Over my many years of collecting and trading space toys the (JR21) X-40 SPACE ROCKET has passed through my space port a number of times. To my everlasting regret one never docked permanently so I now find myself coveting its sleek lines. Along with it's Swordesque logo I've long been fascinated by the distinctive cockpit panoramic window lattice (there has to be a better nasa-sonic name for it!)
You see a similar feature on the truck cab window carrying its cousin the (JR21) X-60 below
In fact we've seen this cockpit style before on no less than Fireball XL5
and on this Dan Dare spaceship below whose name completely escapes me.
On first impressions I felt that the inspiration behind these split windows might be found in Submarine design but on reflection I am now settling for avaiation as the source. There are two possibilities I suggest: the very first X plane, the beautiful Bell X-1
and secondly, the class of plane known as the Superfortress as seen below.
There is an excellent photograph of both the Bell X-1 and a B-29 Superfortress stood together on this site here.
What do you think readers?
X-40 and 60 toy shots courtesy of Ferryman (previously posted)
What about the rocket in the earlier series, Torchy the Battery Boy?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wujTB-nDe-M
Yes, absolutely PT! Torchy, I see what you mean from the clip. Excellent. And its a Gerry Anderson production - basically they've got the nose of Fireball XL5 sorted back then with Torchy's rocket! And Pom Pom the poodle - wonder if that's the inspiration behind the poodle in the toy X-30 I blogged recently?
ReplyDeletehttp://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2010/01/x-30-space-explorer-and-cosmic-pooch.html
An early version of Fireball XL5 is the "SuperR" rocket featured in an early Supercar annual - I don't have it, but maybe someone else does? And the name of the spaceship in Dan Dare is "Kingfisher" - it's on the hull just below the flight deck!
ReplyDeleteGrif
I've just been (re)watching Larry 'Buster' Crabbe in the 1936 FLASH GORDON seies - the X-40 is the same as ALL the ships on Mongo.
ReplyDeleteI remember these old b/w Flash and Buck Rogers series shown EVERY Christmas during the 70s on the Beeb. Ah, better days...
Gary
Cripes, I so remember watching those Black and White Flash Gordon re-runs on TV back in the early 1970's! Early mornings I reckon. My parents had a colour TV in the main "Telly room" but the best Tv for morning programmes was a big black and white box on legs in the "lounge" where you could lie down on the carpet and rest your chin in your hands! "Lounge" - now that seems an odd word now! it basically a boys' room - I do have 2 older brothers who were partial to playing table tennis and having loads of mates round to play soul records so this was their room (but they had to keep it tidy!).
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