RARE EARTH: THE SPACEX II LUNAR TRANSPORTER

The Spacex II Lunar Transporter or LT-10 is one of my favourite SpaceX toys. It was made by Pippin Rovex Tri-ang. Although I've never owned one I can appreciate its sleek lines and classic lip-stick design, which reminds me of the Nova Rocket on its side. This picture is one I've photoshopped together using a carded example I saw several years ago on an online auction, together with a nice loose one from the Ferryman collection.

As far as I know the toy was inspired by a similar spacecraft featured in the 1960's Japanese movie The Green Slime. The vehicle also inspired model company Midori to release it in kit form. I have yet to see a photo of both the SpaceX toy and the Midori kit together, but suspect that the model is much bigger.

There may also be a US boxed version of the SpaceX toy as part of the Golden Astronaut Deluxe Die-Cast Metal Chassis range, but I've never seen one.

I would be pleased to receive pictures and anecdotes of your Lunar Transporter for the blog.

MIDORI LUNAR TRANSPORTER: NEW BOX ART?

We've seen the MIDORI Lunar Transporter from Japan before but I'm unsure if we've seen this particular box on the blog. Set on a lunar landscape, its remarkably SWORD-like and would not look out of place as SWORD box art. 

You see from the contents that the unpainted model appears to be dark bluey green and comes with a picture of the Transporter and chums.

Anyone got one of these?

HOME MADE SPACEX LUNAR TRANSPORTER LT-10: ALL DONE!

Well, after superglueing my hands together and jumping up and down loads in frustration I've finally finished my home made scratchbuilt LT-10 Lunar Transporter inspired by the Tri-ang SpaceX original.

The aerials came together using  a couple of red cap gun cap cases as the little bases and two globe headed pins painted white.

The decal is a combination of stickers cut to size and some colouring with pens.

The lettering is letraset scratched to size on the gloss side of a strip of sticky tape. It stuck onto the side of the mascara tube really well.

You can see the boxy undercarraige here that I had to make to carry the wheel axles.

At the rear I placed a magnet for added value in case accessories need attaching. This magnet was capped with a piece of metal to sort of suggest the die-cast base of the original. The wheel structure was the hardest thing I had to make!

In a fit of excess I also made a custom Lunar Trailer using an old radio aerial and parts from an older scratch project.

The aerial still extends for those tricky moon journeys ferrying bright green isotopes across the craters.

Rather neatly the aerial is able to push into the e-cig exhaust on the Transporter!

This junk project was a lot of fun I have to admit.

How do you think it turned out readers?

OPERATION EYELINER: SPACEX LT10 LUNAR TRANSPORTER FROM SCRATCH

I'm beginning a poor man's SpaceX II LT10 project.

Having scoured the cosmetics department of Ebay I've chosen this as the basis of the Lunar Transporter.

I'll keep you posted readers.

Anyone else building anything?

MIDORI LT10 LUNAR TRANSPORTER KIT

Found this fabulous MIDORI model kit of the ship seen in the film The Green Slime (featured previously on the blog), on which the LT10 lunar Transporter from the Spacex range is based. This model is one of many brilliant vintage kit boxes pictured on modernfreds flickr site. There's also a series of fabulous pics from the PROJECT SWORD Annual. Recommended viewing.

SPACEX LT10 LUNAR TRANSPORTER IN THE FILM GREEN SLIME 1969

LT10 Lunar Transporter spectacular landing on planet's surface - at 7.30 minutes. It's worth the wait!

For previous posts on the LT10 click here.

THE MIDORI LUNAR TRANSPORTER

Here are a couple of online images from Yahoo Japan of their auctioned space kits lot [thanks Terry H].

Its a tasty dish of allsorts including Captain Scarlet, Angels, the Skyship 1 gondola and much more.

Some lucky collector also bagged the wondrous Lunar Transporter by Midori. Its the long silver vehicle below to the left.

I mean Wow! has anyone got one?

MOON BUS LUNAR TRANSPORTER CONVOY

 

 

After posting the Midori Lunar Transporter box art the other day I noticed it had the same angle as the Moon Bus at the back of the Project SWORD Annual. Here's my poor attempt to merge the two illustrations. See what you think.

MIDORI 'LUNAR TRANSPORTER' KIT

Our man in Japan has delivered the scoop once more with this wonderful Midori kit of the principal vehicle from the B-Movie 'Green Slime'. Apparently the basis for the Spacex Lunar Transporter toy, this model is a large battery powered version - probably about 8-10 inches long judging by the pics. Even bigger is the current bid, almost £200 ! Those inscrutable japanese do love their vintage kits!

GREEN SLIME LUNAR TRANSPORTER: NEW IMAGE

Lunar Transporter a la SpaceX

The Green Slime

Japanese DVD

Top left

midori lunar toys

Eagled-eyed Japanese model fan Terry Harle spotted these beauties on an auction site last month.

Of great interest to SWORD and SPACEX fans are the second and third vehicles from the left, which we would recognise as the cigar-shaped Lunar Transporter or LT10 and the multi-wheeled Lunar Climber.

