FEATURES

The Fairey Swordfish
Antiquated, yet devastatingly effective
By Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.)

Mustangs Over Iwo
Inside the 506th Fighter Group’s long-range missions
Text & Photos by Brian Walter

Desperate Measures
Volksjäger, the Luftwaffe’s last hope
By Eddie Creek

The High-Velocity Raptor
High-speed, unseen, dogfighting machine
Text & Photos by Ted Carlson

Tuskegee Red Tails
The men, the machines, the missions
by Barrett Tillman

Mitchells over the Mediterranean
Wavetop warfare: skip-bombing and big guns
By Mark Carlson

Fighter Icon: “Forked-Tail” Devil
Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Fighter Icon: The ever-evolving fighter
Curtiss-Wright P-40

Parting Shot

Designed by Pat Tritle, the Hi-Max can be built for free-flight or 4-channel RC (both plans are included). With few curved surfaces and egg-crate-style wing, both versions are quick and easy build, and laser-cut short kits are available from ManzanoLaserWorks.com. WS: 25/50 in.; Power: 20-in. Double Loop 1/8 Tan Super Sport Rubber/400-class outrunner. LD 1; 3 sheets

DIE CAST X

FALL 2025, VOL. 21, ISSUE 4
Collectors Guide

DCX 2026 COLLECTOR’S GUIDE
Vehicle Features

LIGHT ’EM UP!
Jada’s RTR Vehicles 2024 Ford Mustang Drift Trio

MID-ENGINE ICON
Automodello’s Precision Tribute to the 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT

MODERN REVIVAL
Majorette’s Collection Series Signals a New Era for a Legendary Brand

BRITISH RACING RED
CMC Replicates a Privateer’s Ferrari 250 LM In Exacting Detail

STREET ROYALTY
Jada Next Level’s RWB “Kei Kishi” Captures the Rauh-Welt Spirit in 1:18 Form

General Features

A COLLECTOR’S DREAM
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 2025

THE JOY OF THE HUNT
Finding Community in Die Cast Shopping

FEATURES
Enemy Pilots Speak
Voices from the other side
By Barrett Tillman

Iron Dog
Fighting the Pacific and the P-39
at the same time
By James P. Busha

Flying the Fw 190
A legend gets checked out in the
Butcher Bird
By Capt. Eric Brown

Double-Theater Ace
The fearless missions of legendary fighter
pilot Col. John D. Landers
By Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.)

Elliptical Elegance
Flying and evaluating the Seafire Mark III
By Corky Meyer

FEATURES:

Feature: HeliStorm
RC helicopters reach new heights at the Museum of the U.S. Air Force
By the Model Airplane News crew

How To: Dial it in!
Understanding exponential and why you need to use it
By the Model Airplane News crew

Feature: 2025 Gear Guide
Warning: May Cause Sudden Gear Obsession!

Flight Technique: Freeze Frame
Fly the four-point hesitation roll like a champ!
By David Scott

FEATURED VEHICLES

THE ULTIMATE RAPTOR
Traxxas Ford Raptor R 4X4 VXL Ultimate

ROLLING ARMOR
Tamiya’s 1/16 M4 Sherman 105mm Howitzer Brings WWII RC Action to Life

READY TO RIP
Fun-Having with the FMS 1:7 Ford Bronco RTR EB

SPECIAL PROJECT: BAYSIDE BEAST
A Customized Arrma Infraction R34

SPECIAL PROJECT: MANTA RAY MEETS VANQUISH
A Double Dose of Tamiya Throwbacks for Your Retro Bashing Pleasure FEATURES

CAR ACTION RETRO REVIEWS
A Look Back at Articles in the September 2000 & 1995 Issues

TEST BENCH

Pro-Line 1/24 2023 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro Hard Body

FEATURES

Their Finest Hour
85 summers ago, the British Royal Air Force and Nazi Germany’s Luftwaffe fought the world’s first great air campaign
By Barrett Tillman

Malta Spitfire
American fighter ace Claude Weaver III DFC DFM
By Clive Rowley, MBE RAF (Ret.)

Wings of the Fleet
Celebrating the Navy’s 250-year legacy
By Barrett Tillman

A Tall Order
The final flights of “Philippine Mars”—the last
airworthy Martin JRM Mars flying boat
By Jan Tegler

Warbug in the Pacific
Surviving combat in a Stinson OY-1/L-5
By Lt. Thomas Rozga, USMC (Ret.), as told to and written by James P. Busha