PROJECT SWORD SCOUT 1 ORIGIN: MORE RESEARCH

Ever since Bill posted this fabulous black and white picture from TV21 showing what is probably the origin of Project SWORD's Scout 2 I have tried to find out more about the mystery space ferry.

Here are the responses to my most recent enquiries to NASA and other space agencies from last December. Interesting though they are, the TV21 space ferry remains unidentified. How did TV21 get hold of a photograph of what appears to be space plane which, as yet, no agency can put a name to? What do you think readers?

 

 

Peter Merlin

Dryden FRC History Office

USA

Between 1964 and 1968, engineers at the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory (AFFDL) led by Alfred C. Draper studied a variety of lifting-body and wing-body shapes in an attempt to find the optimum configuration for a manoeuvring reentry vehicle to meet Air Force requirements.

Many of these shapes were tested as wind tunnel models, but none were pursued any further. Some of the designs were fixed-geometry concepts with low lift-to-drag ratios. Others were variable-geometry concepts with pop-out wings for use during approach and landing manoeuvres. The 1967 illustration appears to show several of the AFFDL concepts.

 

In the early development of hypersonics, these shapes apparently represented an evolutionary dead end. The Between 1963 and 1968, Draper group studied a wide variety of fixed geometry and variable sweep configurations, as well as "interference' configurations that had complex undersurface designs to position shock flow for favorable increases in lift, but which aggravated aerothermodynamic problems.

"It worked," Draper recalled, "but not to a sufficient degree to make it worth your while."

The Draper group favored simple configurations with optimized aerodynamic tailoring. This is undoubtedly why the focus shifted almost entirely to lifting bodes for a considerable time.

For additional information, you might wish to look for "The Hypersonic Revolution: Case Studies in the History of Hypersonic Technology," a three-volume set edited by Dr. Richard P. Hallion. It was published by the Air Force History and Museums program in 1998.

 

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Julia

UK Space Agency

We've never seen the concept before and think that it is probably only a design and not reality. Swing wings ( to improve low speed flight performance with the wing un swept and then swept for high speed flight) were a popular idea in the late sixties/early seventies. Our Director of Space Science said that he wishes he still had his copies of TV21 as they are worth a fortune now...

 

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Paul E. Ceruzzi

Smithsonian

Chair, Division of Space History
National Air and Space Museum
Washington, DC

 

 

So far no one in our Division has come up with any information. There were several proposals for a retractable wing for the Space Shuttle as it was being planned, but the concept was rejected. It is a sound concept from an engineering standpoint and may be resurrected in the future. The drawings we have for such a Shuttle do not look like the one you have, unfortunately.

 

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Colin A. Fries

Primus Solutions, Inc.

A Subsidiary of ASRC Federal

NASA HQ History Program Office

The closest I can come is the space ferry concepts by Darrell Romick of Goodyear in the 1950s. See attached.

So readers, we are not that much firther forward. Can anyone else add anything further to this search?

JAPANESE PROJECT SWORD MINIATURES: NEW FINDS

Amongst my recent hawl of miniature toys from Japan were two SWORD gems, a blue Scramble Bug and a yellow Task Force 3. Both are new to me and new to the blog. Each measures about a half inch in length.

 

 

There was also a small Spectrumesque helicopter as well, which sits well with the two SWORD vehicles.

 

 

For fun, I've here placed them all together along with an American Blue Shield LEM and astronauts, which recently landed at Moonbase.

 

 

The Scramble Bug and Task Force 3 bring my fleet of Japanese miniatures to eleven. There are also two differently coloured Space Gliders but I haven't got them.  All are made of hard plastic and are numbered.  I believe they are from the same but as yet unknown company. They are very similar to the Takeuchi soft rubber miniatures, which were marketed as UFO and I shall post more research I've done on this connection during the summer.

A TRIBUTE TO MARC BOLAN

Being a bit of a fan of seventies Glam Rock, I spent a very enjoyable Saturday night watching a Marc Bolan & T.Rex tribute band called T-Rextasy at a small venue in St Helens on Merseyside.

