Its been a great season for vintage toys at Mars Base. Arriving just in time for the big day was this lovely MPC Atlas rocket. A very simple toy comprised of hollow tubular sections topped with a spring launched capsule. Dating originally from the late sixties and reflecting the Gemini programme, the toy has been reproduced often over the years due to its success as a toy.
Oddly, somewhere along the line, I had already found a red capsule from one of these toys, so I have a spare.
Both capsules have an open cockpit area, I'm unsure if there should be a window or hatch in place, so I fabricated a makeshift cover from a water bottle and slipped it in to both capsules to finish them off. Theres another Atlas toy of similar design I'm looking for now, with a small satellite on top. Watch this space!
What a gorgeous toy Bill! Where do you find these things? Love the water bottle windows! Very clever! Is the other MPC rocket this one on Ed's Toy and Stuff blog? http://toyconnect.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
ReplyDeleteThat is one groovy rocket! The simplicity of the design shouts "The 60s"!
ReplyDeletecourtesy of ebay, as always. Yes, thats the other Atlas, but the one im thinking of has a different final stage with a small satellite launcher. ive got the satellite, just need the rocket again!
ReplyDeleteDid this originally come carded with a bunch of astronauts in the Sixties or was it in a bag? Did it appear with LP astronauts at all?
ReplyDeleteIve seen it on ebay us recently on a card. I think the other slimmer one like Eds, may have arrived bagged with a couple of astros.
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow! That is gorgeous Bill!!I have avintage MPC rocket without the capsules. MPC made a lot of real nice space toys back in the day. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteI owned two of those when I was a lad so first hand knowledge here. Those capsules did have a clear cover in that opening so your work is spot on. The one I had was the red capsule.
ReplyDeleteA later release of this (which was my second one) had a different first stage. The engines were very simplified (just straight short tubes) but the base of the tube had four flarings to replicate that on the Apollo rocket.
The Mercury style capsule was done away with and a whole new tooling of the Apollo upper stage was used. It was one piece and fit on the launching stage. Underneath if had a chromed plastic disk with a small amount of detailing representing the folded legs underside view of the lunar lander.
Yes, same toy, minor changes.