Zero X Tails

As there are very few stills around of the Zero X in space without it's lifting bodies I thought these pictures  might fit the bill . Both are from TV21, and  presumably done as a photographic set up for the comic.

Note what appears to be a metal bracket holding the MEV to the main body.

 

 

 

As you can see the tail fin is down and the stabiliser wings are slightly extended.  I've been speculating that if footage was shot for Thunderbirds are Go of Zero X in space heading for Mars would this have been how it was set up?

Here's a screen grab from Thunderbirds are Go showing the main body in orbit over Mars clearly showing the tail fin up!

 

However, here's my Century 21 Zero X toy in the back garden clearly showing the tail fin down! 

 

Was the adjustable tail fin a feature that never got used?

 

It's got me puzzled!

 

What do you lot think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Gets Loopy

Modelling Maestro Kevin Davies sent me these cool shots of his original Daiya Lunar Loop toy, kept safe and in full working order since he was knee high to an Eagle Transporter. A fabulous toy which just bridges the gap between tin mechanised toys and plastic. Watch it go on Youtube too!

Thunderbirds Are Go Deleted Scene

A while back we we’re talking about the filmed deleted scenes in Thunderbirds Are Go and found that these scenes appeared in the novelisation of the film.

We know that one or two stills have come to light showing that some of these scenes were filmed.

One scene dealt with a televised broadcast between Tracy Island and the Trans - American Television Company.

Several stills dealing with this segment have survived including behind the scenes shots which show out of scale cars to create forced perspective.

The Joe 90 episode ‘ International Concerto’, has a few seconds of film from the deleted scene showing the Trans- American Buildings.

And Solo comic issue 29 has a cropped picture of the same buildings.



 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THE DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER MOON BUGGY

Before

After

photographs/ Graham Rye www.007magazine.com

 

Some time ago Wotan blogged about the fascinating design history of his 007 Moon Buggy toys by Corgi. Many actual movie vehicle props, on which our favourite die-cast were based, ended up forgotten and forlorn when the cameras stopped rolling and the Moon Buggy was no exception, finding itself a complete wreck in someones field! Fortunately 007 superfan Graham Rye rescued the Buggy and restored it to its former brilliant Diamonds Are Forever glory, which you can read about on his fabulous website. I asked him if I could post his amazing before and after photographs above, to which he replied:

Hello Woodsy,

Thank you for asking.

Please credit the two images as: PHOTOGRAPHS/GRAHAM RYE www.007magazine.com Please send me a link to the page when they’re live. There’s a lot of great fun stuff on your Blog pages, certainly takes me back! Thank you for the kind words about the 007 MAGAZINE website. One of the underwater Lotus Esprits is currently on display in the exhibition ’Bond In Motion. 50 vehicles. 50 Years.’ at Beaulieu.

You can view our coverage of it here. Thanks again for getting in contact.
Best regards
G r a h a m R y e
Editor, Designer, Photographer, Publisher

0 0 7 M A G A Z I N E

Zero X - Behind The Scenes

Seeing the original M.E.V. from ’ Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons’ being sold off the other day prompted me to dig out a few behind the scenes shots from ‘Thunderbirds are Go‘ taken from books by Derek Meddings and Alan Shubrook.

This first photo from Alan’s book shows the large model from the starboard side which I don’t recall seeing from that side in the film. What intrigues me as to why the tail fin is taped up - would there possibly have been a filmed sequence showing the tail fin retracting and maybe the stabilising wings coming out as happens on the C21 toy ?

Another photo of the large model being wheeled into place.

These two pictures show the smaller model being set up. It looks like the guy pulling the strings on the second picture , and balanced precariously on the three planks is the man, himself, Derek Meddings - Health & Safety would have had a field day at Century 21!

The final picture shows the large model looking pretty charred and being set up for another roasting by the looks of it. - If there was anything left, imagine finding the end result in a skip!

And don’t forget, if anybody’s got any other behind the scenes pics, let’s see ‘em!

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? THE LIFE-SIZE FAB 1

1966 ?

Gerry Anderson and FAB 1

pic: network nine news

 

 

I first came across the story of the lost life-size FAB 1 in Engale Marketing's excellent Century 21 magazine, where an extensive article and photo gallery described the discovery of the car, completely trashed, in an old barn and its subsequent transformation. I can't find my copy of the magazine anymore so here's an account culled from various online sources. Alas I can't find a picture of the car wreck in the barn. I'm sure there was a second large-scale film prop FAB 1 biult as well. Does anybody know?
A full-sized replica of FAB1, based on a Chinese-six (four in front, two in back), Bedford Duple Vega coach chassis, was constructed to transport Gerry and Sylvia Anderson to the London premiere of Thunderbirds Are GO (the vehicle broke down within a few hundred yards of departure and Gerry and Sylvia were forced to take a taxi cab to the premiere). However Rolls-Royce were not impressed by the car, which had a very poorly executed fibreglass body, and made several attempts to purchase it and have it destroyed. For a time they succeeded in forcing the removal of the genuine, RR grille which was replaced by a replica, bearing the initials LP instead [Wikipedia].


The subsequent history of the car is a bit obscure, but it is known to have been purchased by the owner of a small safari park and motor museum, who let it gradually decay. In 1989 it was eventually traced by Peter Nelson, owner of the [now closed] Cars of the Stars museum in Keswick, Cumbria who successfully outbid Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and the Bee Gees manager to acquire it, although it was by then in a state of total disrepair. Nelson commissioned Mellor Coachcraft of Rochdale, better know for making minibuses, to carry out a restoration [Telegraph 2004].

 

A year later the revitalised FAB1 was a star of the 1990 Great British Film Rally, where Nelson encountered the men from Crewe. "I had received a letter from Rolls-Royce saying I couldn't use the radiator, but there was already that letter dating back to the original request, giving permission. Then I was approached on the rally by a Rolls-Royce representative asking if I'd sell. It seemed pretty obvious to me that if I did, the car would disappear for good. So I refused [Telegraph 2004].

1990

Trevor Nelson and the restored FAB 1

picture: Cars of the Stars/ Telegraph

Ground Control

What's your favourite type of motion for your toys? Friction drive? Remote Control? Battery-operated mystery action? Is there a modern form of motion that's completely new in toys?

The Weapon Shops of Argos

Not since the sixties have I seen a decent toy gun. The Johnny Seven OMA set the standard for toy guns with its multitude of bullets, rockets, AP shells and stuff and was THE gun to have. But recently, resurgance of interest in toy rifles has led to a whole armoury of neat guns courtesy of NERF. I arranged for Santa to bring my son a NERF Recon rifle at xmas recently, and after the obligatory half hour of sawing it out of the wire bound and plastic encased packaging, and other fifteen minutes reading the multilingual instructions and discovering the english section was about a 100 words suggesting its a bad idea to plug grandma at xmas or to eat ones own weapon, I set to. Then I remembered it wasn't for me and gave it over to the boy.

The range features powerful air-powered action, with foam slugs fitted with soft plastic tips or suckers. The Recon breaks down into a pistol, or builds into a rifle with a long stock and a laser sight. The great thing about the gun is the power and the accuracy, meaning play fights with the guns are great fun.

 Some of the more recent releases are really complicated and if they weren't garishly coloured, could be mistaken for real guns! Which is where Nerf Modder, Thomas Schmidt comes in, taking off the shelf NERF models and combining, extending and then re-painting the guns to make ultra realistic weapons both from famous video games such as Halo and Gears of War and from pure imagination. Take a look at his website!