Brick Army Canada

06/18/2026

The aft 203mm (8") turret of the Des Moines class heavy cruiser USS Newport News (CA-148) on 3 March 1950. In the background, the new aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVB-41) is trailing Newport News in her wake. The ships were steaming towards Athens, Greece, the next stop on their Mediterranean deployment.

Some items of interest include HO3S-1 helicopter sitting on the cruiser's fantail as well as the collection of ship's boats. As floatplanes were retired from use, the stern became an ideal place to store ship's boats as they could be easily handled by the aircraft crane. This also had the benefit of allowing the valuable space around the superstructure to be reserved for weapons and other equipment.

In the foreground, the basket contains floating nets. In the event the ship was sunk, these safety devices would float away on their own. This provided easy and immediate aid to crewmembers left in the water.

06/18/2026

The HAL-3 Seawolves operating off of USS Garrett County LST-786 during the Vietnam War. Operating in the dangerous waters of the Mekong Delta, this partnership paired a modified World War II tank landing ship with the Navy's elite helicopter gunship squadron to cut off enemy supply lines.

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

Entering service in 1961, the North American Vigilante was originally designed as a supersonic carrier-based bomber, built to deliver nuclear strikes from U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. But as America’s nuclear deterrent shifted toward submarine-launched and land-based ballistic missiles, the Vigilante quickly lost its original mission. Instead, it was adapted for high-speed reconnaissance — a role where its speed, altitude performance, and advanced systems proved highly valuable.

Despite its impressive capabilities, the Vigilante was a large, complex aircraft and demanding to operate from carrier decks. As newer reconnaissance systems and aircraft became available, the RA-5C gradually lost its place in the fleet, and the type was retired by the end of the 1970s.

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

✈️Another Great War icon is on its way!

The Sopwith F.1 Camel, one of the most recognizable fighters of World War I, will be arriving in our offer in mid-July. The set includes a figure of American ace George A. Vaughn Jr. and recreates the unique aircraft he flew, complete with its historic RAF markings👨‍✈️

📅Release date: mid-July

06/18/2026

A P2V-3C Neptune bomber takes off from the Midway class aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) with JATO assistance.

Once the power of nuclear weapons established themselves, the various branches of the United States Military scrambled to grab a piece of the action. With technology at the time, the only option for the United States Navy was for a nuclear-armed carrier aircraft.

However, even this presented problems. Nuclear weapons were still large and heavy enough that most carrier aircraft were incapable of lifting them. The solution was to take the Lockheed P-2 Neptune, originally a land-based patrol aircraft, and convert it into a carrier-capable aircraft. This would provide an aircraft large enough to carry a nuclear bomb, but still small enough to take off from a Midway class carrier. Even this solution was not without problems.

To carry the heavy bomb aloft, the Neptune had to be launched with JATO boosters. Furthermore, the Neptune could not actually land aboard the carrier after take-off. In the event of a nuclear attack, the Neptune was expected to either find an airfield to land at or to ditch at sea. Not exactly a comforting prospect for the crew expected to carry out the attack.

Despite this minor inconvenience, the Neptune nuclear bomber was put into service. Luckily, it would only be used as a stopgap measure, being replaced by the more capable AJ Savage bomber in just a few years. Though larger than the Neptune, the Savage had the advantage of actually being able to land on an aircraft carrier.

Overall, the Nuclear Neptune was a less than an ideal platform. However, it did succeed in getting the Navy's foot into the nuclear game.