A SWORD scale has been discussed before on the blog but no concrete conclusions were reached. I wonder if a group photograph of all the toys would shed any light on the actual scale intended by the writeres and artists of the comic strips in SOLO and TV21? I was interested to see on Wikipedia this fascinating scale comparison of Thunderbirds craft by Nigel Slater seen below. With all the TV episodes to study, even Thunderbirds fans seem to disagree about the size of Thunderbird 3 as you can see below. I personally thought that TB2 was bigger than TB3 but that's simply based on my childhood memories!
Back in February 2010 I blogged this very rudimentary SWORD scale pictured below and there were some fascinating comments from Toad and Grif. My scale was based mostly on gut-feelings that, for instance, the Apollo Saturn V was the biggest vehicle, being bigger than the Zero-X and the Nuclear Ferry perhaps? Thinking about it since I realise that to create a proper SWORD scale you would need a detailed knowledge of [and access to] the SOLO/ TV21 comic strips and or the Annual [have they even got the same scales?]. Similarly there are some text descriptions of SWORD vehicles as in the 1969 TV21 Annual in the sections called Battle Breakdown, together with those found in the Official Manual, which came with each toy.
One possible starter for ten would be those SWORD vehicles which were based on real NASA designs and craft such as the Moon Prospector, Saturn V, Space Glider [M2F2] and the Dyna-Soar for instance, most of which are well-documented in terms of size. But is this a red herring? Are NASA sizes even relevant in the SWORD strips?
In the end a collage of pictures from SOLO/TV21/SWORD Annual, which clearly show comparisons of vehicles' sizes with clear reference points such as people, will be the only way to nail down a SWORD scale I reckon. Sounds like a project for a the summer using the SOLO strips on this blog maybe? Anyone?
I have done this sort of thing with Dan Dare craft in the past. It soon became obvious that the scales of the various craft varied even witihn the same story.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it wilol be the same for SWORD vehicles!
Andy is perfectly correct. Forget it, cos you will never find a definitive answer. It's just the same with the timelines ... contradictions abound. The best you can do is choose the one that best fits your own imaginings of the craft ... but just remember it is a choice NOT "the" answer.
ReplyDeleteBut as for TB3 ... doesn't Alan say how tall it is in the story where a boy stows away in a TB2 pod? It's a long time since I've watched it .... but off the top of my head I believe Alan says it is 257 feet high.
OK, OK ... yes, Toad got it wrong again. See how crazy questions like this make a person (or toad)?
ReplyDeleteIt's actually the Christmas Story. At approx. 4:10 Jeff Tracy tells their guest that TB3 is 287 feet high!
BTW, Jeff ... "What happened to security? Hello!"
I think the bottom line here is that the people who made the toys and those who wrote the stories didn't give any thought to relative sizes, ever ... they probably wouldn't have much cared either had anyone asked.
ReplyDeleteIt's only crazies like us who do care. And given that the "reality" is all in our imaginations ... well it's up to us to decide how big SWORD and SpaceX are. That's part of the whole beauty of it. They are our toys and our games. But there is no one answer.
The only CERTAIN fact we know is that SpaceX could beat SWORD anyday (heh heh).
ReplyDeleteOMG ... I have got to get myself a life!
ReplyDelete(sighs) ... didn't realise it was a link to the Wiki article WHERE it says the bit about TB3 being 287 ft.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Off to shoot myself now.
Can't agree that Spacex is better than Sword!
ReplyDeleteThant Thunderbirds guide looks a little odd- couldn't TB3 dock with the rectangular structure on TB5? Seems a lttle big to do that here.
SpaceX better than SWORD! Fighting talk! As for the scale, I may just have a go. A couple of beers and I may just get there!
ReplyDeleteAlcohol might be the solution, Woodsy ^_^
ReplyDeleteI need some concentrated Century 21pop! Did Mr. Tracy keep some in his drinks cabinet?
ReplyDeleteMay I just say, I really enjoy how Toad has more interesting and entertaining conversations alone than most people can manage with a large group helping them? ;-)
ReplyDeleteRichard, would you please stop interrupting when I am talking to myself. (grins)
ReplyDelete