Die cast airplanes: retailer and brands (2 Viewers)

[zblang]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but here we are...


I was wondering what a good source for die cast airplanes is in the USA. I am mainly looking for 1/32 and 1/42 but am not limited to that in anyway. Mainly looking for Israeli air force planes.

Also, what are the quality companies - been seeing a lot of witty wings and hobby master when i look around. Are they any good? any others I should be looking for?

As always, thanks for the help!
Zach

 

[cjg476]

The flying mule, petes collectibles and Aiken's airplanes. If you looking for 1/32 ultimate soldier airplanes I have 14 of them to get rid of. I collect 1/72 planes and 1/32 fov and ultimate soldier tanks.

 

[cnq]

Corgi and Hobby Master generally make quality die cast planes in 1/48 and 1/32 scales but expensive. You can't go wrong with them.

cjg476,

Do you have 1/32 ultimate soldier green Zero to get rid of ? I've been looking to purchase one. Let me know if you have it.

 

[zblang]

Thanks
I'll take a look at those sites

 

[cjg476]

Sorry CNQ,

All the ones I have are German. 109's and 190's.

Corey

 

[Terp152]

The flying mule, petes collectibles and Aiken's airplanes. If you looking for 1/32 ultimate soldier airplanes I have 14 of them to get rid of. I collect 1/72 planes and 1/32 fov and ultimate soldier tanks.

These are the dealers I used. But always check prices on Ebay as well. Can find a deal sometimes. I like HobbyMaster and Corgi. Of course Armour 1:48 are the best, but cost more. Chris

 

[zblang]

Thanks for the info guys! time to start shopping!!

 

[ivanmoe]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but here we are...


I was wondering what a good source for die cast airplanes is in the USA. I am mainly looking for 1/32 and 1/42 but am not limited to that in anyway. Mainly looking for Israeli air force planes.

Also, what are the quality companies - been seeing a lot of witty wings and hobby master when i look around. Are they any good? any others I should be looking for?

Hi Zach,

Given your interest in Israeli types, I suggest that you not commit to a single scale. Hobby Master makes nice Israeli AT-6, F-16i, Sufa, Skyhawk, F4 and RF-4 in 1/72. They also make IAF P-51 and Stearman in 1/48. Witty makes an F-15 that ought to work for you, and Falcon makes Kfir and Mirage 3, also in 1/72. As for larger planes like the C-130, those are available in 1/200 and smaller from outfits like Herpa/Hogan/Gemini. Corgi sold a two plane set that included 1/72 Mosquito and P-51, but I've never seen either of them "in the flesh."

BTW, if you're serious about this "Israeli" collection, don't wait. Hobby Master, in particular, is putting out all kinds of IAF product this year. That said, the production runs are much smaller than in the past. When they are gone from the dealers, sound examples will probably be hard to come by. Put another way, the selection that I cited in the paragraph above may be far more limited and/or expensive a year from now. I'd also note that you're not going to find anything remotely resembling what I outline above in 1/32. Don't let that get you down, though, because 1/72 diecast a/c models are frequently just as detailed as 1/48 (or even 1/32).

The value of diecast models nosedives when they are taken out of the box. They are more prone to hangar-rash than TS, and have more surface area to collect dust. Because of this, I'd suggest that you only buy what you are REALLY interested in and plan on holding on to. Twenty-five years from now, you might get your money back on a "used" one. In the mean time, you can count on enjoying your displays.

I buy most of my models from Aikens Diecast, but Pete's is a righteous sort also.

-Moe

 

[zblang]

Thanks!
I ordered a bunch today! I'll throw up some pictures once I get them!

 

[zblang]

I was on the Hobby Master website but didn't see it - is there somewhere to sign up for a new release newsletter or something?

 

[ivanmoe]

is there somewhere to sign up for a new release newsletter or something?

A fine Canadian fellow runs a website called "Hobby Master Collector." He hosts the monthly release posters there:

http://hobbymastercollector.com/index.html

-Moe

 

[zblang]

Cool - Thanks!

 

[cjg476]

A fine Canadian fellow runs a website called "Hobby Master Collector." He hosts the monthly release posters there:

http://hobbymastercollector.com/index.html

-Moe

Couldn't have said it better, and without stepping on toes here there are a number of die cast collector websites that have a lot of fellows who can help you with learning. The die cast hangar pub , the model warbird collector forum and die cast aircraft forum. These are all great sites with aircraft collectors that I Ivanmoe and cnq are all a part of.

 

[zblang]

Hi Zach,

BTW, if you're serious about this "Israeli" collection, don't wait.
-Moe

I'm in (like I needed another collection!) - pics to follow!

B-377 Stratocruiser Massada, Israeli Air Force, 1960s
F-16I Sufa - 201 Squadron, "The One (Ahat)," IAF
F-4E Kurnass 2000 - 201 Squadron, Israeli Air Force, 1970s
Stearman PT-13 Kaydet - Israeli Air Force
Texan T-6G Israeli Air Force "Heyl Ha'Avir"
A-4H Skyhawk Diecast Model, IDF/AF 109th (Valley) Sqn, #03
P-51D Mustang Diecast Model, IDF/AF 101st (Scorpion) Sqn.
IDF/AF, Israel, Suez Campaign 1956, 2-Piece Set

Most from Aikens - they will be my "go to" source since they arrived quickly, well packed, AND came with a baggy of candy!!!

 

[cjg476]

Sally does like to keep us coming back with that candy. To bad I never get to enjoy it because my daughter knows to get it out of the box before me{sm2}

 

[zblang]

What is the quality like of Falcon models? There is a Kfir I'm interested in, but it's not cheap and haven't seen any Falcon models in person

 

[cjg476]

I'm not sure I will let one of the other guys answer. I only collect Hobby Master, Corgi, Century Wings, Dragon and Gemini Aces. One of the other guys should know.

 

[ivanmoe]

What is the quality like of Falcon models? There is a Kfir I'm interested in, but it's not cheap and haven't seen any Falcon models in person

Hi Zach,

I don't mean to scare you off, but Falcon's QA is uneven. Also, it's models have been criticized for having poorly defined parts and "absolutely minimalist" stands. :wink2:

On the plus side, it does some types (Kfir, Mirage III, Grumman F11F) that no other decent manufacturer has gone near (I'll define "decent" a few thoughts downstream). Also, it's models are ten to twenty percent less expensive than what you might find from Corgi or Hobby Master, let alone the much higher priced parts from Century Wings/X-Plus/Air Commander.

The choice before you really comes down to your willingness to risk the possibility that one of the better manus will eventually make a pre-finished Kfir that outshines the Falcon model. That's anything but a certainty, BTW. And even if this occurred, the resulting model would probably be MUCH more expensive in USD than what you're looking at from Falcon today.

Finally, I want to make you aware of the emergence over the last several years of "magazine models." These are derived from hand-me-down molds which are constantly being re-introduced and frequently sold on a subscription basis. By and large, they are of much inferior quality and have played considerable havoc on the diecast market in general, particularly for models in the smaller scales, 1/72 and below.

Those sir, are my thoughts on the matter!:smile2:

-Moe

PS: Awesome shopping spree; you did good fella!

Some of Zach's new models: