I'm always drawn to red spacecraft that remind me of the Project SWORD Scout 3, as it was one of my favourite SWORD toys as a kid.
The beautiful red ships on the cover of this 1950 Other Worlds magazine is a case in pijt and I can well imagine Scouts on the cover.
Here's the Scout 3 box art as a reminder.
Did you have a Scout 3? Do you have one now?
Its sleek deltoid design has always been popular with designers and artists.
Years ago on MC we spoke about the Traveller Scout, a similar dart-like ship from the early days of Role Playing Games.
In 2010 the GURPS Traveller Scout designer Bill Keith wrote back to me.
"Hello Woodsy,
Good to hear from you. I'm afraid I've never seen the toy you mention (Scout 3), and so cannot claim it as inspiration for my art. I'm sure a number of designs and concepts went into the original art; I first drew the Traveller Scout shortly after I started submitting artwork to GDW, probably around 1981 or so. I first submitted artwork to GDW in 1980, I believe it was.
The one spaceship concept I remember that might have contributed something to the design was a model kit coming out of the early 1960s, when I was a space-fanatic teen. I don't remember the manufacturer [Monogram?] or even the name . . . but the model was of a manned orbiting laboratory idea floating around at the same time as the Dyna Soar project--probably around 1962.
The lab was essentialy a converted Atlas rocket as a top stage; attached to the outside were two ferry rockets or escape re-entry gliders with the familiar triangular shape and painted bright yellow. I always liked the utilitarian simplicity of those designs, and they turned up a lot in my personal art doodles in school notebooks and such. Eventually, something like them evolved into the Traveller Scout. If that is the case, then the Scout does indeed draw somewhat on the X-plane and Dyna Soar project designs, which I believe influenced the look of that model kit.
I'm fine with you posting my artwork, but I don't know what the current copyright status is for Traveller art. I don't think I own it, so the current Traveller copyright holders would be the ones to ask for permission, not me.
I hope this helps!
Cordially,
Bill Keith
Did you play Traveller at all readers? Do you recall its Scout?
Hawk did a model of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, which was a Convair design. It was originally called the Convair Atlas Space Station (Manned Satellite). It had a clear forward section, to show off the crew area. According to Scalemates the kit first came out in 1960. The box tops do show small yellow darts at the rear.
ReplyDeleteYes, I included those dart craft in an old bit of research I did called the New Origins of Project SWORD Paul. Lovely spaceships.
DeleteI remember the model, and I remember the Traveller Scout!
ReplyDeleteI was too young to have built the model. That would've been one of my older brothers, but I remember the reentry vehicles! I wasn't supposed to play with 'em but I'm sure I did!
Must have been amazing to play with that model Scott!
DeleteWhile we're talking about red/orange arrowhead re-entry vehicles, can I mention the Carbon Glider from Space 1999?
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wondered if the Carbon Glider was hanging around Alpha Moonbase as a quick return to Earth option for VIPs. Of course by this point in the series, it had been rather improbably established that standard Eagles were capable of atmospheric entry!
Its not a ship I know Looey but I bet Space 1999 fans will do. Having looked it up I do see what you mean.
DeleteBill - the model you refer to is the Convair Atlas MOL shown here:
ReplyDeletehttps://fantastic-plastic.com/convair-atlas-space-stationmol-by-hawk-models.html
cheers Bill
What an amazing model! Thanks for the link Bill. There's a connection to the wonderful Spacex Photonic Space Station as well. Check out Paul V's origin page http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAorig/PhSS_OrF/PhSS_OrP.html
Delete