HAPPY BREAKAWAY EVE DAY

 As it's coming up to the 45th anniversary of the Moon's 'breakaway' from Earth I thought I'd post a selection of photos I've taken over the last few years of some of the fabulous Sixteen 12 Space:1999 Eagle episode sets.

This is the Eagle from the Infernal Machine set with an Alpha Moon Buggy in the foreground. The set featured two of the three Alpha tanks seen in the episode. Some collectors would have liked to have had 'Gwent' - the Infernal Machine, itself as part of the set. If you want my opinion I reckon the way Sixteen 12 are continuing to  expand their Eagle episode range I wouldn't be surprised if 'Gwent' turned up at some point.

Although it's not mentioned in the series, it's been suggested that the tanks might have started out as lunar construction vehicles and adapted for defensive purposes following the Moon's breakaway from the Earth. 

The  orange  livery on the Sixteen 12 V.I.P. Eagle as seen in the opening Space:1999 episode. For some fans the original filming prop pod livery is the subject of a minor controversy.  The earlier Product Enterprise V.I.P. Eagle had the orange paint on just the sides, while the Sixteen 12 has the orange over the slopes.  Which is right? Eagle designer and SFX director, Brian Johnson doesn't remember, and it's difficult to tell for sure watching the episode. Obviously, it's highly unlikely we'll ever really know, but for what it's worth, personally, I like the full orange version better.

Below is the original Product Enterprise V.I.P. Eagle.

Although it didn't feature in the opening 'Breakaway' episode, the Sixteen 12 V.I.P. set featured the 'domed cockpit' Alpha tank, and a Alpha Moon Buggy.

The Immunity Syndrome episode set featuring a lovely little model of the Space Glider, with some nicely detailed paintwork.  Sadly, the pod did suffer from some over-weathering at the manufacturing stage, but certainly not enough to put most people off as it was still a sell out.

Sixteen 12 decided to release two retro-Eagles taking inspiration from the old Dinky diecasts from the seventies. The two models created a bit of a 'marmite' effect with fans, some loved them, and some didn't. Needless to say I love them.

Below, the Eagle from 'The Exiles' set. This featured a manipulator arm, a fuel cell, laser gun and a cryogenic pod!

The manipulator arm is fully posable. It is longer than what we see on screen, maybe twice the size, but I imagine that's possibly governed by practical functionality reasons. 

 

          

The Eagle from the 'New Adam, New Eve' episode set, with magnetic boosters attached.

                             

                               Below, some photos I took featuring the Eagle Hangar set.

This diorama set features two hangar walls and a baseboard; a pallet Eagle with removable non-working winch motor , and a Laboratory Eagle with additional spine boosters. It also comes with figures and access steps. 

For these photos I chose to expand the hangar with some additional floor , walls and ceiling.

            

            The Sixteen 12 Wargames set: This features a laser scorched Eagle and a Mark IX Hawk. 

Both these models look great to me, very nicely detailed, with the  Hawk designed to be in scale with the Eagle.

A white Mark IX special edition version was also released.

Although it comes with it's own in-flight stand I couldn't resist scratch building a launch cradle for it.

                    The 'Earthbound' episode set, featuring the Kaldorian spaceship and a rescue Eagle.

The Collision Course set: This features two Alpha nuclear mines , and a detachable winch mechanism with attaches to the Eagle spine. 

I really like the look of the mines, and considering the original filming props were made from just simple plastic picnic containers from Woolies its amazing what modeller Martin Bower conjured up.

   

The latest release is the Dragon's Domain episode set which features the Ultra Probe Command Module, and an Eagle with a detachable beak.

As I don't have the final release just yet, my photos show the prototype version:

              This was the first Sixteen 12 episode set; a freighter/pallet Eagle as seen in 'Breakaway'.

Finally, for now, the signature Eagle, signed by Brian Johnson.

I should also mention the nifty looking Sixteen 12 Alpha Buggy.

Happy Breakaway eve!

STAR FORCE ANYONE?

Another fine old bundle on past Vectis sales, I was interested in the Star Force toy, which was wholly new to me. I assume the white space car with the two helmeted drivers on the left has come out of the Star Force box. Is it a toy line you know readers? What else would you like here?

MYSTERY CARD ART

Not sure why I only saved half a pic like this but the card art of this blister card of astronauts appealed to me. There's some swooping spaceships and a strange figure at the front. Anyone know this set?

TO THE ROCKETS!

 

Top Gun Maverick News

Hey Woodsy,

I've bad news and some good news regarding Top Gun Maverick.

The bad: As you may recall, it was originally set to be released on July 12, 2019 but it was pushed back to allow the production to work out all the complex flight sequences. Then Covid hit, so further pushbacks of the release date happened. Now the release date has been pushed back from Thanksgiving of 2021 to May 27, 2022. I feel the movie will flop as all the initial excitement has been lost for the film and people will be saying "didn't this already come out?" once it is out.

The delays also mean we may never see more waves of the Matchbox toy line. So no more pegs with the 5 pack of vehicles ($9.99 IIRC) that had 4 cars/trucks and an undersized jet. No pegs of movie planes ($5.99 IIRC). A bit of bad news for those who were wanting to snag a Darkstar.

But never give up hope!

