JAPANESE SWORD

I was bowled over by Terry's new white SPACE BIRD NO.3 posted over Christmas. These Japanese SWORD clones just keep on getting better. I thought it would be interesting to show all the SPACE BIRDS that we have so far in a single post. There are three: two Probe Force 3 type toys and a Probe Force 1 Kit (also found by Terry last year). The bottom collage compares the sides of the three boxes. You can see that both no.3's have the same coffin-on its-side shaped manufacturer's logo and I presume that the Japanese text translates to YT? Unfortunately I can't make out the wording on the small circular logo on the Probe Force 1 box. Any guesses?* Wonder if more of this range surfaces this year?

The grey Space Bird is from the Woodsy collection. Red cockpit variation courtesy of Terry Harle.

This post does not include Imai UFO Sword-related kits from Japan, the Takeuchi UFO erasers or Imai's die-cast Scramble Bug but should do really.

*PS. Terry Harle, who originally spotted the Probe Force 1, has been in touch "Read the blog on the Japanese SWORD items and the logo on the box for the Probe Force 1 kit has the letters 'MAN' in the centre and then in an arc above this the name 'Maruman' and then below 'Osaka'. Good eyesight or what?"