FOV rouses itself from slumber...!!!

[EnemyAce]

Let me know if new 1/72 ever hits.

[dragon53]

Someone on another forum posted this FOV update on the upcoming 1/32 Tiger I.

LINK: https://www.facebook.com/fovhobbies/pos ... __tn__=K-R

[c44]

FOV has announced some up and coming releases of 1/72 aircraft, including some curious paint schemes for their Mustangs...

https://forcesofvalor.com/products.php? ... d2=2&sid=4

Good to see them re-starting this scale...

And don't want to be a buzzkill, but I wonder if the meddlesome Chinese government is going to take notice of models with Taiwanese markings (I seem to remember 21CT gave us stick-on markings for the P-40 Flying Tiger because it's illegal in China to produce or display the Chinese Nationalist emblem---though I could be way wrong on that one)... hope I'm just being overly worried...after all, they're also offering a Mustang with PLA markings

[Axis Nightmare]

Yikes! 50 bucks a pop! Boy, are prices on stuff going through the roof!

[c44]

For those of us in need of a fix of news from FOV (and who isn't?), their facebook and corporate sites have some updates on the coming Sturmtiger and Tiger releases, including a production schedule (probably originating from the planet called Yeah, Right)...

They once again state their credo "...because we are intending to create a good product with no regret, instead of an accountant telling us to work within this budget", which I'm all for, the new stuff is awesome, but I think they would satisfy some of us by also releasing some old toolings as they were for the sake of quick revenue, I think the accountants might agree...

Also, check out this video on youtube of their latest Chinook release, a fine looking specimen presented with a soundtrack that will either having you busting a move or reaching for the Pepto....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaHN0Y97-Ak&feature=youtu.be

[c44]

If you haven't checked out FOV's sites recently it might be time to pay a visit...a new video (with a soundtrack worthy of those Ambien commercials on TV ) has been posted of the magnificent new Sturmtiger:

https://www.forcesofvalor.com/products_ ... Ah3oxiHPxM

Although a Sturmtiger is not high on my wish list, it is a beauty to behold and the detail probably justifies the climbing price tag...metal tracks available a la carte...of course the release has been delayed along with the new Tigers...who would have guessed...

And some older developments: a new video of the upcoming Ferdinand (pre-production, also looking fine)...plus stationary pics of the new Tiger prototype...many variants of 1/72 and 1/48 helicopters are on deck...plus reassurances that rockets in their new helicopters (and presumably all weapons) will be made of a plastic that will not be so soft and subject to bending right out of the molds (yay, no more banana-shaped panzerfausts!)...they mention they displayed at a Taiwan toy show, but alas, no pictures...

But check out their you tube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC25vAL ... ylcW6nLVDw

If in their quest for perfection they don't find new reasons to delay production on what's in the pipeline, 2021 could be a banner year...FOV, please get stuff on the shelves...

[c44]

Cool new video (not the teaser posted last month) of the new 1/32 Tiger...looks good, and supposedly speeding towards dealers' shelves..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcjaZH4vHtE

(and you gotta love that stop motion!)

[c44]

FOV has posted more than a dozen pictures of their new Sherman, plus a whole lot of interesting commentary about the business end of their operation, much of it in response to questions from their long suffering but loyal following (yeah, that includes us ) ...way too much to summarize here, and still being commented on, check it out at:

https://www.facebook.com/fovhobbies/

Predictable unfortunate news: the price is going up...I wonder if the cost (boosted when fleshed out with optional metal tracks) of future releases will inch up to the Minichamps price range...

The good news: It's an impressive improvement over older releases, even with a recycled tank commander...

PS Anybody like me wondering if the MIA Tiger tanks were holed up on that just-released-from-impoundment container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal?

[dragon53]

C44:

Thanks for the link.
I don't use Facebook, so what is the increased price for the Sherman?

The Shermans I want are Creighton Abrams' "Thunderbolt VII" and a Jumbo Sherman.....I wouldn't mind a Pacific Theater Sherman with the turret nails and mesh screens, but I think that's asking for too much.

[c44]

"Due to the expensive tooling cost involved, [FOV] reluctantly have to price the Sherman series beginning from 119 USD"...metal tracks (if priced the same as the Tiger) will set you back another $35...

