EXPLODED BOOSTER ROCKET

Analog magazine never ceases to amaze me for the sheer range of brilliant covers it had. Here's one with what appears to be an exploded Booster Rocket. From this very month in 1979. I was 18! Blimey. How old were you readers December 1979? No, forget that I asked.

Voyage of the Leif Ericson

This elegant kit often appeared in adverts in the back of monster magazines, but I could never find it in the shops. Made by AMT in the early seventies and buried in their Star Trek line up, its a fantasy ship with no basis in any series or show. For some odd reason its named after the actor who played the owner of the High Chapparal ranch, so if anyone can enlighten me on that, please do.

The early releases had clear red plastic engine detail and a lighting kit, later versions came in luminous plastic.

It's a beautiful kit, which could fit easily into the classic Star Trek genre, with science fiction styling and sleek streamlining. The rear bay open to reveal a small shuttlecraft.

I recently ran into an old schoolmate via ebay who was selling a whole fleet of early Aurora and AMT kits and managed to bag the Ericson. It was already built by its previous owner and seem to be the later version without the engine parts. It has been re-released with a new lighting kit and engine details.

Nyrath has prepared a fine microsite about the ship as part of his comprehensive Project Rho, see it here.

TELSALDA AIRPORT CRASH TENDER

Being particularly fond of the Matchbox  Airport Crash Tender, I couldn't resist this rather nice larger friction drive version by Telsalda.

Although, I doesn't have the flashing light or chromed plastic parts of the higher spec JR21 version I think its still an understated and attractive toy.

Apart from extra detail round the wheels it's a dead ringer for the Matchbox version, right down to the white removable fire fighting equipment and the dull silver paint finish at the back.

Although unlike the Matchbox version it does have clear plastic in the windows and more detail at the front.

 The simple box artwork.

I reckon it's look is borderline model and would be just perfect for a diorama

Sadly, I haven't had time to create a little diorama to show it off at it's best so until I do here's a photo of the Matchbox version from a previous port.

LP SPACE ROCKET

 

Here's a nifty little LP space rocket from my photo archive. Its almost SpaceX-like. Again, a cool Christmas Stocking filler for sure! I love the way the astronaut floats above the ship and presumably he spins round when the rocket moves. We also get some of the iconic black and white checked banding, which appeared on countless space toys in the Sixties. And as for the antenna, I'm pretty sure I've seen it before. Any ideas readers and has anyone got one of these or any other LP space toys?

KEVIN D AND THE WHOMOBILE

 

Hi,

Don't know if it's of any interest, but after the post on the whomobile toy, I've dug out pictures of me with the real Whomobile and Bessie. I was helping out at a Convention that friends of mine had organized (sometime in the 90's) in Oldham. I was assigned car park security for the morning!

Kevin

FOR WILL - THE WHOMOBILE

 

Corgi's Whomobile.

Sadly it remained a prototype.

From Kleemput's Great Book of Corgi.

 

 

Dapol Prototype information here.

JAPANESE ZERO-X STICKER

I've always loved stickers. When I was a kid I covered my bike in cool metallic ones and my books in a range of glossy, puffed-up and Letraset stickers. Is it a lost art form I wonder? Well, I've recently come across a few interesting stickers online for this blog, kicking off here with some vintage THUNDERBIRDS sets from Japan pictured above.


Some of the images seem to be taken from either the TV shows or TV21 - can anyone tell? I particularly like the Zero-X, which is again of a very particular style. Is it a TV or comic version?


 [image courtesy of Yahoo Japan].

THE OCTONAUTS

Like many of you no doubt I have been Christmas Shopping this weekend. Fortunately it was for my small Godchildren so it meant a visit to a toy shop. Not so bad then. There were tons of Batman, Superman and Beyblade toys and huge boxed sets of plastic soldiers and tanks called The Corps.

What we opted for in the end included a set of Octonauts by Fisher Price. It reminded so much of the sort of boxed set I got as a kid especially Billy Blastoff and Colorforms Outer Space Men: a plastic figure, a cool vehicle and a few neat accessories. Yeha! Like the good old days! I wanted to open it up and have a play!

 

 

 

 

Do you have any toys to buy for anyone this Christmas readers?

SPAM -A- LOT

Yesterday I turned off the word verification on the blog's comments to ease comment making. Alas, I have been flooded with spam comments so reluctantly the word verification has had to go back on. Sorry folks. Blame the irksome spammers!

GREETINGS FOR THE SEASON

 

ITS THE FIRST OF DECEMBER READERS!

 

 

Remember when you wrote lists to Santa?

Remember when you made snowmen out of toilet rolls and cotton wool at School!

Remember when your Mum hid your prezzies under the bed?

Remember when the house starting filling up with wrapped gifts for aunties and uncles?

Remember when you couldn't think about anything 'cept Christmas morning!

 

 

THAT'S THE POWER OF DECEMBER!