FLAMING THUNDERBOLTS!

Kevin Davies has been a busy man, heres his latest scratchbuild, a Terrahawks Zeroid! This has remote control eyes which can be made to look around, the mouth is sound responsive, so flashes in time to any sound input such as an ipod and the eyes light up in various patterns too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=041k0X3HNZw&feature=youtu.be

WHEN SCOOP MET GERRY

While having a look in my man cave contemplating what to put on the Blog  tonight I happened upon some old photos taken at a Cult TV convention way back in 1996.

One such guest that year was the puppet master himself, the late Gerry Anderson who was in attendance promoting his new biography.

Here’s me getting my copy signed by Gerry, his words to me were, “Are there many more in the queue?” and, “When does the bar shut?”. The moment was captured forever by my mate, Andy, although what that bloke’s doing in the background is anybody’s guess!

Result!

Now come on you lot. Many of you folk must have met the man yourselves, or maybe some other person from one of Gerry’s series. Any stories or photos would be most welcome. 

THE BATMOBILE OF 1950

Here’s the sixth Batmobile in the Eaglemoss series.  The  stylish and influential Batmobile that made it’s debut in Detective comics # 156.

The previous Batmobile had been destroyed after crashing from an exploding bridge. The Dark Knight was hospitalised and while recuperating had designed a new vehicle ‘ ten years ahead of anything on wheels’.

When Batman readers first saw  this futuristic car they surly must have been impressed. It reflected a time when science was trendy and  science fiction was really taking off.

It was equipped with radar so our heroes could navigate through darkness, and tucked away in the back is a compact crime fighting lab.

I love it’s retro futuristic look and it even has rocket tubes at the back for extra speed. A prelude for things to come perhaps.

The 3D lenticular  shows the Joker apparently robbing a cinema - not very exciting in my opinion.

The model is a reasonably nice display piece with some good detail. You can see the compact lab through the rear screens.

But the general finish seems to lack something.  Compare this model to the Eaglemoss version of the TV Batmobile and they’re worlds apart.

It’s a pity because this is a really nice design and worthy collectible.

Join me next time for the next Eaglemoss offering as we come right up to date and I  take a look at the sporty Batmobile from Batman # 575.

Battlespace Train Expo

After I picked up a Triang low loader wagon on Good Friday, I had a look around for something to load it with. Some while back, i'd bought some space Meccano spares. While I can't abide Meccano generally, these were prefab plastic and metal accessories such as engines, a nosecone and a rocket launcher. The launcher, being from the same stable as Triang Hornby, was very similar to the original Battlespace wagon version, so I bolted it on to the wagon. Not so long ago, Andy B also gave me a wonderful Boys World annual that featured Battlespace on the cover and inside too. I also bought an N gauge flatwagon with a rocket load a while back which sits well with the Kinder Surprise locos.

THE HISTORY OF AVIATION CARDS

The History Of Aviation, a set of 50 Brooke Bond cards that came out in 1972.

Fellow blogger, Wotan knowing my fondness for aircraft gave me a set of these cards when we met up at the Dinky fair the other week.

The cards are illustrated by Roy Cross and written by Michael Wilson.

Although the cards begin with the Montgolfier Balloon, the first time an aerial voyage was accomplished, my interest in flight is down to jets!

This is the Gloster-Whittle E.28/39 - Britain’s first jet propelled aeroplane which made it’s initial flight on May 15, 1941.  I recall seeing the prototype tucked away in the London  Science Museum, and watching the Gloster Meteor , the jet that was developed from it at the Southport air show.

Another plane which can also be seen at the Science Museum is the Short S.C. 1, the first true vertical take-off and landing fixed wing aircraft to fly in Britain way back in 1957.

The Hawker-Siddeley Harrier, or Jump - Jet is the culmination of  V.T.O.L. development.

The Avro Vulcan, one of the R.A.F.’s V- bombers. An iconic delta winged aircraft.

General Dynamics F-111, first operational aircraft to employ a variable- geometry wing, better known as swing wing. This plane was in- part involved in the demise of the technologically advanced and controversial  TSR-2 aircraft which to some degree was eventually developed into the BAC Jaguar.

The de Havilland Comet 1, the world’s first jet-propelled airliner, having it’s first passenger flight for B.O.A.C. on May 2 1952.

The supersonic BAC Concorde, the fastest and, when it came into service in 1976 one of the most advanced airliners flying in the Western World.

From supersonic to hyper-sonic, and aircraft that skirt the edge of space and beyond.

The X-15, capable of speeds of up to Mach 6.72 or 4,534 mph!

And finally the Northrop HL-10, one of a class of experimental aircraft, known as lifting bodies because they have no orthodox wings. These space shuttles have blunt shapes to reduce the severe heating which takes place during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere at 18,000 mph.

New Galactica Viper

Kevin Davies has just sent some photos of his newly completed Colonial Viper kit from the new Battlestar Galactica series. Made by Revell, Kevin has added a lighting kit to the engines and cabin.

PERSUADERS! SECRET PEN

While I was putting my piece about the Persuaders!  together I came across this ad from the back of a TV Action which I'd totally forgotten about.

The advert is for a send-away offer from Maryland Cookies  for a secret pen - the red end writes invisibly and the blue end reveals the secret writing. You also got a Persuaders Codewheel.

The artwork was by Frank Langford who drew the strip in the comic.

I must admit I was always a sucker for these kind of send- aways but for some reason I never bothered with this one.

Did anyone out there take up Maryland Cookies' offer? 

SPACE STAMPS

After a trip to the post office yesterday, I spotted a set of space science stamps. I'm not a philatelist, but do enjoy the graphic detail included in them. This set commemorates discoveries in the solar system and comes with a fully illustrated card back. Does anyone else have any space stamps?