WATCH THAT SHUTTLE

 

We may have had this on MC before. I just love this carded space watch toy I saw online. Japanese, its got everything; cool card art, great graphics of the Shuttle and a watch that fires disks! Whats not to like!

You like? Got anything like it?

SILVER SURFING

 

Another neat Shuttle I saw surfing auctions. Not a radio but radio-controlled. Its the silver chromed finish that does it for me. Wow! Do you like it readers?

THE MATCHBOX SKY BUSTERS DREAM CHASER

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.

Dream Chaser - Wikipedia

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.

Dream Chaser (SB-143) | Matchbox Cars Wiki | Fandom

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Addition: Hot Wheels branded Skybusters!

Enterprise With Booster Rockets

I recently saw a picture of this old Revell Space Shuttle kit, and thought it looked odd. Enterprise was the first Shuttle Orbiter to be built, but it never flew in to space. It was used only for ground testing, and flights within the atmosphere (carried aloft by a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft).

The box art shows the Enterprise, in Full Stack configuration, blasting in to space, high above the Earth. That is clearly something that never happened, although it was originally planned to refit the Enterprise for space flight.

The box art is therefore pure fiction, but was the Enterprise ever seen in Full Stack configuration ? It turns out that it was, as part of the test programme. So you can model the Enterprise with ET and SRBs, on its pad, and be historically accurate.

Apart from the Full Stack version, Revell also did the Orbiter on its own, and atop a Boeing 747. There was also an Alien Invader version. Revell clearly wanted to get the most use they could out of their expensive mould.

The Revell Enterprise With Booster Rockets, kit number H-194, has a copyright date of 1978 on the box. It is to 1/144th scale, and comprises the Orbiter itself, the large External Tank, two Solid Rocket Boosters, and the Mobile Launch Pad base. 

The Cargo Bay doors open, to show the Spacelab and the robotic Manipulator arm. The completed model stands over 17 inches tall (43.2 cm). Moulded in white plastic. Decals were included for both Orbiter 101 Enterprise, and Orbiter 102 which had not yet been named.

An excellent selection of photographs from Ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324081454245

One photograph, from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

UDVAR HAZY AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM: THE DISCOVERY SPACE SHUTTLE

 

Photographs kindly shared by Terranova47, USA

MICHELIN TYRES AND THE NOREV SHUTTLE

Hi Woodsy

Glad you liked the Michelin Space Shuttle, I could not resist it when I saw it - not that I tried very hard. $40 NZ, which is more than I usually spend on models, but this was something really special. 

Yes, it is a real vehicle. Used by Michelin to promote their tyres. It took me ages to find any photos or information on it on the internet. Here are two shots, all I could find. 

Crazy, you would think something this special would be really well covered. The Caravane du Tour de France seems to consist of a fleet of advertising vehicles for various companies, which travels with the Tour de France bicycle race in France each year - I think. 

As I know nothing of sport, I had to piece this together from what I could find. All these sites include photos of many other vehicles.

cyclingmodel.over-blog.com/article-la-caravane-du-tour-de-france-a-80-ans-24-michelin-49648038.html

cyclingmodel.over-blog.com/article-1901186.html

also some good shots of other vehicles here:

https://mariothemultipla.wordpress.com/2014/07/14/caravan-of-fun-promo-vehicles-on-the-tour-de-france/

It just seems crazy that the Shuttle would be retired with no replacement in sight, leaving the American manned space programme dependent on Russia.

The shop where I got this is only a small shop, and they were only letting a few people in at a time, and I had to wait outside for a few minutes before being allowed in. 

They have both new and second hand models. Die-casts, kits, railways. I got a mix of die-casts and some WW2 armour kits. Yes, it was great to be able to see and handle models again. This is certainly my star buy of the day.

Paul A

New Zealand

Norev Space Shuttle 1

Hi Woodsy

On Saturday, 24th May I was able to get to a model shop for the first time in several months. Got a few bits and pieces, including this model. It is by the French firm of Norev, and depicts an unusual variant of the Space Shuttle. The model is based on a real vehicle, used by the tyre company Michelin to promote its products. 

The Tour de France bicycle race is accompanied by a fleet of vehicles which advertise various companies, and Norev have produced models of several of them over the years. This vehicle was used in the 1998 Tour, but the model is from somewhat later. It is mainly metal, with plastic details, and is a good model.

Space Shuttle tyres were originally made by BF Goodrich, which was bought by Michelin in 1989, which is why Michelin are using a Space Shuttle to promote their products. I do not know what sort of vehicle was used as the basis for this mobile billboard, but it could have been a tractor ? The Shuttle is being held up by two Michelin Men. 

The Orbiter is very flat, and the wings are an odd shape. It carries the name Enterprise. The colour scheme is blue and white, the Michelin colours, rather than the black and white used on real Shuttles. Markings on the base are NAVETTE SPATIALE MICHELIN (Michelin Space Shuttle in French), 1/43, and the NOROV name.

It comes in a boring, plain white window box, with the Norev name in silver on the sides. On the back it states Designed in France, Made in China. Alas, no date.

I love this model!

Paul Adams

New Zealand

ARE THERE ANY INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TOYS?

Just been watching Space Station Live on UK telly. A fascinating glimpse into the world of the astronauts on the International Space Station.

This was preceded by a radio package I listened to driving home from Bradford about the shift from braun to brains when selecting NASA astronauts.

And with the movie Gravity scooping up awards left, right and centre are we witnessing a resurgenge in interest in space readers?

The Space Shuttle generated plenty of toys. Not sure about Skylab toys? Anyone? Can we expect beautiful plastic toy International Space Stations in wonderful boxes reminiscent of the glory days/? Are there any ISS toys out there at all?

Do you have a favourite Space Station toy from your youth?


POST SCRIPT:


I saw this on the bay. Is it a space station do you think readers?

The First Ride

A short slideshow using my T Shuttle and C21 Cape Kennedy crawler and gantry. In memory of Dr. Sally Ride.