Annual Event

Back on the 25th December 1968 many of us will have unwrapped a cool Project SWORD Annual, especially in the UK. But what if Tarheel had brought out their own version for American Swordies? One basic change might have been to the front and back covers. Using the box art of the Tarheel SWORD fleet, here's my particularly poor attempt at the front one.

I'm sure someone can do a much better job than me!

PS. I've just thought, I'm unsure if my Mum and Dad wrapped my annuals at Xmas. I think they were left au natural. Like Selection Boxes. They were never wrapped. In fact now I think about it none of my Parent's prezzies were wrapped for my Brothers and me. They were neatly arranged on armchairs for my older sibs. Mine filled a sofa! [spoilt brat I hear you mutter!] Only those we got from Aunts, Uncles et al required unwrapping! Was this common practice?

Moon Maize

I've long wondered just what the strange material is that the Tarheel Moon Ranger is scooping up! My best guess is popcorn! What do you think?

SWORDEXMAS

Have a super Happy Crimbo everyone,

thanks for all your Sword support during 2011!

Woodsy and Wotan

Taken to Task: Force Three Varieties

Here's a gallery of all the task Force 3 toys, originals and clones, that I'm aware of [additions are ALWAYS welcomed]:

1. by Century 21 original, boxed - red base

2. by Century 21 original - grey base [missing cockpit blister is the same as 1.]

3. by SL of Hong Kong - boxed - toy seems identical to Tarheel version except for blue cockpit blister

4. by Tarheel of USA - carded - whitened cockpit blister

5. Unknown Maker - Japanese miniatures - came in green and grey colours

6. Unknown Maker - gold body, orange base, green exhausts, liveried like Tarheel/SL versions

All pictures have appeared previously on the blog. Credits cited at the time.

Any more out there in the Swordiverse?

DAY f RAN BOOSTER ART

Some SWORD knockoff toy companies only did it once. DAY f RAN is a good example as their only foray into the Swordiverse was the cheap but fascinating Space Glider copy pictured below. So I was pleased when I spotted this DAY f RAN Space Pilot Jet Ray Gun on fleabay. It features a sort of Booster Rocket in the top left corner of the header card. OK, it's more Ehricke than Valigursky but  it's a welcome addition to otherwise sparse space gallery of this particular toy company. If only they'd cloned more SWORD. Cheap and 'NASA'!

TV21 SWORD TEXT STORY: EX-CAPTAIN MORGAN

TV21 Issue 197

26th October 1968

With deepest gratitude to the Toad for providing this scan

To adjust size please use your zoom.

More Next Week!

Mike B's Airbus

Hi Woodsy, I don’t think I’d be alone in getting a buzz out of watching planes take off and land and the overall size and details of an airfield - like a full size diorama!

Most of the aircraft using Fuerteventura Airport are A320 Airbuses, which are popular with the short haul holiday airlines, so, chances are most of us would have flown in one . I think they are a compact and attractive aircraft although you do feel a bit cramped when you settle in your seat. Still, It’s the nearest I’m going to get to being a spaceman!

Anyway, hope you like the photos

Mike B

Mystery on Cloudbase

Hi Paul, I've attached photo that might be of interest - it's from the letter page of TV21 # 196 cover date October 19th 2068 (1968!). As you can see the lucky lad has excellent taste with his Dyna-Soar in pride of place and Probe Force 2 lurking to the far right of the photo.

There's also the Dinky SPV and the J.R. TB1 and TB3, but what has always puzzled me is the Spectrum Cloudbase that dominates the photo. As far as I know the only Cloudbase models of this era were the Bandai friction drive version and the Imai Model kit both of which would be far to small to fit in the scale of the other toys pictured. My only solution is that it was a home made model, but the quality seems too high for that (note the Spectrum writing on the bottom of the command tower and the overall detail).

So does anyone have a better answer ? Is this a lost Anderson toy ? Did a Vivid Imaginations Cloudbase from the early 1990's drop back in time ? Or did he just have very talented parents who built it for him ? This photo has puzzled me since I first saw it "live" when I was six years old, so if anyone can identify it I'd love to know !

Hope the 2nd part of the SCAPEGOAT Sword story helps, and keep up the great work with the Blog !
Best wishes

John Croot