MY NEW GREEN EAGLE SPACE GLIDER

Late last year Wotan Bill tipped me off about this elusive Space Glider in Ebay.

Its one of the more obscure 2001 toys, sporting a Spirit of America-style eagle and stars. 

Here are the original auction pictures from mac0405.

Luckily I was able to bag this new green one for a reasonable price and its now stationed in the Moonbase holding area awaiting a full check-up.

Its worth pointing out that the eagle and stars are in fact adhesive clear decals. I think that two 'Spirit of America' title side decals and two US flags should be present but are missing from this one.

You can see them here on this fully-liveried darker green glider I saw years ago on the net [in a different and rather snazzy box].

I had always assumed that these were printed directly onto the plastic but they're not. Based on this I now reckon there are undecorated green 2001 gliders out there, as well Spirit of America decaled versions in all the available colours. Anyone got one?

I have found plain red, white and yellow versions already as seen here in the Moonbase collection, bottom right.

The two remaining 2001 gliders still missing from the Moonbase fleet are these:

an orange glider

and this flame-edged white NASA version 

And, just spotted online today! Mr. Blue! 

I so want one of those! 

What do you think readers?

GLIDING TO SUMMER

 Funny what Google throws up randomly from my archive.

Here's a nice shot of my Tarheel green Space Glider last summer, idling on a table beneath the bush.

Roll on UK sunshine! It's currently rain and hail all the time!

Little Lifting

There's another small Space Glider out there, besides the Triang Spacex ones.

The Anigrand model kit of the HL-10.

This is Brian Powel's build on the great imodeller site.

https://imodeler.com/2023/02/1-72-anigrand-hl-10-lifting-body/ 

Have you ever made a model like this?

Wooden It be Nice

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Northrop-NASA-M2-F2-Airplane-Desktop-Wood-Model-/301881163103?_ul=IN 

This would look just great on a desk! 

For the space glider collector with everything.

Do you have any wooden models?

BAC Mustard lifting Body Space Glider

Check out this yellow lifting body kit on Britmodeller. It's new to me. You?

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235120572-bac-mustard-lifting-body-glider/ 

Uplifting!

I like this old statuette of the Northrop M2-F5 Lifting Body. Of unknown origin you can read more about it's current home in the Air and Space Museum.

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/model-aircraft-m2-f2-lifting-body/nasm_A19750398000 

Have you got an aviation desk statuette readers? Maybe a solid metal one?

ARTO'S SPACE GLIDERS

 To complete this year's Space Glider thread here's Arto's beautiful fleet too.

From L to R:

Orange Hover NASA Space Tract*, Tarheel Grey Space Glider*, Durham Green Space Glider, Century 21 Grey Space Glider, Hoover orange Space Glider.

*= Not in the Moonbase Fleet.

Have you got a Space Glider?

The Real Space Glider

Woodsy, I loved your space glider collection post - way cool!! Thought you'd like to see this photo of the H-10 Lifting Body taken at Edwards AFB in 1982.

From Vegas Base

Ed

THE MOONBASE TOY SPACE GLIDER FLEET 2023

Over this year I've at last added to my collection of plastic Space Gliders.

In particular I've furthered my 2001 Space Glider fleet with the help of friend Paul Vreede, who secured an elusive yellow variant for me being sold in Germany. As the UK is no longer in the EU, buying old toys like this from the EU has become much more difficult, so I was very grateful to Paul for sorting it [thanks Paul].

So without further ado here's my Space Glider fleet kindly photographed as a group and individually by Wotan [thanks Bill]. Hope you like them.

2001 Space Glider, yellow, sonic control

2001 Space Glider, white, with aerial, radio control

2001 Space Glider, red, radio control

Hoover Space Gliders, two different switch colours

Mego Space Tract [see Arto's Hover version]

Day-f-ran Space Glider, the cheapest quality glider

Kevin's chromed Space Glider custom

Durham Space Glider [see Arto's Tarheel version], no box

Century 21 Toys Space Glider, orange version

Century 21 Space Glider, grey version 

 - the forerunner of all toy Space Gliders and also the starting point of my Project SWORD collection way back in 1990 [bought for £20 at Normanton evening toy fair!]

For more Space Gliders, including Arto's amazing collection, click on the labels below.

There are still a few more to go!

Have you got a space glider readers?

BODY DOUBLE

Its amazing what's on the 3d printing site Shapeways.

Here's a gorgeous little Lifting Body Space Glider a la Project SWORD and Triang SpaceX.

I wonder what else is on there!

UTOPIAN SPACE GLIDERS

 

I love covers on old sci-fi mags, especially European ones.

This German Utopia number 582 has this great cover showing that triad of sci-fi tropes: a robot, a pyramid and a squadron of space craft.

Those craft look ace too, a bit like Project SWORD Space Gliders!

Do you like it?

NEW WHITE 2001 NASA SPACE GLIDER: BLACK V VARIANT

 Here's another NASA 2001 Space Glider variant which I don't think we've seen before in this exact form. Its hard to recall now as there are quite a few! I saw this on an old auction listing.

I love this white colouring and the small black V on the nose. My own white example doesn't have the nose V but my red one does.

Have you got as NASA 2001 Space Glider readers?

RICHARD'S RECYCLED DAY-FRAN GLIDER PROJECT

Hi Woodsy

On my Day-F-Ran Glider, where the round Wheel system was - I inserted a Cap off an old Shower Gel Bottle - perfect size !! - painted it Chrome Silver, so it looks just like a Big Lift Engine !!

I painted all the glider inside Silver, so the orange plastic looked good on the outside, blanked off the rear wheel wells with black plasticard painted & detailed the Pilot & Cockpit, added loads of decals & Striping to the body & had some PROJECT SWORD Stickers made off the web - 

really pleased with the way it turned out !!

Hope you like it.

Richard

UK

CADZZILLA LIGHTS

 I've been drooling over online coverage of CadZZilla, the ZZ Top Caddy rat rod.

Its a sleek thing of beauty and the sloped rear end is simply irresistible.

Seeing the CadZZill's amazing back lights I was totally reminded of my beloved Project SWORD Space Glider's rear lamps!

Have you seen the CadZZilla before?

There's even a Hot Wheels replica.

THE DURHAM SNOW BOAT

This is a new one for me and Moonbase. 

The Snow Boat by that prolific plastic toy outfit Durham Industries. Its an unusual vehicle design and I've certainly not seen it before. This example is online on auction.

Durham, like Tarheel, released toys in bright coloured plastic and Durham issued a lime green Space Glider, which is on the blog.

The listing about the Snow Boat explains:

DURHAM INDUSTRIES INC., NY SUPER SNOW BOAT WITH POWER TREADS AND SPARKING EXHAUST. # 8324, MADE IN JAPAN. ABOUT 10 INCHES LONG. BOAT IS MISSING ITS WINDSHIELD.

I can't find a loose one anywhere online.

Do you like what you see?

ARTO'S MARVELLOUS HOVER SPACE TRACT

The unusual dome is the on-off switch on the Space Tract.

This is the scarce Hover version of the more common grey Mego Space Tract.

Special thinks to Arto for sharing pictures of his terrific find.