TOY SCOUTS

I'm used toy seeing the Astro scout car in blue and yellow but here's an interesting blue and red version on Worthpoint. The Ideal Astro Base must have been an amazing toy to have in the early sixties.

Did you have one?

IDEAL ASTRO BASE FIRST DATE

The American Ideal Toys Astro Base mechanical car was one of the likely inspirations for the 1967 Project SWORD Moon Ranger.

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

Ideal Astro Base 1960 : How Brilliant is that!

This is a decent video demonstration of the functions of the 1960 Astro Base by Ideal. Its a You Tubed sales pitch from 2010 by a chap called Dezertdude but ignore the sales talk and focus on the amazing movements and actions of this early and complex space toy.

Why am I particularly interested? Well, its because the astronaut and scout car cockpit are the earliest examples I know of toy parts that eventually became incorporated into the Century 21 Project SWORD  line 7 years later in 1967, specifically in the Moon Ranger.

Having watched the clip I am now wondering of there is any evidence of the 'ring' on the back of the Project SWORD Moon Ranger astronaut? The same goes for the American Moon Ranger by Tarheel or indeed the earlier Japanese Moon Ranger by Nichimo?

Anyone want to look and let us know?

ideal astro base origin of the project sword moon ranger pilot and dome

In Winter 2015 I did some research into the likely origins of the Project SWORD Moon Ranger pilot, cockpit and dome released by Century 21 Toys in in 1967

I concluded that they were first seen on the space car of the Astro Base by Ideal 1961 and blogged my findings at the time in  new origins. A few weeks later I blogged a link to a picture of the Ideal pilot's mould.

Eighteen months on I hope to further help visualise the connection between the two toys. I have posted here two short films showing the pilot and dome being lowered onto each toy.

This first clip, top, shows Ideal's Astro Base in action and the how the pilot and dome was lowered [and raised] via the battery-operated winch on the tower. It is an original 1961 US TV commercial courtesy of You Tube.

This second clip above shows the Century 21 pilot and dome being lowered into the Project SWORD Moon Ranger. 

This does not usually happen but has been used to show the similarities between the two pilots and domes.

This film was kindly shot by Bill B of his own Moon Ranger and I edited the final video making it black and white as well. 

Its interesting to start both films at the same time and watch the two lowering sequences together.

Hopefully this mini film project has been of some interest.

Let me know what you think.