Moonwalker

I make no secret of my love of plastic toys and my distaste for tinplate, but now and then, I have to relent and allow my prejudices to recede and admit a tinplate item into the fold. One especially fine example is a russian toy - partly tinplate and partly plastic - of the Lunokhod probe. Carried aloft onboard the Luna 17 and Luna 21 spacecraft in 1969 and 1973 respectively. The two successful flights were predated by the secret and disastrous launch of an earlier launch in 1969, which spread radioactive Pollonium from the power source over a wide area.

The Lunokhod probes were the first unmanned rovers to reach another world and hailed as another Soviet coup. Unsurprisingly, some toys appeared in the form of several remote control rovers and a game. The bathtub like rover appears in at least toy types, from different makers and is about 10 inches long, with a metal body and plastic accessories. The version I got (top of page) was pretty dilapidated and had battery acid damage in the controller. I removed the electrics and made the model into a handsome display piece, adding a couple of red star transfers. Originally, it would have had forward and reverse movement, steering and flashing lights and a flip open solar panel. Another version has litho printed detail on the body and similar functions.

It is an ungainly looking toy, but captures the Heath Robinson style of the actual vehicle nicely.

 The second toy is made by spanish company Congost, who also make tinplate toys. This was a bit of a chance discovery on ebay and was so badly listed it was almost impossible to make out what it actually was from the fuzzy photographs. Although it was an international auction, I bought it failry cheaply and waited for it to arrive. When it did come, I was quite amazed as the box/board is almost two feet square and beautifully printed with a large moon map on one side. Tucked away in the centre was another box containing an amazing little spacex-like vehicle, consisting of the Luna lander and a mini Lunokhod sat on top. Along with this were a chain, some plastic stops and a small box of tin 'moon samples' - small metal disks printed with moonscape.

The toy is lowered onto the centre of the moon with the chain, wherby a catch drops down the lander sides and the buggy dutifully rolls off across the moon. If it hits the stop on the perimiter of the map, another catch releases a magnetic arm, which flips down to collect the magnetic moon sample. The upper hatch flips open to receive the sample and the player then resets the catches, puts the buggy back on the lander and flies in again to retrieve all 8 samples from the 8 compass directions.

 Its such an unusual toy and so well made and presented. I have had difficulty dating it and never seen another version anywhere.