WORLD NAVY SUB 57 AND THE TOY RACING CAR

Yorkie's ace observations  in the comments about this mystery toy racing car and its possible use as a Century 21 prop were so good that I had to post them.

Yorkie said that in the Stingray episode 'Man from the Navy', the World Navy Sub 27 is a converted racing car toy or model. A conning tower has been added and the rear of the car becomes the front of the sub. It could be the toy pictured.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/stingray/images/4/47/Wn27.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20170721030724

Yorkie said it also appears in Thunderbirds painted red in the episode The Man from MI5.

https://securityhazard.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/themanfrommi500015.jpg

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Woodsy adds:

Since posting the 'mystery' racing car post I've realised where I first saved the picture from. It belonged to modeller Mike Delamar and I asked to use it nearly 10 years ago on an online thread. You can see the thread on the Eagletransporter Forum [you may have to register after a while]. Mike's a master scratch builder and the old thread detailed his search for original parts to create the World Navy Sub 27 from the toy racing car. Sadly the thread peters out and the finished model is not shown.

See what you think anyway:

https://www.eagletransporter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68150

KEN HOLT REMEMBERED

Today would have been our ol' pal Ken Holt's 89th Birthday, so many happy returns in heaven, mate.

SPACE:1999 COMING TO FORCES TV

Scoop here, and pleased to report that hot on the heels of their popular showing of the UFO TV series here in the UK, Forces TV will be screening Space:1999 next month.

https://www.facebook.com/ForcesTVChannel/videos/1039009462962121/

Generally speaking, my Space:1999 posts usually turn out to be my most popular on the blog in terms of views along with UFO, so based on that simple poll I should think that having Space:1999 back on UK screens should prove a winner for Forces TV.

I believe the series was shown recently on Comet TV in the USA, so it's nice to know fans in the UK haven't been left out.

So, time to plan for a few more Space:1999 posts...

Terrahawks Cube Scratchbuild by Kev D

Hi,

Just finished a scratchbuild of one of Zelda's cubes from Terrahawks. Evil box!

Take care,

Kevin D

ARES AND OUT

After 15 years on Mars, one of NASA's most successful rover missions has ended. Opportunity rover went dark on June 10 2018, following an especially heavy dust storm. NASA has tried in vain to reconnect with the rover, but after a final attempt on Tuesday, they declared the mission to be at an end. Designed to last just 90 martian days and travel 1,000 yards, the rover travelled over 28 miles, recording beautiful blue sunsets and discovering ice on Mars. Its twin Spirit, ceased function on March 22 2010.

CAPTAIN SCARLET LIQUID OXYGEN TRUCK: A TOY WITHIN A TOY

Fans of Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet and UFO TV series will know that Derek Meddings and his Century 21 team made use of contemporary toys.

We've talked about it recently as well because Kevin D has got hold of a Johnny Express toy.

One of the toys used by Century 21 was the large Johnny Express dump truck by Topper like this one I saw on Worthpoint.

The Johnny Express Dump Truck was transformed into a Liquid Oxygen tanker for the episode 'Avalanche' of Captain Scarlet.

The cab was modified and the trailer was turned upside down for starters!

Here's a screenshot of it flanked by the SPV.

So it kind of strikes me as a neat twist that the liquid oxygen tanker that was originally made of a toy eventually inspired another toy decades later.

Much smaller, this miniature version still appears to capture the excitement of the original.

By Vivid Imaginations, this toy breaks apart when hit by the missile of the much bigger SPV toy that came in a set.

Oddly enough, I have the large vivid SPV from the set!

Here's the Vivid truck pictured on an old auction.

Have you got one?

ANDY'S CHINESE MOON ROCKET

Hi Woodsy,

This was a Christmas present to myself, a modern Chinese copy of a 1950-60s tin toy "Moon Rocket", which now sits in my workroom.

Having looked on the 'net, I think the original was Japanese, by Masudaya. 

It's not a bad copy (I could never afford the original version), although some of the metal parts are now plastic, and there is a paper sticker on the fin bearing the name. 

I suspect the original was rather larger, and that the body shape was designed to hold batteries. The lights on the side have now become just coloured hemispheres.

It came with a large chromed plastic radar dish, on a long (and damaged) stem - I shortened the stem when repairing it, which I think gives a better appearance. 

Surprisingly, one old toy has the figure of a spaceman (looking rather more like a diver) looking through a periscope here - not sure if this is authentic, it certainly doesn't make much sense! 

The Chinese regularly make copies of older Japanese toys, I'm not sure if this is because it saves them having to create a new design, or because having the appearance of an old toy makes their products more attractive to the 'nostalgia' market -maybe both!

all the best,

Andy B.

UK

RICHARD GREGORY R.I.P.

Sad to hear that puppeteer  and special effects man Richard Gregory passed away suddenly last week.

As most Gerry Anderson fans will know Richard worked on Terrahawks and Space Precinct, as well as the fan funded Thunderbirds 1965 episodes and the brand new 'Firestorm' minisode.

Here's Richard on stage with fellow puppeteer, Judy Preece holding Zelda from Terrahawks.

Richard also worked on many feature films designing and working on animatronic effects and designs including the Bond blockbusters 'Skyfall', Quantum of Solace, and 'Casino Royale'.

Our sincere condolences to his family.