Monday, 15 September 2025
Moon Ranger Movie
Thursday, 11 September 2025
Space Agent from the Lost Planet
I'm always intrigued by yellow tracked vehicles in space. I blame the SWORD Moon Ranger I adored as a kid.
So this strange covert art caught my eye. One of a series of Lost Planet books by Angus McVicar published by Burke in the 1960's, this cover has me scratching my head. What is that vehicle and what is it doing?
What do you think?
Anyone read this book?
Monday, 17 March 2025
REMOTE CONTROL MOON RANGER
Thursday, 24 November 2022
WILL DIVES IN THE TV21 WHIRLPOOL
Monday, 11 April 2022
NICHIMO! WOW!
I love this model by Nichimo of Japan, a forerunner of the Project SWORD Moon Ranger. Do you have this model or a Moon Ranger?
Wednesday, 9 March 2022
KILLDOZER!
As I'm interested in the SWORD Moon Ranger here's another lively bulldozer.
I give you KILLDOZER!
Heard of it?
http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix7/killdozer.htm
Thursday, 8 July 2021
RISING POWERS
I've always loved the rising treads of the Project SWORD Moon Ranger box art, that rearing up.
The upbucket view lends it an exciting movement on the moon's jagged surface.
So when I saw this Masudaya Snow Mobile's box art I thought yes, that's similar, as it rides the ups and downs of the polar ice sheet.
This one was for sale on the Bay in the American Mid-West so I've borrowed a few snaps. Its an amazing looking toy and the polar regions have always generated some excellent toy vehicles.
I wonder if it really could handle snow?
Did anyone have this toy or indeed the Moon Ranger above [which is one I had as a kid] ?
Saturday, 3 April 2021
THE RIPSAW: A GIANT TOY IN REAL LIFE?
Well, this Ripsaw seems to be a mixture of some fine old toys and then brought to life!
Maybe Big Trak?
a bit of the Project SWORD Moon Ranger?
and the Jetson's moon ranger?
See what you think.
Do you like the Ripsaw?
Sunday, 14 June 2020
IDEAL ASTRO BASE FIRST DATE
Here's evidence of the Astro Base's first date of use from the US Patents Office: September 12th 1960.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=rUUOirehsQ8C&pg=PA759-IA22&lpg=PA759-IA22&dq=ideal+astro+base+patent&source=bl&ots=7uSs1EDFhb&sig=ACfU3U2zXX7fb_izg_5gzcuaL4jhGxDQTQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjniZzdmNHlAhVaiVwKHWYiAVcQ6AEwEnoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=ideal%20astro%20base%20patent&f=false
Thursday, 30 April 2020
THE TRAXCAVATOR
Sunday, 19 April 2020
DOZING
Tuesday, 7 January 2020
THE THREE TARHEEL-STYLE BOXES OF THE PROJECT SWORD MOON RANGER
Sunday, 29 December 2019
WRONG RED RADAR
I saw this nice Moon Ranger on an old Vectis auction page. Its got the wrong revolving radar antenna on it. Anyone know what this red antenna is from? Looks familiar.
Wednesday, 19 September 2018
DOPPELRANGER
Friday, 9 February 2018
Consorti Toys of Italy
Consorti were a distributor for the Italian market.
Their logo can be seen below left, a beige circle with a walking red figure inside.
Here we have two of the Yonezawa 21st Century range on offer in Italy presumably in the late Sixties.

Consorti is of note to Project SWORD collectors as they distributed the knockoffs of the Tarheel Moon Ranger and Hover's Booster Rocket and R/C Probe Force 3 in Italy.
The Hover Booster Rocket can be read about here.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Ideal Astro Base 1960 : How Brilliant is that!
Saturday, 16 December 2017
away in a ranger
Thursday, 22 June 2017
japanese history of model tanks like the moon ranger
Monday, 20 March 2017
how to search for japan's nichimo moon ranger
Sunday, 5 February 2017
akasikigorou's amazing japanese sci-fi models: can you name them?
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CHECKLISTS BY BRAND (FOR COUNTRY BY COUNTRY SEE TOP OF BLOG)
PROJECT SWORD SPACEX TIMELINE
- 1968 SPACEX LT10 CONCEPT
- 1966 SPACE GLIDER REAL THING
- 1969 LUNAR CLIMBER & MOONSHIP
- 1968 PROJECT SWORD ANNUAL
- 1968 TV21 #168 PROJECT SWORD PHASE 2
- 1968 PLEASURE CRUISER CONCEPT
- 1968 CENTURY 21 TOY MANUAL
- 1967 SCOUT 1 CONCEPT
- 1967 NUCLEAR FERRY TOY AD
- 1967 SWORD TOY AD
- 1967 SWORD TOY AD
- 1966 SPACE GLIDER CONCEPT
- 1966 HOVERTANK IN COMIC
- 1966 NUKE PULSE NEEDLEPROBE IN COMIC
- 1966 ZERO X FILM DEBUT
- 1966 MOONBUS IN COMIC
- 1966 SPACE PATROL 1
- 1966 P3 HELICOPTER IN COMIC
- 1966 SAND FLEA AND SNOW TRAIN
- 1966 MOBILE LAUNCH PAD IN COMIC
- 1965 SPACEX MOONBASE CONCEPT
- 1965 APOLLO FIRST UK TOY AD
- 1962 NOVA CONCEPT
- 1962 MOONBUS CONCEPT
- 1961 MOON PROSPECTOR CONCEPT
- 1953 MOLAB CONCEPT