The Matchbox Dream Chaser has been mentioned before on Moonbase Central, but it seems to be a fairly hard model to track down.
I finally found one, so I thought you might like some photos of it.
Not exactly a pretty craft, with its upturned nose, but a welcome addition to the ranks of Real Space models.
The Dream Chaser is a small, re-usable space shuttle, built by the Sierra Nevada Corporation in America. It is intended to produce both unmanned cargo, and manned versions (with seating for up to seven astronauts). The first mission is now due in 2022, a little later than originally planned. It will be used to carry cargo and personnel to the International Space Station. The launch vehicle being a Vulcan Centaur rocket.
Here is the Wikipedia entry for the craft.
The Matchbox Dream Chaser is part of the Sky-Busters line, and was first released in 2019, model number SB143. Length 91 mm. The black base and engine bells are metal, with the rest of the model being either black or white plastic. The cockpit windows are opaque, so there is no interior. The black plastic undercarriage is fixed, and the wheels do not revolve. The tampo printing is well done, in red, blue, black, and yellow.
The information cast in to the underside comprises the model name Dream Chaser - SIERRA NEVADA, Matchbox, © 2017 Mattel, the number SB143, MADE IN THAILAND, and a tiny elephant.
The card for the original 2019 version had a cloudy sky background, and a red stripe at the bottom. The 2021 card is orange, with the planet Earth providing a background to the model. The craft themselves appear to be the same.
Matchbox Wiki page for the Dream Chaser.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Addition: Hot Wheels branded Skybusters!
Its a nice little model, but as you say, tricky to find. Its also quite large for the Skybusters line too. Its a shame that they didn't get the X-33 from the Matchbox line up to this size, as the standard model is about half the size. Skybusters seem to go between Matchbox and Hot Wheels ranges, which given that both are Mattel properties is understandable, but a bit odd. Bill
ReplyDeleteThe X-33, that was another hard to find, and short-lived model.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a Hot Wheels Sky-Buster, only Matchbox versions.
It's like a lifting body on steroids. A very muscular machine!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Hot Wheels photo. I have never seen these models before, or even heard of them. Perhaps they are only sold in certain markets ? NZ gets the normal Matchbox Sky-Busters.
ReplyDeleteOdd that the cards do not carry the Sky-Busters name, or any other series name. Just HW CITY along the side.
It looks great in place of Buran on MPC/START’s 1/288 Energia
ReplyDeleteThis would make a nice toy
https://twitter.com/Nick_Stevens_Gr/status/1403002080692867080
Those HW City Sky Busters are lovely. No place around me has been carrying the Matchbox versions for the last 2 years so it is nice to see them back in circulation.
ReplyDelete