I figure you've seen the CAD drawings of the future Pacific Sherman...
https://www.forcesofvalor.com/products_ ... php?pid=64

And if you want a recap of most of the promised Shermans & Tigers on one webpage, check out
https://www.themotorpool.net/Forces-of- ... -s/182.htm

I hope I live long enough to lay my eyes on even half of them...!

[dragon53]

C44:

Thanks for the links.
$119 is expensive, but I still want "Thunderbolt VII" and the Jumbo Sherman.
For the Pacific Theater Sherman, I would prefer a Marine Sherman with the turret nails and mesh screens---I bid for one on ebay, but I was outbid.

[EnemyAce]

Looks like they made the thick armor slab on the hull side into "box" spaced armor. Totally wrong. It was a single 3"+ slab of armor cut from a panther.

[c44]

In response to what I think is restrained and very legitimate criticism by the MotorPool of FOV's scattershot rollout of new products (see http://blog.themotorpool.net/ ), FOV has gone full throttle explaining the cause of delays and giving insight into the difficulties of their business...but personally I've heard enough excuses, I think FOV really needs to change it's game plan...there's a lot of talk on their site of what collectors want, but most of all, collectors want something to actually collect...

There's a lot of back-and-forth between MP and FOV, and I see legit points being made by both parties, but I tend to side with MotorPool on this one, I think FOV should remember that quote about "perfection being the enemy of good" (and BTW, I always suspected that FOV's plan to sell direct to consumers was not going to sit too well with dealers)...

Meanwhile, I hope everybody tones it down a little, good will makes for better business...

Witness the carnage at https://www.facebook.com/fovhobbies/

[c44]

'
............well, maybe..........

Motor Pool has indicated that FOV may actually revive some of their older toolings with a minimum of modifications (and just doing us the small favor of including accessories and machine guns made of a material that doesn't arrive warped would be sufficient improvement for me)...this could speed up the glacial pace of 1/32 armor releases...

If, as I do, you obsessively search ebay listings for old FOV & 21CT stuff, you'll know that there's a brisk market in old production armor and aircraft...ironically, the more recent of the old Uimax offerings command some of the higher prices: Kubelwagens, Zundapp motorcycles with sidecars, German trucks, and American ambulances and cargo trucks all are grabbed pretty quickly...and the most highly priced & quickly snatched up of the 1/32 AFVs is the British Challenger (was this produced in smaller numbers than the other modern armor?)...FOV aircraft also typically move pretty quickly, including the much maligned 109s...

Some agree, some don't, but I always felt Walterson's should take advantage of the enthusiasm shown by collectors towards the previous range rather than badmouthing the old stuff...but what do I know...

Some other random FOV news:

A revamped 1/72 Marauder should be released by early next year...

1/72 Mustangs have popped up on ebay with the ROCAF insignia pixelated out:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/325213495929
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225011810107

Click to Zoom...Fine Art lovers will take appreciative note of the upcoming Tolly Hello Spitfire (maybe not something for the kids to bring to Show & Tell):
https://fovohios3.s3.us-east-2.amazonaw ... ery/a8.jpg

A 1/72 F-16 (ok) in ROC markings (ho-hum) is in the pipeline and 1/48 F-16s may be in the works (got my attention, won't get my hopes up!)

They will be releasing the 1/32 Tiger as a model kit (personally not my cup of tea, but I hope they're successful if it doesn't slow down the release of pre-builts):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In3T94kshOQ

Video preview of the next fine looking Tiger offering in winter camo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvEiezT8Dfk

No news on the work-in-progress Ferdinand, and the 1/32 LCVP seems to have been forgotten...
 
Not really new, check out this FOV Sherman restoration...if the pace seems slow skip to the 12 minute mark for the climactic ending...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC_AvpDNZWU

[dragon53]

FOV armor: 1/32. 1/62, 1/72


Today's Motor Pool email:


"The manufacturer also has a few tricks up its sleeve for 2023, such as re-launching their 1:72 scale military vehicle line as well as christening a new range of AFVs catering to the 1:64 scale enthusiasts. Instead of offering a hodgepodge of vehicles that cut across all eras and theatres, their goal, this time around, is to build out an expandable diorama setting much like their recently released 1:200 scale aircraft carrier set, whereby the collector can create a stylized vignette such as the invasion of Normandy or the Battle of the Bulge. So, you might have a Sherman tank clad in olive drab attempting to pierce the Norman bocage countryside which can then sit alongside a group of heavily laden trucks trying to haul supplies up to the front lines or perhaps an artillery battery blasting away at the enemy’s defenses. An Ardennes Forest scenario might depict a King Tiger navigating along a treacherous dirt road while an accompanying set might show some of the smaller vehicles following behind, perhaps a knocked out Sherman sitting off to one side.

