X-TWO ZERO'S SUBMARINE MODEL

 Some photos I’ve taken of the submarine used by  surface agent X- Two Zero, the sneaky, mealy- mouthed toady of King Titan!

I made it from a modified 1-72 scale Revell Bell X-5 aircraft model kit, something similar to what was used in the original Stingray TV series.

After altering the parts to suit, it’s a fairly simple build, although deciding on something like accurate colours is always problematic, what with harsh TV lighting, dirtying down etc. so I just went with a ‘close but no cigar look’, and what I personally found attractive!

I chose Tamiya Acyclic Yellow Green mixed with Light Green, and Revell matt Red, with matt black outline detail. Perhaps a little bolder than what we see in the show, but I’m happy with it.

The hull detail on each side uses parts from a B58 Italeri Hustler kit. For the ‘fish eyes’ I used 1914-1918 French aircraft roundel decals.

Speculating within the fictional world of the TV series, I assume the submarine is the creation of one of Titan’s undersea races, and naturally owes it’s design to the aquatic efficiency of marine life. Looking like a large fish, with a gaping mouth, eyes and striped red and green colouring, this look might also have a practical use by scaring off the occasional hostile sea creature.

It has a large rear caudal fin, and thin dorsal and pelvic fins. Although, some scenes show either the dorsal or pelvic fins missing for some reason.

In the episode, Countdown, the submarine gains access to Stingray’s pen, and surfaces with it’s dorsal fin in place. However, once it’s docked the fin is missing, only to reappear in the next scene!

In the episode, The Golden Sea, both fins are present in several scenes. However, the dorsal is occasionally absent leaving just the pelvic fin below.

While Titan’s Mechanical Fish are obviously a principle recurring threat to Stingray, X Two Zero’s sneaky sub still manages to cause a few headaches for Troy and Phones, although X-Two Zero knows better than to take on Stingray directly. In the episode, Echo of Danger, X -Two Zero almost collides with Stingray, and only manages to flee by fooling Lieutenant Fisher, into thinking he’s detected another vessel.

In the same episode, we see that the sub is armed with torpedoes, which fire from the mouth of the craft. X-Two Zero uses the boat’s periscope to target the ship towing the floating oil containers

X-Two Zero may well have replaced the sub more than once during his nefarious shenanigans with the WASP’s. In the episode, Countdown, X-Two Zero is prepared to sacrifice his sub, and kill Marina in an attempt to blow up Stingray’s holding pen. However, Troy manages to pilot the unmanned sub well away from Marineville’s ocean door and make his escape prior to the bomb exploding. Whether the sub was destroyed or salvaged on that occasion is unclear.

The actual Bell X-5 was an experimental aircraft, and the first capable of changing the sweep of it’s wings in flight. Inspired by the captured untested wartime P.1101 design of the German Messerschmitt company, two X-5 aircraft were built and made their first flights in 1951.

One was lost in 1953, when it failed to recover from a violent spin, a recurring design problem with the X-5, which resulted in the death of test pilot, Captain Ray Popson.

The surviving aircraft was retired in 1958, and resides in the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.