Nagasakiya SF Mecha MOLAB

Here's something we've seen before on MC but only in part. Now we can see the full candy showa molab vehicle from Japan. Thanks to Terry H for pointing it out.

What do you think?

ANT'S COUSIN, THE M O L A B

And speaking of cool lunar concepts that remained squarely on Earth, here's the ANT's cousin, the MOLAB, one of a number of mobile laboratory designs. 

Do you prefer this style of MOLAB to the one Triang opted for for their SpaceX range? 

Bob's Big LP Collection

Hi Woodsy,

I've been following some of the threads about the Wonderful LP space toys and Golden Astronaut/Spacex toys lately. 

Some of the rarer ones do show up in the States from time to time. Although, I had to go through a third party to secure a Molab for sale in Argentina recently.

 While I have yet to finish my permanent display setup for these great toys, here is a group shot of some of my larger LP lunar vehicles, and a pic of my recent Golden Astronaut series 2 finds.

I have way too many space related toys stashed away in totes, where I can't enjoy them right now due to the space demands of my retro scifi action figure business!

Anyway, thanks!

Bob Aucutt

USA

SPACE ANTS

I love this old shot of the Grumman MOLAB concept. SWORDIES out there will know this vehicle as the ANT from the Project SWORD Annual.

It would have made a great toy!

Below are some sketches by space guru Krafft Ehricke, which include what look like ANTSs too.

 Have you any ANTS readers?

WE'RE MOBILE

I've always liked this NASA MOLAB design. This postcard was on auction so I saved the pic. Here it is trundling through the barren wastes of the Northern Arizona desert way back when.

I've never seen a toy version of this in the flesh. I think there may have been designs but nothing produced.

Do you know of a toy version readers?

MOLABS AVAILABLE AGAIN!

 Good News!

Molabs will be once more available in breakfast cereals!

Scrunchy Marshmallows Dreams will be offering small plastic Molabs in their scrumptious crunchy bowls.

So guys, you can now get molabs again in your Dreams!

MOLAB PROTOTYPE

Check out this amazingly colourful and clunky MOLAB prototype from NASA's archive.  What do you think?

Like two Action Man astronauts scrapping in space I thought!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf4ZObW2wtk

GRUMMAN LSS ROVER ON FILM: THE PROJECT S.W.O.R.D ANT

 Oh my God! I have been checking for footage of this old rover for ages on YT.

Here it is!

Project SWORD called this vehicle the ANT in the 1968 Annual - click on the labels.

It would had made a fab Century 21 SWORD toy!

Do you agree?

Has anyone seen this rover in the flesh?

MOLAB ON THE MOVE!

 I love this old MOLAB!

What a treat to actually see it in action!

Have you ever seen it in the flesh?

NO CRATER LOVE

 

I love this bag of bootleg crater critters from Mexico, Criaturas Extranas.

There's even an R&L style Molab in there too for good measure!

You got any bootleg crater critters or real ones maybe?

COSMIC WATER MOLAB

I don't often see these but I love the Molab graphic on the header card!

Do you like it?

BOEING MOLAB SCRAMBLE BUG

Boeing MOLAB pics courtesy of Rob Godwin, Canada.

KEV'S GREY MOLAB

Hi,

I picked up (cheaply), this little Molab from Ebay. I had a red one and a blue one as a kid but not a grey one!

Nice little thing,

Kevin

UK

THE NASA MOON CHARIOT

Hi Woodsy,

I hope all is well at Moonbase Central. After the terrible news from Britain, things are still quiet in NZ. We are up to 708 cases, with just one death so far, which was on Sunday.

I have been enjoying all the posts, and just saw the one on Kev's Star Cops Sketches. The Moon Buggy reminded me of a model by Matchbox. 

It is the NASA S.E.V./Chariot. Model number MB1080, this came out in 2018. 

While it is not identical, it is also a six-wheeler, with a large cab - only the port side has an airlock. 

The white crew compartment is metal, while the gold base is plastic. The wheels have gold hubs, and the windows are tinted blue. This seems to be based on a real NASA design, although rather simplified. 

Still a very nice model, Matchbox have never had many space or SF models in their standard toy line. 

The backing card shows the vehicle traversing rocky terrain, with various desert plants in the background - presumably this depicts the vehicle under test in the US, rather than on the Moon or Mars.

Paul A 

New Zealand

Anyone else got this model?

CLIP-FITS R&L MODEL SETS

Moonbase has covered the R&L Outer Space series of breakfast cereal models many times like this fabulous group I saw on an Ebay auction.

Triang SpaceX/ Golden Astronauters will recognise the green and orange Moon Cars as the MOLAB.

Browsing the net I also found these sets I'd not come across before, Clip Fits. Courtesy of New Zealand's Flickrhivemind, there are 4 boxed sets of models: aircraft, cars, ships and our friends, outer space. I can't see a makers mark but I assume the models are repackaged R&L.

Outer Space comprises of the radar, astronaut, apollo capsule and the LEM.

It's a shame there isn't a MOLAB in there but they're nice sets nevertheless.

Does anyone know Clip-Fits?

MOLAB PISTOL

Couldn't help noticing the MOLAB in the left corner of the header art on this toy.

Looks like the original art lifted.

Have you any MOLAB art or toys?

A LIGHT BULB MOMENT: MY HOME-MADE SPACEX MOLAB TOY DONE!

Well, my junkpile SpaceX MOLAB toy is all done now.

In some respects it was the hardest as I really battled with its odd shape and my lack of decent red paint. I'm disappointed with the results to be honest.

Still, its .... sort of .... MOLAB' ish I hope

The main body is a car headlight bulb with metal e-cig atomisers stuck on each side.

Some play-doh helped smooth out the rear fin and sides.

The rear engines are bashed together from card and tubes and slicked silver.

Added details are bits of lime plastic and a black plastic drawing pin cover for the dome.

A small SpaceX II logo spices up the tail and I've 'written' MOLAB on the other side in tiny capitals. A cheat really. I suppose I'd run out of SpaceX steam by this point!

The window was created by blocking off the shape with a rubber band glued onto the bulb before painting. Once dried I peeled off the band and voila - a windscreen! Bit raggedy but it sort of works!

From the back the whole thing looks OK from a distance!

The filament of the bulb gives the suggestion of something inside the cockpit I hope.

The wheels are blacked rubber rings with silvered drawing pins for hubs. The axles are bits of plastic straw held in place with rubber suspension 'tubes'.

Hope you like it.

Taking a breather now!

KEVIN'S NEW SPACEX MOLAB

Hi

Very pleased to have finally got my first ever Spacex II toy, the Molab above.

I have never seen one in the plastic before, despite being a huge Spacex fan from the moment I saw them as a child. 

I have all of the Spacex I range mint, carded etc. yet it has taken me 57 years to get my first in the Spacex II range! I want to collect the lot now!

Re. the Molab, I needed to make a new rear panel, engines and stickers for it - see below - but I've got it!

Very excited!

Kevin D

ARTICULATED MOLAB BY DARTH

Hey Woodsy

Thought you could add the above image - Lunar Jeep - to your Molab files. Looks like the various Molabs you have on the site in the image below. Clearly it has the back end of the Grumman Molab though. It's from NASA 1965. 

BTW the four limbed axial space station in this Moonbase picture was by Northrup.

Darth
Canada

Superb Old NASA Test Pictures

I came across this post on Io9 and thought I'd share it.

Its a set of brilliant pictures of NASA equipment trials including some suits and vehicles we will all recognise.

Have a look on Awesome Photos of NASA Equipment Tests. Enjoy.