KEV'S COSFORD MODEL LIGHTNING

Hi,

This may not be of interest, but I went to the RAF museum at Cosford last week, never been before, it is excellent. I treated myself to this kit of the English Electric Lightning (bought virtually next to a real one!). 

I have always thought it must've been partly the inspiration for Thunderbird 1. It had incredible speed and an almost vertical climb! Anyway, I'm pleased with how my model turned out.

Take care,

Kevin

PROJECT SWORD SCOUT BOX VARIATIONS: RESEARCH BY ARTO

SCOUT 2 BOXES

There are some box front differences on these Scout 2 boxes. 

The top one above (which I believe is the later issue) has also a somewhat thinner cardboard, and oddly enough a sharper printing quality to the box illustration - qualities which first made me ponder whether it was a very good repro box. 

You can notice the difference in the picture quality for instance on the "A706" code on the side of Scout 2; on the (earlier in my opinion) box version with the more blurred image is looks almost like "A705".

But then there's that "Made in Hong Kong" which has travelled from the long side .......

.....onto one end of the box, below left. Additionally, on the left box below, the Century 21 logo does not touch the horizontal blue bar with SCOUT 2 on it, as it does on the other (presumed earlier) version.

Actually the one missing "Made in Hong Kong" on the side, above left, has a longer text "Made in Hong Kong for Century 21 Toys Limited" on one end of the box. I wonder if this pertains to all three Scouts?

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END FLAPS OF ALL SCOUT BOXES

Here are pictures of all box variants across all three Scouts that I found on the Blog or in my own collection. A short explanation:

V1 = 1-line text CENTURY 21 TOYS LIMITED on end flap

V2 = 2-line text MADE IN HONG KONG for CENTURY 21 TOYS LIMITED

V3 = 2-line text MADE IN HONG KONG FOR CENTURY 21 TOYS LIMITED (all in bold, different colour scheme)

We are missing (at least) Scout 3 box version 1.

[Scout 3 box above is a cleaned-up photocopy of an original. No known examples of an original box known to Moonbase Central]

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I wonder if other blog readers might have more remarks or Scout box variations to add?

Arto

DID YOU HAVE A MUSIC CENTRE?

Did you have a music centre at home? I think we used to call it a stereogram as well, a sort of wooden chest on legs containing a record player and space for albums. 

I think the music centre had a cassette player too maybe?

Do you recall yours?

JAPANESE RESEARCH INTO THE NICHIMO MOON RANGER

"Since the launch of the "accused submarine" for the first time of the power plastic model in Japan in 1959, energetically power model has been released in Japan model (aka Nichimo Corporation) is to launch amphibious expedition vehicles "Frontier" in 1965 you.

Turn the caterpillar and the screw in the motor power, water is also the design of this kit that land was also moving around, the roots of the company's amphibious tanks flourish after, solid chassis design will feel also robust, which is a feature of Nichimo Corporation AFV kit.

フロンティア

チャレンジャー

Next in 1966, has been arranged to smart in a more SF Chick with exactly the same concept, "Challenger" is N. B. It will be released from K.
Although this is a science fiction mecha of hailed as space exploration vehicles, the year that this 1966 is also the year Midori has been released, such as "Beetle II," "Echo 7", hereafter Japan JOSF kit of explosive development It will be.
(Previously in this corner there is a time that introduced the Challenger and the product of Nichimo Corporation, but it will correct it was a mistake. I apologize)



In addition the same year, Challenger will evolve more of retrofuturism feeling full of bubble canopy equipped to "pioneer".
By the way, but was a major futuristic design of about say that even had the same thing in this "pioneer" design at the time of Tin Toy, but whether the mechanism that was its original neta What is it, or of Nichimo Corporation and the toy as a product for such as which is what was in the first, yet in the course of research.

フロンティア

チャレンジャー

Now, the upper structure of the "pioneer" is has been as it is also used in space exploration bulldozer "Ranger", wonders that this kit and hit the obstacle straight ahead, keep on running to automatically back change of direction I had the mechanism.
In fit and in's report Baan unit of the maker of the gear box is the corona, the same thing was also used in non-stop Imai "BB-1 tank".

And in 1968, Nichimo Corporation is first billed as the SF series №1, it up to the slightly revamped the design concept of the SF mecha was outdated design, announces the monumental space exploration vehicles "adventure".

This kit is a single run with one motor, radar rotation, observation tower inside of the light source rotation, but it was super kit to perform a gimmick, such as missile time differential firing, thus epoch-making SF submarine tank debut among JOSF plastic model of Japan the preparation went well-equipped steadily. And ...."

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Translated into English using Google Translate from an original article on the Japanese net by Mizu.

DID YOU SEE YOUR TOYS BEING THROWN AWAY AS A KID?

I had so much stuff as a kid that I don't have now. 

I had literally tons of Action Man gear, Major Matt Mason stuff, Billy Blastoff, die cast cars, Hot Wheels tracks, plastic cars, space toys, a Johnny Seven. games and books, not to mention Project SWORD [including the Zero-X] and SpaceX vehicles and my favourite space figures, Colouforms Outer Space Men!

Where did it all go?

I can honestly say I don't recall ever seeing my parents throw any of it out but they must have done, way back in the early Seventies. 

Maybe they threw it out in installments as I got older? I just don't know.

Did you see your folks throw out your childhood stuff readers?

KEV'S THUNDERBIRD 2 POD SCRATCHBUILD

Hi,

I have been scratchbuilding a TB2 for absolutely ages. 

Still haven't finished it, but I've just completed the pod.

Take care,

Kevin

KEVIN'S MERCURY CAPSULE MODEL

Hi, In response to the request for pictures of recent collectable acquisitions, I picked this up at the weekend. The Dragon 1:72 scale Mercury capsule (this one being Liberty Bell 7). 

It is a really detailed model, in the same range as the Apollo ones I've got and it is really small, about 11cm long (but most of that is the escape rocket). Mind you, the Mercury astronauts said you didn't get into the spacecraft, you put it on!

Take care, Kevin

BRAIN SALAD ALIEN

Talking of bio-vehicles, you can't really ignore its evolution into bio-mechanica in the hands of H.R.Giger.

I first came across his skeletal pipes on the cover of Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson Lake and Palmer in 1973. I was 12 and it was one of my two older Brothers' LP's in the pile next the music centre we had back then.

I had no idea it was a Giger cover but always remembered it. I made the connection with the emergence of ALIEN five years later. The nuts, bolts, screws and skulls suddenly fell into place!

The inside cover, hinted at through the peep hole on the front, involved further Gigerism, a portrait of his girlfriend Sil.

Just where would ALIEN and SPECIES be without Giger?

I still havn't heard Brain Salad Surgery even after all these years. I was more into the guitar-based side of prog as a teenager, rather than all those moogs. Am I missing anything readers?