used to be a lot less. You can still get a few B-24's for around $120 to $130 though.

hm.....discouraging price. Maybe i'll just stick to 1/144.

Yeah, when I can I buy one, but it's got to be something I really want for that money. Same with 1:18 these days.

I went to 1:144 for bombers too. Each the size and the price, or less than a 1:72 fighter.

is there any news on re-releases of ixo planes for this year? I gather the cheap stuff that is out now in the $20 range came out in 2012, which was a significant drop in price over what used to be the going rate for these re-released planes.

The other thing i like about the re releases is the new paint jobs don't have the dorky black panel lines like the older ixo versions, which made the model look like a cartoon.

1/72 was my preferred scale for many years. I started collecting them back when Corgi first issued the 1/72 scale line. At one time my collection numbered at almost 250 1/72 fighters and bombers. I have since sold off 99.9% of them and now collect primarily 1/48 and 1/32.
If you are serious about collecting good quality 1/72 aircraft, you really can't go wrong with Corgi, Hobbymaster, and Dragon, Gemini and SkyMax. I would stay away from Altaya/IXO (same company), Del Prado, and Oxford except for planes that no one else is producing at the moment for gap fillers.

hworth18 wrote:1/72 was my preferred scale for many years. I started collecting them back when Corgi first issued the 1/72 scale line. At one time my collection numbered at almost 250 1/72 fighters and bombers. I have since sold off 99.9% of them and now collect primarily 1/48 and 1/32.
If you are serious about collecting good quality 1/72 aircraft, you really can't go wrong with Corgi, Hobbymaster, and Dragon, Gemini and SkyMax. I would stay away from Altaya/IXO (same company), Del Prado, and Oxford except for planes that no one else is producing at the moment for gap fillers.

I have to disagree with your statement on the altaya/IXO models, to me, (besides the opt gear) altaya is just as good as corgi or HM, I've proven that before in earlier posts with my altaya Ju-52, and Swordfish, I actually choose the altaya swordfish over the corgi swordfish, the corgi one has those big gaps where the wings fold... And don't get me started on the HM Ju-52....

The_Helicopter_Pilot wrote:

hworth18 wrote:1/72 was my preferred scale for many years. I started collecting them back when Corgi first issued the 1/72 scale line. At one time my collection numbered at almost 250 1/72 fighters and bombers. I have since sold off 99.9% of them and now collect primarily 1/48 and 1/32.
If you are serious about collecting good quality 1/72 aircraft, you really can't go wrong with Corgi, Hobbymaster, and Dragon, Gemini and SkyMax. I would stay away from Altaya/IXO (same company), Del Prado, and Oxford except for planes that no one else is producing at the moment for gap fillers.

I have to disagree with your statement on the altaya/IXO models, to me, (besides the opt gear) altaya is just as good as corgi or HM, I've proven that before in earlier posts with my altaya Ju-52, and Swordfish, I actually choose the altaya swordfish over the corgi swordfish, the corgi one has those big gaps where the wings fold... And don't get me started on the HM Ju-52....

Everyone has their own opinion and you're certainly entitled to yours.
Over the years, I have seen quality pieces and junk and everything in between. I have owned 6 of the Corgi Swordfishes and i can honestly say they beat the Altaya version by a mile. Altaya is nice for the price, but when it comes down to details and quality finish, Corgi and HM can't be beat.

Depends on what you are looking for too. The reason I started collecting 1:72 again was when Skymax, which is a division of Hobby Master came out with a Midway TBD Devestator. The first prebuilt diecast of one I do believe. First time I saw one was when someone (Chairman Milo?) posted prototype pics here (without the corrugated wings which they fixed later)
Just had to have one and it went from there.

Some companies are the only ones that make certain planes in 1:72, so the obvious choice if you want that plane you end up with different brands. Only Skymax makes a Val, and Devastator. Only Hobby Master makes a Kate, and Helldiver in 1:72.

Some of the IXO / Altaya planes are nice to acceptable. You can only get an HS-129, HE-219, Oscar, Jake, and a few other very obscure planes like a Grace Torpedo Bomber.

Each companies have their flaws. Though there are some real gems out there.
Older Corgi's are known to have big gaps in the joins, but are the only ones who make four engine bombers. Nobody has replaced the aging Corgi P-40E mold yet.

