Eccentrics on the Moon

I'm just watching an old British film called Mouse on the Moon.

Starring Bernard Cribbins it tells a story of glory and fibs. The tiny state of Grand Fennick wants to send a manned DIY rocket to the moon. There's plenty of good old-fashioned buffoonery and Heath Robinson rocketry!

Reminds of those other DIY space mission movies full of eccentrics from the Sixties. The First Man in the Moon springs to mind with a bumbling Lionel Jeffries. 

Can you think of any more films like this?

IT IS THE WAY

I've finished watching the excellent Mandalorian on Disney+

As usual I'm seeing connections all over.

For instance the helmet and the armour.

I'm thinking Ancient Greek ....

or Roman!

The jet pack, Rising Pheonix, that Mando's given near the end.....

 reminded me completely of the Krygo 5 eraser from Diener's 1970's rubber range.

And those little musicals trills after Mando had finished zapping everyone is a deadringer for Clint and his little flutey signature whistle in those old Sergio Leone Westerns.

Overall the Mandalorian recalls somewhat the helmeted warrior in Timmee's Galaxy Laser Team.

What do you think?

Wonder Woman Monster Truck

Hi

Monster Trucks began in the 1970s as American pick-up trucks fitted with giant wheels. Other types of vehicle followed. Fantasy body designs also began to appear, some of them based on film, television, cartoon, and comic book characters. This gives them a Star Cars tie-in.

Some of the toy Monster Trucks produced by various die-cast companies are based on real vehicles, others are designs made up by the toy companies. This example by Monster Jam celebrates Wonder Woman. 

It has a more or less normal pick-up body, with Wonder Woman's large gold W emblazoned where the doors should be, the name Wonder Woman in gold capitals above the rear wheel arches, and her golden lasso stowed in the back. The colour scheme is red, gold, and a purplish blue. The wheel hubs are also gold.

There are a number of other Superhero Monster Trucks from both Monster Jam, and Hot Wheels.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

FAB1 AND THUNDERBIRD 2

Seeing the size of FAB1 against Thunderbird 2 on Thunderbirds Wiki it struck me that FAB1 could have easily driven into the TB2 pod.

So did FAB1 ever go into the TB2 pod in the TV series or did TB2 ever lift FAB1 and drop it off? Anyone know?

PAUL'S CUT-AWAY AIRFIX NORTH AMERICAN MITCHELL MK.II

Last year I finished my cut-away Airfix North American B-25C Mitchell medium bomber. 

All the interior detail is included in the kit. The only things I added were extra crew figures - the kit only includes the two pilots. This is a really great kit, with a lot of interior detail. It seemed such a shame to hide it all away, so I built it as a cut-away model. 

That meant cutting out various areas of the nose, fuselage, and engine cowling to show off the detail. Just like the drawings you see in books and magazines. The edges of the cut-away areas are often out-lined in red, so I did that on the model too. 

With so much of the forward fuselage cut away, there was very little room for nose weights to keep the model on its landing gear, so I build it 'gear up', in flight. That also meant cutting off the propeller blades, and just using the hubs. Then I had to make a cradle for the model from bits and pieces. This was my first attempt at a cut-away model. 

I did make a mistake with the US star on the starboard side - it should be pointing straight up, not on its side. 

I did not spot that until it was too late to correct. I used the RAF boxing of this kit, but you get all the parts needed for a basic US B-25C (with plenty left over for the spares box), so it was just a matter of finding some suitable markings.

What do you think?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Can you Help Brainache?

Local resident alien Brainache is slouchin in his coupe. The stars are out and he's dreamin of home. But what's the name of his planet. Any suggestions?

MY MANTIS IS A MUTO

 Having watched The Deadly Mantis, 1957, I'm getting an overwhelming sense of Kaiju again. Have you seen it?

Despite its lower place in the 1950's creature feature rankings, I enjoyed Mantis a lot. 

Like many fine B-movies it begins in the Antarctic and the woken monster then takes its business straight to the States.

Deadly M goes to Washington. 

It scales the Monument and crushes vehicles as seen here. But are they toys?

Its progress to an American city reminded me of the MUTO in Godzilla.

Having escaped from the nuclear dump it stomped across the land to meet Honolulu's elevated train and its larger mate decided to play the tables in Las Vegas.

I must say I adore the MOTU, perhaps my fave Kaiju. Do you?

Just a thought, can an American monster like the Deadly Mantis be classed as Kaiju?

From Musk till Dawn

The day began with Musk and ended with it.

Reading the online news this morning, a link took me to Elon Musk's predictions. One that stood out was that a million people would live on Mars by 2060! Personally this feels unlikely. It's 2023 in 2 months and manned mission to Mars seems like a helluva long way off, never mind a million folk getting up there. What do you think?

I was musked again sat watching fireworks. Well actually watching the firepit. My Son in Law is a keen astronomer and pointed out a moving light high up in the night sky. I thought it was a plane but no, it was a satellite from Elon Musk's Star Link set up. You can't get away from him. 

To be honest it was Jupiter and Saturn being pointed out that actually did it for me. They out-musked Musk and I was mesmerised. My Son in Law uses a mobile cosmic app map called Stellarium. I was so impressed that I downloaded it 

I've just ID'd  Vega!

I felt like staying up all night and tracking the sky till dawn!

Have you got Stellarium?