An Open and Shut Case

Well the ever vigilant Woodstock has rocketed to the rescue with an ID on my mystery rocket. A trawl through the archives reveals a photo from a long dead auction which shows a red version of the rocket, looking even more like Task Force 2 than ever. The picture is small and unclear, but Mr W tagged it as a 'Rocket Pencil Case'. A swift Google flagged up the Attic of Astounding Artefacts blog and a shiny silver chrome version of the item.

http://astoundingartifacts.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/sp-560-rocket-pencil-case-unknown-1950s.html?m=1

red planet opener

I'm currently watching a movie called Red Planet about a manned mission to Mars.

Not sure I've seen it before. The Matrix's Triinity has an interesting and equally intense role. Val Kilmer's permanent grin is a little out of place but I like the premise of the film, that the terra-forming algae has completely vanished!

I will let you know how I get on with this flick as soon as I watch the rest over the weekend.

Did it spawn any merchandise?

kev's 2015 monochrome spacex custom cards

by Kevin D

mastermodels and mask makers on british pathe

Found this extra footage of Mastermodels* working on a plane on British Pathe. There's also some of a rubber mask maker including some monsters.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/out-takes-cuts-from-cp-711-rebuilt-biplanes-model

*Mastermodels worked with Gerry Anderson on some his TV shows' vehicles such as the Zero X, which is elsewhere on the blog and British Pathe [use the blogs labels].

Black & White

August has been a good month for vintage goodies. I have managed to grab a couple of holy grails for my neglected collection, one of which arrived today with an unusual escort.

The main reason for bidding on this lot of vintage toys was the white Revell Moonship, first released in 1957. A classic dart shaped ship with a retractable skid beneath. It arrived pre-made, but missing the dorsal fin. It was originally intended to have interior detail, with a lift off forward hull, but as its clearly been made with some care and the hull is glued down, I didn't want to chance forcing it open.

What intruiged me more, was the large black torpedo shaped ship which arrived with it. There are no makers marks and its two pieces of hard plastic. It has had what look like more Revell decals applied from a Starfire kit, as it has the name just visible on the nose.

There are a row of portholes moulded into the hull and a rudimentary cockpit window. Beneath are two short skids and a hole has been roughly drilled in the base.

It looks like it may have been a display model rather than a toy, but I have no clue what it is. Any ideas?

sword-y-kins: my miniature home-made project sword and spacex toys

Here's my SWORD-Y-KINS fleet that I made in 2009.

Basically miniature Project SWORD and SpaceX toys, I made them by painting and customising Kinder egg toys, Space Voyagers toys, Micro Machines and a professionally made resin model Salvage Craft. The Blackbird is a toy and as it was, unaltered.

They are :

left to right: top: Space glider, green Lunar Climber, Dyna Soar. Bottom: red Scout 3, Photonic Space Station, yellow Salvage Craft. Front: Reconnaissance 3

I made a backing card for a the fleet too using existing illustrations.

They look quite good on the card.

Especially with a blister pack on top!

I also knocked up some mini boxes for them as well, which was fun to do.

What do you think?

Have you made any miniature toys?

giodi utopia fluggerate; the utopian flying machine egg toys

I often see these small Kinder Surprise-type space toys on Ebay and various other sites.  They were were called Utopia Fluggerate released by Giodi. Fluggerate means Flying Machine in German.

I don't know much else about them but egg collectors like Bill may do.

I really like them!

Do you collect egg or Ei toys readers?

die-cast stingray from ew

hi Woodsy

A picture of Stingray from Genova's movie museum..

hope you like.....

regards..

reader EW