Space Bus Booster

Here's a neat Japanese Space Bus with a cute little Booster Rocket on both the box and the side of the bus. They sure did get around. Great to see a normal bus on the Moon too! Not sure of the brand of this toy, which I saw on Ebay.

Dinky Jet Air Car

Continuing with my meanderings on Dinky’s Gerry Anderson die casts, here’s some photo’s of my Joe’s Car from Joe 90, which I‘ve had from new.

 

I must have got it in the early seventies after Dinky changed it’s packaging from the more desirable box and display card to the less exciting bubble pack.

 

 

I’m not complaining though, it’s a nice model and fairly accurate when used in it‘s roadster guise.

The Jet Air Car aspects leave a little to be desired. The wings come out just a little too far, and the front wheels don‘t retract, but play value is enhanced by a tiny bulb illuminating the engine exhaust.

The toy came out in 1969 and continued until 1975. I don’t know if there were any variations, but it’s another fine example of Dinky’s innovative model engineering.

Doppelganger

Did Colonel White morph into Liam Neeson? What do you think?

Any more puppet lookalikes out there?

Project Spaceman Redux

A while ago, I put out a request for readers photos of vintage spacemen figures and we received a number of unusual shots. There are quite a number of figures available in various sizes, but a particular favourite of mine, partly because they arrived in Kelloggs cereal, are these six spacemen. They were given away in 1962 in Rice Krispies and were produced by Crescent Toys for the cereal giant. Each of the six figures were clad in a classic suit and came with a detachable helmet. Just this week, I was incredibly lucky to score a lot of plastic soldiers on ebay, which included 6 of these spacemen, one of each type and one duplicate. Im just missing the guy with the UN 'lollipop' flag.

The Kelloggs Crescent figures represent quite a modern take on the classic astronaut figure, the transition from fifties Archer style spaceman, through the LP or basis for the Golden Astronaut common in Spacex, to the Crescent spaceman, shows a distinct change in style of dress.

Amazingly, in the lot of soldiers from ebay which included the Kelloggs toys and a some Lone Star soldiers, I found a single lead based figure - none other than our very own Dan Dare!

Dinky SPC and MSV

Following on from the SPV, here are my examples of Dinky’s Spectrum Patrol Car and Maximum Security Vehicle.

My Spectrum Patrol Car is a later version which I bought from new in 1973, and remarkably it’s still in it’s bubble pack, although the acetate is very brittle.

 

 

The screaming turbo sound mechanism is sadly no more, and being a later model it has only one Spectrum roundel.

It’s a lovely looking model, though.

My MSV is an earlier version which I picked up from eBay a long while back to replace my battered play worn original.

 

 

No box, but it does have the crate of radioactive isotopes.

An article from the May 1968 edition of the Meccano magazine shows prototypes of both the SPC and the MSV.

Dinky Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle

Just as popular as  Dinky's Thunderbird 2 is their version of the  Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle. This wonderfully crafted model is must for any Captain Scarlet fan.

 

I know we’ve featured it from time to time here, but I always think it’s nice to be reminded of this smashing piece of die cast engineering.

It was released in 1968 and continued following several variations until 1976.

 

 

The first five versions, which culminated in 1973 went through several changes, some having blue bases and others having black bases, different wheel detail was added , while the decals lost some of their colours.

The final two versions are easily identified by their black bumpers.

 

I have examples of an unboxed second version and a boxed fifth version.

Like Thunderbird 2, the SPV has a nice card display stand showing the model firing a missile with the Spectrum Patrol Car and an Angel Interceptor in the background.

It’s a great model and certainly one of my favourite dinky toys.

　

Supersize Spacex Nova Revealed!

Kevin Davies awesome scratchbuilt Nova Rocket. 'Nuff said!

The completed Nova Rocket with its inspiration, the Triang Spacex Nova.

The supersize Nova stands ready for blast off on the Spacex Major Mobile Launch Pad.

Looking at Kevins marvellous models, I could easily have dropped through an interspace wormhole to and alternative reality of 1969 and be an excited 8 year old once more, comprising his xmas list from a Century 21 website!

Spacex Nova Workshop Stage 2

Modelmeister Kevin Davies continues his show and tell on the production of the Spacex Nova Rocket!

Read Stage 1 Here

"Next stage with the model was to add chrome parcel tape to the SRB's to give them that chrome look. I then added a bit of black paint to some raised details and some slight weathering. 

 Having sprayed the nose orange, I did some weathering by scribbling on a post-it note with a 2B pencil, then laying the note against the model and rub off some pencil with a finger. This then needed sealing with spray lacquer. 

The SRB's were then glued in place and the nozzles for the main engines were easy, they were aluminium bezels from some old lights I'd bought years ago for another project. They fitted perfectly and just needed glueing in place.

I added detail to the rocket with black biro lines, letraset, metallic parcel tape, car striping tape and decals from old kits. Thus, I finished it! However, it is now too dark to photograph it! I hate the Winter!"