SPACE ARTIST ROBERT McCALL DIES

Today I learnt the sad news from reader Darth that acclaimed US space artist, Robert McCall, has died at the age of 90. For many people Robert McCall was the premier space artist of his generation capturing the the beauty of space in paintings of real Apollo missions and the fantasy of 2001: Space Odyssey, perhaps his most famous work. Mr.McCall painted the wonderful 'Earth to Moon Shuttle', which inspired the Project SWORD Nuclear Ferry, without doubt the most beautiful of all the SWORD toys and box illustrations.

With Ed Valigursky's death last year we have lost two of the brightest stars. May they continue to shine on us from the heavens they loved so much.

I'm sure that you will join me in offering our deepest sympathy to the McCall family.

Phoenix Business Journal

THE LAST STARFIGHTER: MYSTERY TOY PISTOL

Been watching THE LAST STARFIGHTER, which I found on the VHS shelf at the local Charity shop. Never seen it before and I'm enjoying what I've seen so far. Clearly influenced by Star Wars and Tron. Anyway, toys in films - just what is that red pistol on the desk at the start of the movie? Around the 7 to 12 seconds slots in this You Tube clip.

Newsflash: I checked out that Pez Pistol Jay but there's no yellow on it's grip. I can see yellow in the film clip. Found this die-cast Captain Scarlet gun from the '60's - has a yellow grip. Would this have been in a US movie? Waddaya reckon?

THUNDERBIRDS AMBULANCE?

This futuristic plastic Skoda Ambulance on Ebay US is very Thunderbirds! Is it the one that whizzed around airports on the show?

News: I know what I was thinking of - the Hover Bus, which featured at the start of the Thunderbirds TV episode 'The Mighy Atom', which we can see through the wonder of You Tube around the 1min 57secs  slot

Rather than plastic like the Skoda Ambulance above, the Hover Bus is wooden. Marc Fratassio described it on the net years ago here (about three-quarters the way down) and there's some more recent amazing shots and information about the actual prop on the Gerry Anderson's Props site. Cool or what!

T SPACE VEHICLE SURFACES AGAIN

This marvellous Space Vehicle was unknown to me until last year when Ferryman first introduced the blog to it in his article. This particular example was auctioned this week by a Hong Kong seller who, if I remember correctly, also auctioned the Nuclear Ferry in January 2009. As we discussed last year it's obviously a relative of the T Moonbus. I couldn't tell from the auction listing if it was made by T or not *. Maybe one of the blog's readers was the lucky winner and may be able to confirm it? This example doesn't appear to have the NASA 'A' logos on it. A beautiful item and a distinct gap in the Moonbase collection!

* now confirmed as T.

SCALE MODEL NORTHROP AND MARTIN X-PLANES

Modelmakers have been biulding kits of SWORD-like planes for years. Probably before 1967 when the X-Planes in the SWORD fleet were produced, the Space Glider and Dyna Soar. This love affair with X-planes kits shows no sign of fading and there are many sites devoted to them on the net. I came across SCALE MODEL AIRCRAFT a little while ago and the site owner, Alexandre Biqey, has kindly given me permission to post some of his brilliant pictures, including models at the IPMS USA Nationals 2007.

Does anyone know when the very first kits appeared for the Northrop Lifting Body M2F1. M2F2, Bell Lifting Body HL10, Dyna Soar X-40 and the Martin X-24B?

THE LAST FERRY

AURORA MONSTER MODELS SPOTTED IN SALEM'S LOT: EEK!

I'm struggling to find the space and robot toys scene in Eliott's room in ET so in the meantime here's some classic Aurora Monsters being painted by the hero kid in SALEM'S LOT. OK, they're not space-related but those model kits, which my big Brother Steve had in our house, we're as essential as a Johnny Seven and a Secret Sam Attache Case back in the mid-60's! Salem's Lot, starring one David Soul (very approprite surname given his role in this film), was a rather scary mini-series, which was condensed into a great vampire flick in 1979. If you've seen it you'll never forget James Mason playing the sinister Straker, the nosferatuesque rat-toothed Barlow and in the creepiest scene of the film, when one of the Glick boys floats outside the window tapping on the glass! Uuuugh! The Aurora models (late 70's versions I presume) feature off and on between the 4.50 and 7.30 minute slots in this You Tube part 10. Be warned though, if you don't like Vampire movies don't watch!

TOYS I'VE WALKED PAST: SPACE TRAVEL TB2

Here's another knockoff toy I walked past in pound shops in the 1990's. Wish I'd have at least bought one for a pound! Like THUNDERCOP it's a TB2 knockoff, but a lot cheaper looking. It's called Space Travel. A sort of pull-string whirling ring toy - not sure how the TB2 part fitted in? Anyone got one?