Small Scale Military Headquarters

I was at the Wings Over Houston Airshow today and as I was looking through the vendors I came across someone selling alot of 1:18 scale planes, both BBI and 21st. They had this sitting on display:
<a href="http://img308.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... f86sab.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img308.imageshack.us/img308/1310 ... sab.th.jpg" border="0"></a>

The vendor is JJ's Closet (www.JJsCloset.com) and the company working on this plane is Admiral Toys, Inc. out of the Dallas area. This plane is 1:18. I talked for a bit with Jason (very nice guy and very informative) from JJ's Closet about this plane and found out that this one is the engineering prototype. It has working flaps, leading edge slats, opening airbrakes, functional landing gear, and gun bay doors. This one didn't have full markings yet, but the production one will. Admiral is looking to get into the 1:18 military toys market and this should be their first entry. They are expecting it to be out by this Christmas. It looks pretty cool and I was quite surprised to see this. They are also doing 1:72 scale tanks that are mostly metal. They are pretty nice too. Check out the thumbnails of both.
<table border="0"><tr><td><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... f86sab.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1310 ... sab.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8196 ... ab1.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2871 ... ab2.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab3.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1430 ... ab3.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab4.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1961 ... ab4.th.jpg" border="0"></a>
<a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab5.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4044 ... ab5.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab6.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/3695 ... ab6.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab7.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2940 ... ab7.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab8.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/3157 ... ab8.th.jpg" border="0"></a><a href="http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 86sab9.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9039 ... ab9.th.jpg" border="0"></a></td></tr></table>

Didn't realize DocTodd had already covered this. Enjoy the pictures and the correct company name.

I swear my eyes are tearing up. The F-86 was my dad's ship and I just kept hoping that 21st would do one. But now that I see it, I just want it now. And then there is that whole new company jumping into the mix thing. Wowiezowie. This is probably even bigger news than the Zero. So damn cool I can't contain myself.
Aaron

Great pictures, thanks. Boy 21c is gonna be thrilled about this.....NOT.

Now, that I got my exuberance out--did he say what the price point would be?
Aaron

http://www.admiraltoys.com/

it says $59.99 on their home site.

Did he mention making an A-10 by chance? Looks nice and competition can only make it nicer for us.

Sorry, but we didn't talk about the A-10 at all. The price point that Jason mentioned was around $40, but I'll go with what the website says. I would guess they'll be in the same price range as the 21C and BBI stuff.

aferguson wrote:Great pictures, thanks. Boy 21c is gonna be thrilled about this.....NOT.

Good that 21C will be less than thrilled.

EDIT - Please don't flame

I fixed the image links in the first post and made the layout a bit better.

Looks good! I'm interested to see this! That would make, as far as I know so far, only the third company to see the 1:18 scale in historical items!

WOW Excellent to know another is getting into 1/18th.

Maybe we`ll start to see items we want & not been done yet & also show BBI & 21st they need to pickup the ball.

The more manufacturers doing 1/18th aircraft/armour & troops,means hopefully we`ll see most of our wants appear sometime.

Ja
Steel Bonnet

This is awesome!!!! More competition can only help............hopefully this will help us see a 1/18 scale A-10 appear...... The F-86 looks good.

Holy s^&*!!!! That looks exactly like something that 21st would kick out?? The detailing reminds me a lot of the F-104. This oughta be interesting!! Where did these guys come from??

Thanks for the pics. This is one hell of a development!

The only thing I don't like about it is the canopy. Like the P-47, it is too big and the windscreen angle is too sharp. Picky, I know, but it upsets the lines of the plane.

-Ski

Man, that thing is NICE!!! That is a must have...... any word on any retailers picking up this line?

-Rob

Welcomed back from vacation with this news, oustanding! Glad to see someone else putting their foot in the ring, and from the pics, this will be an absolutely perfect addition to the 1:18 arena, and hopefully they'll start taking note of whats been discussed around here and in other related boards, and perhaps we'll see some of the items we've all been wanting, ie: A-10?

Thanks for posting this find.

As said, the more players the better. The thing I wouldn't say is that this will be a source for armor or figures. The whole line is just 1/18 warbirds. Things change but at the moment these guys add nothing in my own little world. It's a shame they are doing a bird that is going to be done anyway, but hopefully the overlap will subside.
What should be interesting is whether they can get the birds on the shelves in time for Xmas. It's already halfway through October and there is no sign of them, not even a picture of one in box.

Looking good. Another guy in the mix.

If enough of you "toy plane" guys buy this F-86 maybe this new company can think about some real good manly toys..... like armor, trucks, anything on the ground.

Of course it won't happen but wouldn't it be nice to have another company produce the planes and vehicles we want and the "big guys" are in no rush to produce.

Don't tell my little guys but I might be interested in a F-86 and a Mig-15 for myself.

TTT

Great recon. This is really good news. The F-86 looks fantastic!

Thanks.

The F86 looks great ! and it a big step for my North american project : displaying 3 1:18 planes : P51 (only got "KILLER") ; F86 .... and F 100 !!!!
I wil order mine ASAP ! that's a great news for us collectors ! my other dream is to find a French company to make a nice "little" MIRAGE 2000 ! (and by the way i agree my American friends an A10 is a must LOL ! )
Welcome to this new competitor !

That is one good looking plane!!!

Great Recon Pokey. Much better than my original take. I hope it makes it into distribution in a timely fashion.
Todd

a new kid on the block? now that's quite a development!

at first glance i thought that pz III was in 1:18 but alas no luck.

nice cockpit.

wasn't really interested in an f-86 until i saw those pics. very nicely done. the f-86 saw combat in korea, correct? anything used against communists is buyable in my book, even though they're the ones now making them

now let's hope the company attains the staying power to put out some more product.

Thanks, Doc. As far as what retailers are going to pick up this company, Jason from JJ's Closet wasn't real specific. He did say that he was hoping to get an exclusive preorder before anyone else would get one. He also said that Admiral was going to try to sell through the same channels as their competitors. I suspect small online retailers will be the first to get this with maybe WM or TRU after that, but this is purely my own speculation.

with this plane and the starfighter now becoming available it looks as if i'm gonna have to get into modern...

"sigh!"

i hope to see one of those F-86s in my X-mas stocking
with a DVD of the movie The Hunter with Robert Mitchum, to go with my DVD of Jet Pilot with the Duke