The good news: The 5 packs are back, as are the planes! For whatever reason, in August 2021, the 5 packs started showing up on Target's pegs only now they are part of the case pack of 5 pack sets. Now you can snag them for $5.99 and they are still in the Top Gun Maverick packaging. The movie planes have been moved into the Matchbox Sky Busters line. Still with the Top Gun Maverick card backer, only now priced at the Sky Busters price of $2.99. I snagged a couple right off the pegs a few days back at a near by Wal-mart.

Good hunting to those who want them!

Lance
Houston Base

Top Gun: Matchbox Maverick Models

Hi Woodsy

Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel to the original Top Gun (1986). It was apparently due for release back in 2019, but has been delayed several times, and is now due out in the middle of 2021. The trailers can be seen on You Tube. Matchbox have released a host of models to go with the film, at least some of which are now in the shops. A quick look on-line also shows a die-cast twin pack of the F-14 and F-18 models by Corgi, and plastic kits by Airfix and Revell.

Here are the Matchbox Top Gun: Maverick models that I picked up a few days ago - the first of these models that I have seen here in NZ. You can imagine how fast I jumped on them. A quick look shows that there is actually a lot more in the way of Matchbox models. My initial haul includes two different five-packs, each with four vehicles and a small F-14 Tomcat fighter. Plus, a four-pack of Sky-Busters aircraft, with two larger Tomcats in different markings. None of these aircraft have any US national insignia, which seems really odd. Perhaps these now require a licence, and have to be paid for ? Just a guess on my part.

The five-packs come in a clear plastic tray, inserted in to a cardboard sleeve. Thankfully, both Matchbox and Hot Wheels are now listing the names of the models on the back of the pack, something they neglected to do for many years. Both packs include the Swing Wing model (a mini F-14 Tomcat), but in different markings. I do not know if any of these vehicles actually appear in the film.

First set:

2011 Mini Countryman - green

2019 Ford Mustang - gunmetal

1972 Ford Bronco - light blue

Jeep 4x4 - red

Swing Wing - pale grey


Second set:

1956 Aston Martin DBR1 - green

2008 Dodge Challenger - grey

2010 Ford Raptor - Black

Petrol Pumper - blue and white

Swing Wing - medium grey

The Sky-Busters four-pack comes in a clear plastic blister, mounted on a backing card. There are two F-14 Tomcats from the 1986 movie, in slightly different markings, as flown by Maverick and Iceman; along with the F/A-18 flown by Maverick and Darkstar from the new film.

A video showing the same five-packs as I have, plus the first Sky-Busters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gaWK5OBEp0

There is a 20 inch long aircraft carrier playset, with an F/A-18 Hornet model. Here is an unboxing clip of it. This is an existing model, in a special Top Gun box. Bet that is going to be expensive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ErTqq-iaJw

Another carrier video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJvTasuviM4

Another clip showing some of the 15 different Sky-Busters aircraft models, all on single cards. Some of these are different versions of the same casting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHkmcpZ81SA

According to the 2020 Matchbox Wiki the models in this series are as follows:

1/15 Darkstar

2/15 Enemy Strike Jet

3/15 F/A-18 Super Hornet Hero

4/15 F-14 Tomcat Maverick

5/15 F-35B Lightning II

6/15 P-51 Mustang

7/15 F-14 Tomcat Rogue Nation

8/15 F/A-18 Super Hornet Rooster

The remaining models are not yet listed.

This site lists all of the above, plus a couple of aeroplane launcher sets, with the F/A-18 and Darkstar models.

https://www.military.com/off-duty/movies/2020/06/24/manage-your-top-gun-maverick-sadness-these-awesome-toys.html

Collecting all of these is going to be an expensive business, given the sheer number of models.

Clearly, I have a lot still to look out for.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

MYSTERY TANK BOX ART

 

I saw this old toy tank recently on the bay. I think its Greek.

Isn't that Klaus Kinski on the box lid?

Looks like a film poster. Any ideas readers?

THE EXTRAORDINARY ALLAN QUATERMAIN: FROM THE BIG BOX

 I have in my rather large Big Box VHS video collection a film called Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold from 1985, which I have yet to watch.

However, I've always been intrigued by this obscure Victorian super gent, a lost hero from another age and much older than the Golden age of comics and the likes of Namor and Batman!

Here's a potted history.

Quatermain first appeared in the 1885 blockbuster novel King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard, he of the later SHE.

An eon later Quatermain turned up in Alan Moore and Co's 1999 graphic comics The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen along with assorted meta-beings like The Invisible Man and Mina.

Moore's League was itself inspired by an earlier 1960 Jack Hawkins film, itself based on a 1958 novel called The League of Gentlemen by John Boland. Check out those balaclavas!

Coming right up to date, Quatermain next graced the screen in the form of Sean Connery in the oft-panned film The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen from 2003. Described as dieselpunk, I quite enjoyed this mash-up of monsters, Captains and mavericks. 

Connery-Quatermain is the obvious leader of this Victorian Avengers and I particularly enjoyed seeing obscure supernatural characters like Mina the Vampire and Dorian Gray in a modern flick.

I may have to watch it again now I've written this!

There's naturally more to say about the Gentlemen extraordinaire and Allan Quatermain but for now I'm taking a drive to Royston Vasey and may never be seen again!

Do you like Quatermain and the League?