As tribute bands go, I have to say they were excellent, having the advantage of having a front man called Danielz, a mega Marc Bolan fan, who, without even trying bears a striking resemblance to his hero and inspiration.

Although I’d never seen T-Rextasy live before I did recall a BBC show in 2001 called ’Battle of the Fantasy Bands’ , and remembered Danielz being interviewed by presenter, Terry Wogan. If I remember rightly Danielz, being the same height and build as Bolan was actually going to perform in Bolan’s original stage outfits.

Needless to say the band won.

Apart from vocalist and lead guitarist Danielz, there’s Paul Marks on bass, Neil Cross on rhythm guitar and John Skelton on drums.

If T-Rextasy ever turn up in your neck of the woods , check ‘em out and let them take you back to the seventies.

SOME OF MY FRIENDS ARE KAIJU

Ever since Willis 'Obie' O' Brien brought his King Kong to life in 1933 we've been hooked on giant monsters.

 

 

 

 

My own personal favourite is Godzilla [or Gojira], King of the Monsters, who chomped his way through Tokyo in 1954. The Japanese even had a word for giant monsters, Kaiju!

 

 

My favourite Western Kaiju has to the huge fire demon from Night of the Demon, 1957. Its in the trees!

 

 

 

Although I do have a soft spot for Brit Kaiju's Gorgo 

 

 

 

 

and Konga from their eponymous 1961 films.

 

 

 

 

There are loads of giant monster collectibles and toys. John Marshall's 1999 book opened me eyes to just how many.

 

 

 

 

John's love of Red King toys was an inspiration!

 

 

 

 

 

Kaiju caught on in the Eighties and Nineties. We had Q The Flying Serpent nesting in a skyscraper in 1982.

 

 

 

 

And post - Jurassic Park, the re-invention of the marauding monster genre came with the new Godzilla in 1998.

 

 

 

 

Since then we've seen some brand new giants like the incredible quadruped in the Mist, 2005, caught here on You Tube complete with classic Jurassic Park-style impact tremors.

 

 

 

Cloverfield set the bar for the new giant monster movie in 2008.

 

 

 

The bar maybe raised once more as we come full circle with this year's Pacific Rim, which is set to bring the word Kaiju into the mainstream with some really really big monsters! Grrrrrrr! Do you like big monsters readers?

 

 

 

CHEAP TOY TANKS FROM CHINA

Always a sucker for shiny coloured plastic, I was drawn immediately to these toy tanks on a Chinese webstore like Alibaba [just where do these wholesale toys end up? I never see them round here!]

I especially like the second one down with its mix of strong bright colours, which does remind me of the SpaceX/ Golden Astronaut line. The third one down could be Ultraman, is that right? The fourth one has a smidgeon of the SWORD Hover Tank about it [below], with the cockpit set somewhat back and sporting a double barrel. OK you have to use your imagination! What do you think readers?

 

FRIDAY NIGHT FILM QUIZ - FIRST CLUES OUT!

Thanks to everyone who has taken part in my little film quiz posted Friday. You were all right! The questions left are the hardest, so I've added short clues in brackets describing where the character was who spoke the line. Clues are on the original post here. I did say that some are a bit obscure!

 

 

I've not added a clue for the ISSO NOHO question as UK readers will no doubt get it without!

 

 

C'mon, you can do it!

GLICO OF JAPAN

 

I recently acquired a trove of Japanese miniature toys on Yahoo Japan. Within it were two absolute gems but more if those later. The majority were by the sweet company Glico and comprised of beautiful plastic vehicles like cars, tanks and boats.

 

There were also comic heroes, games, animals, puzzles, pistols, rockets and a whole array of novelty toys.

There were these pin badges too. I have no idea what they are from but I'm guessing a sport. Anyone know?

Star Wars V Dr.Who?

Blimey! Sci-Fi wars are real. Having read the news it appears that at a recent Star Wars convention in Norwich, UK, Star Wars fans were most disgruntled to see Dr. Who fans turning up on their patch!

 

 

Words were said, sonic screwdrivers were pitted against stormtrooper blasters and the Police had to be called. The fued appears to be over a convention name. Help them Obi Wan, you're there only hope!