Having been gifted a fixer-upper JR21 Thunderbird 2 I've used my isolation to get stuck into 'restoring' it. Its damn therapeutic too!
So here it is. A fine old carcass, just missing legs, wings, one nacelle and the pod door. Oh and some lettering and the pod vehicle.
It doesn't look too bad to be honest. I can only make it worse!
As always I like to take things apart. I didn't have a plan but I love to unscrew things!
It did give me chance to file away some old glue, which I think the previous owner had used as filler as the two body halves do have a gap next to the wing inlets.
Screwed back together I did manage to clean the whole toy.
I managed to flip the leg stumps upwards. Boy are they tightly braced!
And so to messing things up. I glued some miniature leglets on the stumps and glued in some nails on one side ....
... and the other!
Yes, it stands up!
I then moved to the pod and whittled a door from a milk bottle.
Looking to the wings or lack of them I raided my old jet in residence, which I'd ransacked before. Those wings were mine!
One wing done and the 'right' way round!
Two wings done and bootees and feet installed.
Alas, I don't like the feet and bootees.
The pod door turned green.
I had fun making a nacelle out of a lip balm case.
And at this point I made new feet and bootees for painting white later.
Phew!
Part 2 later.
Time for a cold beer!
Very good. You did well matching the green colour, took me ages to find the right shade when I restored one years ago. I found an exterior undercoat that was spot on, bizarrely!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kev. The paint is pure fluke. Its the only green humbrol pot I have and it fits!
DeleteWe offer a wide range of high-quality plastic bags and tubing, perfect for various applications. From sturdy shopping bags to flexible medical tubing, our products are designed to meet your specific needs. Experience the convenience and reliability of our plastic products today!
DeleteThunderbird 2 is looking very nice, but what about that poor F-111 ? It looks like a nice toy, apart from the oddly shaped nose. Who is the maker ?
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul. The F-111 is by SL. http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2019/09/swing-wing-wheels.html
DeleteHere's another Swing Wing Paul on Ebay that costs a fortune! Oops! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-F-111-TFX-Jet-Fighter-Aircraft-Friction-Drive-Clifford-Toys-Boxed/173924418520?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
DeleteDoing a great job there, dont you have the TB2 Jeep that you bought in that antique store? Your TB2 looks different to mine, the legs are much more sturdy, mine are red too
ReplyDeleteThanks Wote. Not sure where that jeep went! In the attic somewhere! My legs are nails. Get yours out!
DeleteDidn't the TB2 that came with sweets have the red legs (and a lattice structure at the rear of the engines), the other Jr21TB2s had white leg pads.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough we covered the 'sweets Thunderbird 2' in 2009! http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2019/09/swing-wing-wheels.html Blimey. doesn't time fly. Alas the site my post mentions, which detailed all the TB2 differences, is now defunct but some of it exists on the Wayback Machine I think.
DeleteI meant this sweet-filled TB2 article! http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2009/05/sweet-filled-jr21-thunderbirds-by-steve.html
DeleteFound it! Here's the old Thunderbirds Site's detailed look at the two types of JR21 TB2 https://web.archive.org/web/20160806151745/http://thunderbirdsvintagetoys.co.uk/JR21Thunderbird2.htm
ReplyDeleteAnd here's the original Sweets-filled JR21 toys article on the same site now archived on Wayback Machine https://web.archive.org/web/20160806130608/http://thunderbirdsvintagetoys.co.uk/JR21WithSweets.htm
ReplyDeleteThank you. TFX was the original design designation, Tactical Fighter eXperimental, which later became the F-111. It was numbered in the Fighter series, despite being a strike aircraft. The red engine exhausts (missing from your model ?) are very like those on Thunderbird 2. The Royal Navy never had the F-111, although 50 of the F-111K version were ordered for the RAF, but later cancelled. Despite the RN box, the model shown has US markings. Was there ever a Royal Navy version ? Sorry, old toys are not my area, I was more into kits and die-casts.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for that wee plane. Couldn't you have made wings from some perspex? Two thin sheets for each wing, stick them together for thickness, then sand down the edges for less sharp edges to them. I'm chuffed, 'cos my Gemini Space Capsule just arrived. I'll be putting up new photos later, if you're interested.
ReplyDeleteI got the plane to recycle years ago Kid. Its original wheel went on my SWORD Scout 2. The wings were perfect for a quick TB2 effect and I needed a quick win here to get me moving. I knew the legs would be tricky and they were. Pulled one set of them off already and started again! Wow! That Gemini was quick! Of course I'm interested.
DeleteThe speed of it surprised me, because the estimated delivery date was something like April 16th. Maybe it was because it was delivered by Hermes rather than Royal Mail. Incidentally, my doctor once told me I had Hermes. I said "Don't you mean Herpes?" and he said "No, you're a carrier!"
DeleteJust checked - the estimated delivery was between the 9th and the 16th, so they did well. Having said that, postage was £24.47.
DeleteWow again, now that's postage! Still, a prize reunion demands a decent budget! The Hermes gag made me laugh!
Delete