There is hope for another Corgi B-17 after all btw
http://corgi.tumblr.com/post/4062811550 ... rown-was-a

Dragon have the most detailed P-51D that makes the Corgi look like a child's toy in comparison, but they have all kinds of little parts that fall off and are delicate. Their Thunderbolts are better than Corgi's a lot of people say too. The Wildcat is awesome. Sad thing is they are no longer made.

the selection of prebuilt 1/72's is bewildering to the point of being discouraging. If i started collecting it would take me years to catch up on all the models and by then many of them would be out of production hard to find and much more expensive.

That plus the lack of a decent range of prebuilt bombers is really preventing me from jumping in. I could build models of bombers but i don't see that happening. Just can't face making model kits again.

What's needed is for Altaya to re-make all the bombers they did in 1/144 in 1/72, now that would be cool.

aferguson wrote:the selection of prebuilt 1/72's is bewildering to the point of being discouraging. If i started collecting it would take me years to catch up on all the models and by then many of them would be out of production hard to find and much more expensive.

That plus the lack of a decent range of prebuilt bombers is really preventing me from jumping in. I could build models of bombers but i don't see that happening. Just can't face making model kits again.

What's needed is for Altaya to re-make all the bombers they did in 1/144 in 1/72, now that would be cool.

Aferg,
I'm curious about what you mean by "plus the lack of a decent range of prebuilt bombers" comment is?
Corgi makes: B-17F/G, B-24, B-25, Lancaster, Short Stirling, He111, Ju88, Do17, Halifax, PB-Y Catalina, and Wellington
Hobbymaster makes: B-26, and the A-20 is on it's way.

I don't know if you could ask for anything more than that?

Greetings:

A couple of comments to make.

I have to agree with Harry on his comments, as I have been around the diecast stuff for years. For a quality piece with good finish and superior workmanship, Hobbymaster and Corgi are the best in the business. The reason these models are priced higher is because they represent better quality that collectors want, hence, they can charge higher prices. Even the 1/200 airliners are high priced because the companies know they are catering to an exclusive collector market, where collectors want to collect the pieces and therefore will pay higher prices. Is every Corgi and Hobbymaster piece a perfect gem, certainly not, but on a whole these pieces are generally the best of the business in terms of quality.

I also agree with the comment on the selection in 1/72. If you look hard enough, are willing to build a kit of an obscure aircraft every now and then, almost any plane you want is available in 1/72. There is a good selection of prebuilts now, and if my grandfather were still here with us (he used to build a lot of 1/72 models) he'd be amazed what you can find premade in 1/72 scale. So there is plenty of selection, by a lot of different companies and at greatly varying prices. As someone here mentioned, if cost is a factor, you can collect the Atayla/IXO pieces or the Oxford pieces, which are pieces priced more for a budget collector.

I understand the comments about quality but at the same time I don't, especially given the fact that some of the people here discussing quality loved the 1/18 pieces which were full of QC problems. It seems people were more than willing to overlook the mess of QC problems in 1/18 and even on the 1/32 pieces yet at the same time are here ripping apart HM's 1/72 pieces which by in large are far superior to the 1/18 and 1/32 planes we saw from 21c Century in the quality control department.

Another point I don't quite comprehend is how people try to collect everything. I personally think trying to collect everything you will make yourself go insane and probably kill your bank account at the same time. For me, if I like a piece I buy it and if I don't, I pass. I never felt a need to be a complete collector by any means. But to each is own.

And I think I drifted off topic so I better quit while I am ahead.

Corey

Dauntless wrote:
There is hope for another Corgi B-17 after all btw
http://corgi.tumblr.com/post/4062811550 ... rown-was-a

Wow what a fantastic story, I've never heard of this incident with the 2Lt Charlie Brown and his badly shot-up B-17 "Ye Olde Pub" and the mercy shown by Franz Steigler by not finishing them off, and finally getting to meet each other in their golden years.

So Dauntless, you are saying that Corgi has plans to release this B-17? I've been out of the diecast news loop for a while now

With regards to 1/72 heavy bombers, there are quite a few made by Corgi as Hworth has mentioned, some of them you can only find them occasionally on ebay or secondary markets. It will be very difficult and expensive for someone to come into collecting diecast now and wanting all the bombers. Its not impossible just need patience and a very deep wallet.

