SHADO MOONMOBILE KIT

 

Some photos of my Fantastic Plastic, SHADO Moonmobile resin kit.

It’s 1:72 scale, and around 7” long. To the moderately skilled modeller, it’s a relatively simple build, although it does need some preparation. The main body is cast in solid resin which needs plenty of sanding, and the fragile components which make up the framework for the landing pads need gently bending into shape. I did have to replace the landing pads with some scratch-built ones, as the ones that came with the kit were far too damaged to use.

As the overall colour of the Moonmobile is white, painting is fairly straightforward. Then it’s down to some subtle weathering, and a first coat of sealer prior to applying the decals.

The decals that come with the kit are very good, although I altered some of the red stripes, and added a few miscellaneous decals from my spares box for a little added detail.

A final coat of sealer and the Moonmobile is ready for a lunar patrol!

The Moonmobile used in the UFO TV series was originally designed by Mike Trim, although an earlier similar Moonmobile design did feature in the Captain Scarlet episode, Lunarville 7. In the episode, the vehicle uses hydraulic legs to slowly ‘hop’ up and down across the lunar surface. (The SHADO Moonmobile was initially going to be called a ‘Moon Hopper’ as can be seen on Mike Trim’s drawing. In the UFO episode, ‘Flight Path’, Gay Ellis requests a ‘Moon Hopper’ to pick up injured astronaut, Roper. I imagine that would have just been a script oversight)

The updated SHADO Moonmobile moves across the lunar surface more like the Rocket Moonbus as seen in the feature film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The insect-like design obviously takes plenty of inspiration from NASA’s Lunar Module, with possibly a nod to the Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig aka The Flying Bedstead!

In the UFO TV series, the Moonmobiles are apparently housed in a natural crater near Moonbase, and are used to transport men and equipment across the lunar surface.

They travel using a hovercraft principle, using vertical take-off and landing. The hydraulically sprung legs enable the vehicle to compensate for uneven surfaces.