SPACEX ROCKET TRANSPORTER MODEL - DRAWING BOARD

With so much inspiration from Wotan's and Mike's fantastic models and dioramas I have decided that my own new project over the next month (or longer!) will be an attempt in some form at the elusive Spacex II Rocket Transporter. No idea how or where to start but my working 'notes' are pictured above - the micro machine and scud carrier look a little similar. I just can't figure out what's at the back of the Transporter and how it carried a rocket - was it vertical or horizontal? And what is that white object at its rear - the base of the rocket? The other puzzle is whether a second inverted V frame was also on the side we can't really see? ( and what was the V for?). If only there was a better picture tarn it!
y
Woodsy

SPACEX NUCLEAR PULSE DIORAMA BY MIKE BURROWS

Hi Paul,

Thank's for the email - I've certainly no objection to you posting the space station pic and the message (posted earlier. Ed). I'll try and rattle off a picture of the Rocket Transporter for the blog as well if you like. As you say though, it's a bit tricky as between us all it seems we've only got one little picture showing one angle to work off. I have looked on the net to see if there was any designs or vehicles that Tri-ang might have based it on but nothing so far. The shuttle crawler is probably nearest but that wouldn't have been around at the time - see bottom pic.

Anyway, best of luck with your scratch building - who dares, wins etc. - whatever the result it is very therapeutic - and it's inspiration for others. I'm slowly working on my Earth Base Spacex diorama at the moment and to be honest most of it is just bits of wood and plaster, and odd plastic bits and pieces I've hoarded over time, and of course, liberal amounts of acrylic paint. It might not be up to Derek Meddings standards but like you say it's lots of fun.

I've attached a preview piccy showing a Nuclear Pulse .

Cheers
Mike

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That Pulse diorama is just soooooo cool Mike! You and WOTAN should get together! Woodsy

SWORD DREAM SHOP: PHOTONIC PROPULSION SPACE STATION CARD ART BY MIKE BURROWS

Hi Paul,

Love your scratch built Photonic Space Station. It really is an unusual and fascinating toy shape. It does lead you to think that something inspired it. Theoretical ideas on Photonic drives do exist so maybe there's a drawing out there that the SpaceX bods turned into this elusive toy. Anyway, your efforts did inspired me to rattle off a bit of box art for you. Hope you like it.

Cheers
Mike Burrows

Nice one Mike! I love it! Woodsy

SPACEX CUSTOM FACTORY: WOTAN WORKS WONDERS

From WOTAN: Ebay can certainly make work for idle hands and fat credit cards too - having gone from having a box of battered childhood toys from the sixties, im now in the fortunate position of having enough Spacex toys to be able to happily pull them apart and remake them to my own design. Needle Probes, Explorer MEV2 and Crickets seem to appear in abundance on ebay, either battered and broken and only useful for bits, or minty on a card. I found myself a couple of summers ago with a few spares, a bottle of superglue and an overactive imagination. Consequently, I ended up with the above pictured models.

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The large Spacex Major one with the balloon tyres came about in response to seeing the fuel-carrying balloon-tyre trailers in the Marx Moon Base sets. Its basically a set of Capsela Monster Truck wheels, a bit of Robotix construction set, a spinning top and a few bits of a Micromachines oil rig. Hardest bit is matching the colours in paint! I find now that car paint works a treat if you can get just the right shade - trouble is you dont see many lime green cars these days!

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My gob is officially smacked! Wotan, you're the Man! Where can I buy these wonderful toys!Woodsy

MINIATURE X-PLANES IN THE SPACEX FLEET

Top - Nuclear Ferry carded

2 - Booster Rocket carded

3 - Booster Rocket loose

4 - MLP Rocket loose

5 - Nuclear Pulse loose

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From the collections of Wotan, Ferryman, M.McClellan, Ebay

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Having identified the mystery jet in the Space Station Ad as the MLP rocket shuttle, I got to thinking what other miniature jets are there in the Spacex fleet. Above is a rogues gallery of these diminutive but streamlined mini-spacecraft. If I've missed any do let me know.

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PS. This works for Project Sword too.

SPACEX HAWK INSPIRATION - DOUGLAS X3 STILLETO

I recently stumbled upon the top pic of the Lindberg Douglas X3 model kit and noticed a resemblance to the Spacex Hawk and the Tarheel Nova (middle pic). The bottom pic shows the real Douglas X3 Stilleto amongst other X-friends. Noticeable similarities between the toys and the x3 are the pin sharp body, the mini wings and the engines open 'nostrils'. Obvioulsy missing on the toys are the plane's T-finned tail and the strange cockpit. But I think there is enough in common to theorise that the X3 is the concept behind the two toys.

Silver Jet in the Photonic Space Station Ad Mystery Solved

SWORD DREAM WORKSHOP: THE SPACEX II PHOTONIC SPACE STATION NIGHT SHIFT

I've been putting in double time in the Sword Dream Factory this holiday! After my modest success and great fun with the Nuclear Freighter and Salvage Craft I turned my newly-honed modelling 'skills' to another of the Spacex II Rogues Gallery, the beautifully rare Photonic Space Station. The question of source material was relatively easy - there are only two illustrations ( the top two pics) - and my first attempt was a small black version using a 'Kinder' egg style toy Lunar Prospector by Furuta of Japan I found on Ebay. Basically all I did was add a clear canopy, photon dish and antenna using bits from my ancient box of odds and sods. What it lacks in the 'ice cream cone' shape of the original I feel it makes up for in its simplicity and well-deserves it's new name of Egg 1.

Not satisfied with Egg 1 however, I felt I needed to capture more of the station's tapering cone and its little details. So, with much trepidation, I decided to dip my toe in the Humbrol and attempt my first ever 'scratchbiult' project, a term which has up to this point filled me with glue-infused shock, dread and complete wonderment. Fortuitously I had recently read on the excellent Major Matt Mason Forum that Dental Floss boxes could be easilly converted into new backpacks for the Major! Suitably inspired by this DIY revelation, which even I could get my head around, I headed off to Poundland in search of photonic household items! Armed with packets of ink roller pens (for the basic cone body and an excellent clear round canopy), biros, plastic paint-brushes and my ever-faithful box of junk, the results can be seen above in the bottom four pics. Much bigger than Egg 1 and using a wilder Spacex palette, I present Ink 1, named after the ink roller pen at the heart of the 'model'. I'm unsure how successful Ink 1 is in terms of said model but I won't knock myself out too much as it was, after all, my first ever trip, albeit fairly basic, into the heady world of scratchbiulding! What fun!

So, now what?*$?