A good compromise will be only hunting down a few favorite heavies in 1/72 and bulk up your collection with other 1/144 heavies.

This way, your few heavies can take a position of pride in display yet dont feel like your collection has sorely missing blanks when complimented with a few dozen 1/144 or even 1/200 equally historically important heavies.

If corgi DOSE get a B-17 out, I sure hope it'll be in the $100 rang, but I think I'm just dreaming now...

The_Helicopter_Pilot wrote:If corgi DOSE get a B-17 out, I sure hope it'll be in the $100 rang, but I think I'm just dreaming now...

The large bombers are going for $149 now.. Unfortunately, the days of paying $89 for a Corgi bomber is long since gone (original price 13 years ago).

gouchy wrote:

Dauntless wrote:
There is hope for another Corgi B-17 after all btw
http://corgi.tumblr.com/post/4062811550 ... rown-was-a

Wow what a fantastic story, I've never heard of this incident with the 2Lt Charlie Brown and his badly shot-up B-17 "Ye Olde Pub" and the mercy shown by Franz Steigler by not finishing them off, and finally getting to meet each other in their golden years.

So Dauntless, you are saying that Corgi has plans to release this B-17? I've been out of the diecast news loop for a while now

With regards to 1/72 heavy bombers, there are quite a few made by Corgi as Hworth has mentioned, some of them you can only find them occasionally on ebay or secondary markets. It will be very difficult and expensive for someone to come into collecting diecast now and wanting all the bombers. Its not impossible just need patience and a very deep wallet.

A good compromise will be only hunting down a few favorite heavies in 1/72 and bulk up your collection with other 1/144 heavies.

This way, your few heavies can take a position of pride in display yet dont feel like your collection has sorely missing blanks when complimented with a few dozen 1/144 or even 1/200 equally historically important heavies.

Not saying they will re-issue one, but that's the article from an Official Corgi site. Looks like they're teasing us, but it's a possibility. A no brainer really, when "Nine O Nine" has gone for over $500 on secondary market.
I like that story too. I think someone posted that story here a while back.
Maybe a twin pack perhaps? Corgi is releasing a new tooled Hartmann BF-109G in winter camo this april so maybe?

I have two heavies, a Lancaster and a B-24. Really other than a B-17 I don't really need any more or multiples of them. May get a Sterling or a Halifax.

You can buy the twins for under $100. Corgi is releasing another but different Doolittle Raid B-25. The Mitchell is a gem and recommend getting one if you're into them.

I somewhat disagree on Corgi making the best diecast. While they make some really nice planes, they still release a lot of old 1:72 molds that have huge gaps and a lot less finer details than newer companies like Hobby Master, Skymax, and Gemini Aces. I think they tend to rest on their laurels sometimes, but with many of their planes being the only game in town, if you want that model you have to buy a Corgi.

Lately 1:72 fighters have taken a back seat to Hobby Master's excellent looking 1:48 planes, and many of the iconic 1:72 fighters that most are familiar with like the P-51D, P-40 (all variants) and a few others are in sore need of a reworked tooling to bring them up to the detail of todays diecast. This an area sorely lacking in the Corgi lineup. Though their P-38 Lightning is unbeatable in terms of detail as a newer mold, they have no plans to put out any more.

To me, corgi is OK, like I have a few of corgis models but not to many as I've seen all the bad gaps in them, but a few months back I say a buy it now corgi legends 1/72 "Paul's Mig Killer" for $25 free shipping, and I thought I'd just go for it, even know there were no picture other then threw a glared box, and the F-86 has to be my ALL TIME favorite "jet", and it actually is a really great model, I was a little upset to find out the gear weren't opt, but other then that and the (shallow wheel wells) I rate it (from 1-10, 10 as better) an 9.4, which is pretty damn good in my book..

Looks nice. That's not a bad deal.
I like the Korean War jets, but don't have any yet in 1:72.
I think Corgi is the only one who makes the F-86 Saber in 1:72 diecast.

All the Corgi Legends are gear down, whereas all the Warbirds are in up position.
Aviation Archive you get gear up or down option, but cost more.