Official 1:18 Military Toys Thread (21st, BBI, FOV, etc)

[Paul]

But 21st's Bradley is the tops as far as modern armor goes.  Nothing came remotely close to that.

As much as I bash 21st C...this is the one thing I cannot disagree with...the 21st Bradley and M113 are the best pieces in all of 1:18 Military stuff.  The "Motorworks" metal versions are even better.

I took one of their Desert Storm-ish M113's and peeled all the stuff off and it looks just like a 1968 Nam 113 once you fill in some of the holes.   Really good stuff.

[Jesse James]

Yeah, I have the RC M113 in Desert Storm deco.  It's pretty slick if not fragile.

Still, the Bradley's a beauty...  Maybe my 3rd favorite piece of armor.

[vupa0101]

so there was an rc version and a non rc version?

[Jesse James]

Yeah I think...  There was also Woodland and Desert decoes too...  Not sure if there was a non-RC version of both.

[Paul]

Yup Non RC Versions of both...

One in "Continental" aka Green color Scheme, the other in Desert Tan.


What I enjoyed about 21st was that they would do non-combat vehicles too.  The WWII US Truck (there were 10 times more trucks made during WWII than Shermans).

The problem I had is that everything I got from them in 1:18 scale was too fragile for what it was.  The stearing wheel of the halftrack broke off putting the driver that they included in the pack in the seat...I had to remove my Stuka Crews' legs so that they could sit in the cockpit with the canopy closed... and then there was the putting Uboat leathers on Infantry troops...  But all that does not take away from the coolness of that Bradley.

[Jesse James]

The fragility was sort of a result of the double-edged sword of having your cake and eating it too.  People wanted inexpensive LARGE models with uber detail, and the result was cockpits that were a bit small for the figures they came with (even though both were properly scaled), and bits easily broken on some things.   I know I broke and repaired a prop on my P38...  Other things have broke and been repaired.  Sucks, but what you got for what you paid was outstanding...

The leather coats I have no clue about.  Maybe for rainy days on the Normandy coast?   

They were cool though!

[Jesse James]

But Wait!

It's not over yet!

Word is that a company called JTI in Hong Kong has bought 21st Century Toy's molds...  Look for the Tiger-1, P-38, and Corsair to return to shelves in America this year...  Also a Tomcat is in the works.  No word on figures, yet, but hopefully they don't abandon those.

That said, it's at least something positive.  The Tiger I saw had a nice camo scheme.  i'm down for one of those even without Zimmerit (hey, life ain't perfect).

Could 1:18 be alive and kicking, maybe even better than before? 

I hope so!

[Jesse James]

So, interesting stuff...

The new company taking over 21st Cent. Toys' toy line in 1:18 (at least), is based in China...  They're seemingly showing off a LOT of goodies at a toy expo this past week/weekend, and it appears a LOT of 21st mold's got retooled or they're going to put out entirely new product!

First up, all you Top Gun fans are going to be geeked at a 1:18 Tomcat...  "A bit large?" you think?  Yup, it's a massive plane and compared to other 1:18 items it dwarfed them all it seemed.  That's gotta be pricey.

However armor fans were not left out...  I saw LOTS of new and retooled new stuff, including:

-Sherman Tank with rocket launcher rack on top it.
-Hanomag with search light
-Hanomag with artillery gun
-Tiger-I WITH Zimmerit (yes, Zimmerit is in this season!)
-Panther Tank WITH Zimmerit

Also figures WERE pictured, so they apparantly have the molds to those as well, and included pics of anything from Series 1 figurs (blech) to Paratroopers, which bodes well for possible re-release of the German Falschirmjagers which I know I'd like about 20 more of those!

No Jeep pictured though, no Kubelwaggen...  I've heard those molds were lost/destroyed.

Also no 88's, not Panzer IV's or variants thereof, and NO King Tiger Tank was pictured.  I have my suspicions the KT maybe never was tooled up beyond a prototype/paint master anyway, but I have no clue if that's the truth or not, just my guess is all.  I was really hopng to see a grey 88 displayed, or a Panzer IV with side skirts on it or something.

However, the good far outweighs the "eh" in this situation so far...  Now where will they all be sold?  That's the tough question.

I'm geeked to get the Hano with the search light though.  That's sweet!  We need an AA gun to go with it now though!

I'm giddy...

Oh, and some older models are getting released as well, I guess, as the Bradley (one of the best piece they ever did) was displayed, as were the Walker Bulldog and Patton tanks I believe.  Also the US halftracks were pictured, however I'm hopeful we get a new variant of those too...  I'd love a tank destroyer one, or a mortar carrier...  That's one of their better models too IMO.

[Paul]

  Also the US halftracks were pictured, however I'm hopeful we get a new variant of those too...  I'd love a tank destroyer one, or a mortar carrier...  That's one of their better models too IMO.

I dunno the M4 (and M4a1) Halftrack are SOOOOO boring... I doubt anybody would want a real one, much less a 1:18 scale one...

[Jesse James]

You know you'd buy it just to have in a glass case in the garage. 

I loves me some US Halftrack variations.  I want a Tank Destroyer desperately, just for the sheer number of them since they were pretty heavily used for a while.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Russian paint variant of some US armor now and then too...  Not too often unless we get some commie bastards to go with them.

[Sprry75]

I rely on you for this crap, Jesse, and so I'm buying a set of repro Sky Striker stickers to slap on to the new Tomcat for my Joes.  I'm as happy as a schoolgirl

[Jesse James]

When I get home I'll link some images so you can check it out.  To say it's a behemoth is an understatement.  My Avenger Bomber is big I thought, but the modern jets truly dwarf it...  That Tomcat just looks HUGE, and hanging it from the ceiling would be both challenging and fun.

[efranks]

First up, all you Top Gun fans are going to be geeked at a 1:18 Tomcat...  "A bit large?" you think?  Yup, it's a massive plane and compared to other 1:18 items it dwarfed them all it seemed.  That's gotta be pricey.

Weekend of Heroes event yielded some photos, including the Tomcat.  You can check out the guy's full set of photos, including a bunch of other 1:18 scale stuff.  WOH Pictures

  E...

[Jesse James]

If you're curious on size of that TC, you see that smaller plane on the bottom left?  It's a P-38 Lightning Interceptor, and I have one hanging on my ceiling.  Compared to the Avenger Bomber, it's the second largest 1:18 plane I have...  It's huge itself.

That Tomcat dwarfs that P-38.

Hasbro can't do scale ships?  Pffft. 

[jedipurge]

whoa!!  I try to stick to just SW stuff, but I might have to break down for this one.

Better start working on a Maverick & Goose customs