I remember buying my first Dinky Eagle and thinking, wow! This is so different to previous designs from Gerry's shows. At the time I didn't know that Century 21 had folded, and that Space 1999 would take a different direction in design.
As was usual, Dinky were still reluctant to use the correct colours as was seen in the series., although they did come close with their original Freighter.
subtle variations, two types of Transporter and three types of Freighter. There was also changes in packaging over time. There was two different bubble pack display plinths for each, and finally a window box, with some having a polystyrene moon surface display.
There are also other very minor differences in the tooling used as can be seen above. Another is some have a middle strut at the front of the gantry while others don't. There's also some slight variations in the colour of the plastic windows in the pod. .
As is obvious, this is just a mix of a white freighter Eagle and a white transporter pod.
The later version had red plastic engine bells and landing jets, with polished metal fuel tanks and red manoeuvring jets.
The early version of the freighter was white with a red freight pod. Chrome engine bells and landing jets, red fuel tanks and red manoeuvring rockets.
The later version of the freighter had red plastic engine bells and landing jets, with polished metal fuel tanks and red manoeuvring jets. This was the last version in white.
This final version of the freighter is in blue, with a white freight pod, and would have originally been in a window box, and some would have had slightly different barrel stickers without the radioactive symbol. Like the later transporter Eagle this had red plastic engine bells and landing jets, with polished metal fuel tanks and red manoeuvring jets.
Absolutely marvelous.... i´m a spanish collector and hace two old eagles but your collectión is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Antonio, thanks for the comment. I must say, once I'd got both the Dinky Transporter and the Freighter I just couldn't resist getting those other variations.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a 1999 fan but that's an amazing collection Scoop. Have you got all the variants now? I know these are die-cast but it seems strange to me that no UK toy maker made a plastic version. It was left to Mattel in the States. Or is that incorrect?
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, Woodsy, I've got the main five variants plus an extra unofficial 'all white'. I think you're right about the fact that no UK manufacturer made an assembled plastic toy of the Eagle.
ReplyDeleteThere was also AHI in the U.S. who made an all plastic "friction powered" knock off of the Dinky Eagle Transporter ( down to the green coloring of the main body!) which rolled on wheels. As a child I turned my nose up at that version as an inferior rip-off of the much superior Dinky. You can see it for yourself here: http://catacombs.space1999.net/main/merc/vmmeagle2.html
ReplyDeleteDep1701
I've got 6 two have been painted up one as rescue Eagle one as a vip Eagle
ReplyDeleteSounds good, Hackney 1
DeleteThe FIRST Eagle Freighter had yellow thrusters on the leg pods as with the first issue Transporters. I believe you have not pictured this variation. Later issues on yellow plinth and window box without Glasgow polystyrene inserts had a varied Nuclear Waste sticker from earlier editions... Transporters also had clear windows in some batches so clearly there are way more than just five variants...
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, thanks for your comment.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm aware I consider that these are the five variations, without going into tiresome detail about minor pedantic alterations in tooling.I do mention this and the clear window variation you mentioned. Whenever I put anything on the blog about Dinky I nearly always get some self appointed expert contradicting some thing I've mentioned, which is fine, as I certainly don't profess to know everything. However, when I do put something on I do try to research it, so I'm sticking with what I've written.