In other news, the manufacturer has finally realized that they have an almost inexhaustible supply of 1:32 scale vehicles that needn’t be overhauled quite as dramatically as say their Sherman and Tiger tanks to get them into the hands of collectors more quickly. Vehicles such as their Panther and Sturmgeschutz may only need a fresh coat of paint and a few minor upgrades to make them worthy introductions to tread heads world over, who are desperate to fill out their armored ranks with vehicles that are no longer to be found at affordable prices. Best of all, some of these “legacy” releases will carry sticker prices that are far more affordable to the average fan, in some cases fetching between $69-$100.
We’re hoping to get a list of which vehicles will be tapped for front line service very soon, and, if possible, open the pre-order window well ahead of their debut. Stay tuned."

[PanzerArm]

Can't say I agree with Motor Pool's assessment on the FoV 1/32 Panther. That thing needs some work. The upside down mantlet, the non-removeable schurzen and spare tracks, no versions beyond the ausf G with no zimmerit to speak of. They should re-do that tank 100%.

-Kevin

[Axis Nightmare]

It's a gift and a curse to know what details of a tank, or in my case, a plane, are totally wrong on these models. I couldn't tell you the difference between an ausf G or A or a wrong mantlet on a Panther. Or whether the hatch was wrong or exhaust was inaccurate. I have a hard enough time just spelling some of these armor terms. They all look pretty cool to me because I don't know any better. Being around WWII planes on a regular basis up close, and decades of pouring over reference materials, I can pick apart the aircraft models that sometimes have missing or laughable details that others think just look really cool as they don't know any better. For me, there are planes that should have been 100% redone. A classic example: What were they thinking when they did the 1/32 rivet monster Bf 109G? Reminded me of a 1960's Aurora plastic model kit.

[c44]

The new repaints promised us by FOV have been released with minimal fanfare (is anybody home at their Facebook page?)...

Check out this flood of product old and new, including some prototypes:

https://twitter.com/platz_hobby/status/ ... 52/photo/1

...and check out their 1/72 modular diorama...cool!

https://twitter.com/platz_hobby/status/ ... 16/photo/1

Notice the 1/32 Chafee with Korean era markings...now those of us who were frustrated with the old 21CT kit that didn't match the paint scheme on the box can feel a sense of closure missing for over a decade...

https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/1920881/

Along with German ambulances, the American 2 1/2 truck is back:

https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/1920404/

Will we see options for the truck canopies they used to offer (full, half, none)?... Hope so!

Coming soon(er or later): a Sherman M4A3(76) of the 761 Tank Battalion:

https://forcesofvalor.com/product_detail.php?pid=116

Alas, no sign of the promised M36...

1/72 aircraft kits:
https://hobby-dengeki-com.translate.goo ... r_pto=wapp

...and a kit for a battle damaged Corsair (for those of us who don't have a small dog to chew on their models )... note peculiar decals:

https://www-amazon-co-jp.translate.goog ... r_pto=wapp


Many of the latest offerings (including the newest Sherman mentioned above) can be seen at the 2 hour & 20 minute mark and even more at the 3 hour & 33 minute mark of this epic 8 1/2 plus hours report on the Shizuoka Hobby Show...(regrettably, there are no translated subtitles for those of us who don't speak Japanese---and I sure as hell don't! --- so it briefly gets a little tedious even though the narrators are having a good time...so maybe mute the sound and open another window with something like Deep Purple Live in Japan to play in the background... )
Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v1D58GUQRQ&t=25756s


So glad to see Forces of Valor living up to their promise...A bunch of the 1/32 vehicles and tanks are already available from an ebay seller in China, so they should be widely available soon...fire up that line of credit!

[NHoggard12]

c44 - thank you for providing this info. The YouTube video is very helpful. I'm not sure what is going with FOV's promotion group. Seems like the only place to get info on FOV is through The Motor Pool. http://blog.themotorpool.net/