Both 'toys' shown are vintage built-up models from Japanese brand MIDORI.

The Midori 'Lunar Climber' is a moving model and has been featured before on the blog but I'm unsure if the Midori 'LT10' moves.

Does anyone know?

KONAMI LUNAR CARRIER

The Konami Lunar Carrier, another model from Konami’s UFO TV series range.

Unlike my previous Konami post on the Konami S.I.D. which came as part of a double pack, the Lunar Carrier was part of a separate UFO set. http://projectswordtoys.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/konami-sid.html

 With all the sealed boxes looking exactly the same what you’d find inside was down to pot luck, and according to the UFO series page with the chances of getting a Carrier was one in ten.

In the TV series the Lunar Carrier (or Moon Transporter as it’s described in the UFO annual) is the lifting body used to take the Lunar Module up to the edge of space, whereupon the Module is released to continue its journey to the Moon, while the Carrier returns to Earth.

This concept art by Derek Meddings shows that there were few differences between Derek’s original design and the finished studio model.

Like its TV counterpart, the Konami Carrier has a tiny detachable Lunar Module.

SLIME TIME: THE MIDORI LUNAR TRANSPORTER

 

I'm back from a week in sunny North Wales and relaxing surfing the net after 7 days abstinence. Just found this new cool image of the model Luna Transporter inspired by the film The Green Slime; it was made as a kit by Midori. We know it better as the glorious Tri-ang SpaceX LT10. For some reason it always reminds me of a lipstick on wheels! [picture: Retro Plastic Model Gallery]

 

You can check out this image and many more fabulous Japanese kits at The Retro Plastic Model Gallery, illustrating catalogues at the Bunkyo Yayio Museum in Japan. It also includes the Midori and Paramount Beetle aka Lunar Climber. Yummy!

SWORD SIZE SPACEX

 

Left to Right:

Interchangeable Tractor,  Tarheel NOVA Hawk

Interchangeable Cricket,  Midori Luna Transporter

Interchangeable Nuclear Freighter,  SpaceX Nuclear Pulse

SR1 Blackbird model kit,  PAYA Moon Buggy

SpaceX LEM and Capsule,  Hawk Beta 1 model kit

 

 

Being a total SWORDhead I often consider almost pointless questions about my favourite toy line! I can't help it, its part of my condition! One such conundrum is whether there are any SpaceX/ Golden Astronaut [GA] toys which are Project SWORD sized?

 



 

Avoiding the obvious duplicates between the two ranges like Moon Bus, Moon Prospector, Space Glider etc, I have looked for SpaceX/ GA toys which are not in the SWORD line in the hope of creating an even bigger SWORD range. Wow I hear you say!

 

 

It's not as easy as it sounds though. Luckily there is an unusual set of interchangeable SpaceX - type toys that Wotan owns, which are about four times bigger than normal SpaceX/GA toys. These have formed the basis of my SWORD-size SpaceX/GA fleet, along with the two SpaceX/GA toys, which are already large enough and not in the SWORD range: the LEM/ Capsule and the Nuclear Pulse. The Interchangeable cricket could be replaced with any of the other big versions that exist such as Remco's Hamilton Invaders and Star Trek and the various Codeg [Cowan de Groot] and related army crickets.

 

 

The remainder includes what are probably the two closest to SWORD scale, the Tarheel or Durham NOVA Hawk and the PAYA Moon Buggy. Finally I have had to raid the world of model kits, grabbing a Lunar Transporter, BETA 1 plane and SR1 Blackbird.

 

 

So what do you think of my efforts? Any more you can think of?

 

 

If anyone owns groups of these toys it would be great to see them photographed alongside their SWORD chums!

LIPSTICK TRANSPORTER: THE BODY AND COCKPIT

My scratch LT10 Lunar Transporter model project has begun.

I've removed all the silver lettering from the lipstick case.

I've taken the silver cap off it and found some pens that will come in useful.

The blue pen did. I cut off its rounded end and split that in two. 

It'll become the blue blister cockpit.

and finally, I've inserted the two lipstick case ends together to create the basic body shape.

More shenanigans on the workbench soon!

MIDORI GREEN SLIME TRANSPORTER

This is the Midori model Lunar Transporter.

I saw it on Yahoo Japan.

I do like this design, which was first seen in the film The Green Slime.

The rear engine really does look like a permanent marker pen top.

Not sure what the black 'arms' are at each side. You?

Tri-ang went on to release a smaller toy version, the LT-10.

Have you got anything like this?

THE BARRY FORDE SPACEX COLLECTION

P3 Helicopter

MEV-2

Lifting Body x 2

Cricket

Forklift

Orange Space Patrol 1 and green unlicensed version

Reconnaissance 2

Surveyor

SII - MOLAB

SII - Lunar Transporter

Booster

SII - ATS

All these pictures originally appeared on the Space 1999 Transporter Forum. Reprinted here with the kind permission of Barry Forde.