Macro Micronauts

Realeased in the UK by Airfix in 1978, Micronauts were originally produced by Takara of Japan, some years earlier as Microman. The series ran for many years with hundreds of variations, overlapping with other toy lines such as Transformers, Diaclone and Henshin Cyborg. The Airfix release only saw a handful of figures and vehicles, chiefly the transparent Time Traveller, whose amazing poseability left the new Kenner Star Wars figures standing, literally!
 

Arto's post of the Strata Station and carded Time Traveller reminded me of my work to re-create the look of the packaging art, using my old figures and some of the more recent re-releases and microman figures.

The Aurora White X-15 Kit

Hi Woodsy,

In 1959 Aurora released a 1/48th scale kit of the North American X-15 supersonic research aircraft. The initial version was moulded in white and clear plastic - you had to paint on the red trim.

There were only eleven parts in the original kit, plus a two-part display stand in clear plastic. There was no undercarriage or cockpit detail, and the markings were engraved.

The kit was later revised, an undercarriage added, and the model was moulded in black plastic. This version was given new box art.

The box top said X-15 Satelloid Rocket Plane, and 'World's First Manned Space Ship'. Box art for the first version was by Jo (Josef) Kotula (1910-98), and shows the X-15 high above the Earth.

The term Satelloid covers low altitude satellites that need engines to maintain their altitude. A term I only know from its use on the Aurora kit box.

The kit number was 120-.98, the suffix meaning it originally sold for 98 cents. The copyright dates on the box and instruction sheet were 1958.

The Aurora kit came out the same year that the real X-15 first flew - two years before the first manned space flight. The X-15 only went in to space between 1962 and 1968, a year after the first manned rocket flights.

The three North American X-15 rocket planes made a total of 199 flights, between 1959 and 1968. Of the 199 flights, 13 exceeded an altitude of 50 miles, or 264,000 feet, and therefore crossed in to space under the definition of space used by the US Air Force.

The pilots of these flights were therefore awarded Astronaut Wings. The five USAF pilots got their Wings in the 1960s, but the three civilian pilots in the test programme had to wait until 2005 to receive their civilian Wings from NASA, by which time only one of the pilots was still alive.

Only two of the flights, both in 1963, exceeded 100 kilometres, or 62 miles, which is the definition of space used by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale/International Aviation Federation. The Wikipedia page for the X-15 includes a list of all 13 space flights.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_X-15

While the original Aurora kit is now a rare piece of modelling history, in a totally fictitious colour scheme, it would still be fun to paint up a normal X-15 model to match the box art. Even better, display it alongside a black version.

A word of warning. A number of on-line sales listings for this kit show the revised version in black plastic, with undercarriage, in the original issue box - as far as I know this is not correct.

Four photographs from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

AURORA, MEGO AND CO: ARTO'S FANTASTIC JUTHBACKA FINDS

Arto has been kind enough to share pictures of his recent and amazing haul of vintage goodies at the Juthbacka vintage fair on the western coast of Finland.  The Juthbacka fair attracts sellers from Sweden too. 

A super post to end the summer, Feast your eyes!

*

Aurora long box monster kits and Mego monsters, Super Heroes, Star Trek/ Space 1999

Assorted Super Heroes: Batcopter, Secret Wars, Super Powers and an Italian Diabolik figure, a candy box top!

Micronauts, Choc Rockets and Car [I have cropped this image and removed an amazing item that, with Arto's permission, will feature on the blog's anniversary  - our 16th bloggiversary - on September 15th. Watch this space!]

Horrible Hamilton's Second Victim!

Set in Mt Ranier National Park in Washington state, this mini episode involves the reawakening of the bugs and their victims.  I picked Mt Ranier National Park because of its reputation. It's had over 400 disappearances (many of them under mysterious circumstances), 676 Bigfoot sightings, and 7,230 total UFO sightings in Washington state as a whole (according to NASA). Definitely a hotspot for what is termed as "high strangeness".

From Hamilton's Cave Vegas

Ed

A L I E N : R O M U L U S

I went to see the new ALIEN film ROMULUS last night at the local flicks. I'm always excited by a new ALIEN film.

Will you be going readers?

Cinema-going can be quite dear these days and the entrance fee now for adults is £11.99 in my bit of Britain. I used to go every week for years, when it was discounted but nowadays its only for certain movies. The last one I saw was Despicable Me 4 with my Grandson during the summer.

I've kept the ROMULUS ticket as I have for all my cinema visits many years. Somehow they seem important to me but I'm unsure why. Somewhere I've got my old ALIEN ticket!

Will you be going to the cinema readers? What was the last film you saw there?

I really enjoyed this film but I'll not say anything about the film in detail as its still doing the rounds. Needless to say. ALIEN fans will like it because its more of the Giger, Scott, O'Bannon and Schusset ALIEN mythos that we love. Like all flicks it has its good points and bad points but for now ...

the ship's hull is melting so I have to go!

THE YELLOW SPACE BOAT

 

The Space Boat has a long heritage on Moonbase.

A white one was featured 15 years ago. Nothing since ...

... until this yellow one turned up this year.

How lovely is that! A custard cruiser!

Reminiscent of Project SWORD's Scout 1 boat, its a real treat to see it and its box again.

Have you got one?

Fantasy Box Art Video 15 No.15

Matteline 1967 is now up to Fantasy Box Art video No.15.

First up, a couple of boats from The Creature from the Black Lagoon and African Queen, movies with trucks, and then on to Gerry Anderson - this time it is mainly Joe 90.

Many of these ideas would indeed have made wonderful kits. What a pity they were not actually produced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-acgX09Te8

Any good?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Action Man DIY Jungle Explorer and River Craft Done!

 With a final push through the bush my home made Action Man Jungle Explorer and river craft are finished and already in the thick of it.

See what you think.

The boat is coloured using paint, card and paper. Rope and crate courtesy of the Missus.

The outfit comprises of a green dyed tunic, home-made hat, home-made oar, machete, neckerchief, holster and belt. Original Palitoy items are the pants, boots, backpack, canteen, pistol, rifle and dynamite.

Get me out of here, I'm bushtuckered!

MEXICAN MOONBASE CEREAL MODELS

 I saw these a while back on the Spanish auction site Todocollecion.

Seen once before years ago here on MC,

they are Mexican cereal models 

in the R&L space style.

These models appear to be

based partly on the space vehicles

and moonbase art

of Ed Valigursky, the NOVA rocket, the Booster Rocket, MEV2 and the Moonbase modules.

Below we see a chromed garage module with a ramp, which I believe to be a model of  Valigursky's rendition of this shown beneath it. I can see the MEV2 vehicle inside the chromed model.

A lovely lot and one which I'd love to see fully assembled.