THE ASTRO-LAUNCH FIGHTERSHIP

 Everythong about the Astr0-Launch Fightership says to me Major Matt Mason.

The box graphics and lettering,

The black and white colours of the toy itself.

Even the launching rotors!

Has anyone ever put a Major Mat or two beside on of these?

WERE THE BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE AT SCHOOL?

I'm interested, were your school days the so-called best days of your life?

I personally think the old adage is misconceived. What it really means is that your childhood days were the best days of your life. Schools were just part of it and may not be the best bit at all!

What do you think readers?

ARTO'S MOON CAPSULES

 Godspeed Artemis!

LOOEY'S 3D MAGIC: LIFTING THE LID ON MIKE HAZARD'S HAT

As you've seen, with my new kit, I made my own Mike Hazard hat!

I'm using my childhood toy memories to inspire my art toys and I'd already sculpted a spy hat for my own planned Bess Hazmaat Civil Servant figure. I'd managed to make a metal mould of the hat and cast it in soft vinyl, but the complexities of the actual figure had stumped me.

So I decided to 3D scan this hat, shrink it down and 3D print it out for Mike H!

It took a couple of attempts and two different sizes, but I finally got something I'm happy with. This new technology now allows me to recreate and restore old toys to an acceptable level.

Next up (sometime in the future) will be the scanning of the missing landing leg of my Dinky UFO Interceptor, so i can finally have the toy I never had as a kid, in proper WHITE livery!

Cheers,

Lewis

OZ

MAGICAL MYSTERY COACH

 I mentioned to blog reader, Scott Kellogg in the comments of my previous Autotanker post, that a Bedford VAL twin front steering coach was used for the Beatles Magical Mystery tour around the city of Liverpool, here's a Corgi model of it . (photo : eBay.)

Here's a photo of Corgi's The Italian Job set.

This is a model of the toy coach with the twin front steering axles that I remember as a kid, the Dinky Vega Major luxury coach, with flashing indicators!

(photo:eBay)

Shoot for the Moon

 In the quiet hours of this morning and during the night in the states, NASA launched the next step into the exploration of Space; the Artemis mission. Previously delayed three times, due to launchpad problems and a hurricane, the massive rocket finally left for the Moon around 6.30 this morning, following a slight delay.

The Orion Capsule successfully separated an hour later and began its move towards a trans-lunar injection trajectory and the 18 minute engine burn started it on its way.

It will take a few weeks to reach lunar orbit, when it will circle the moon, just 60 miles above the surface. As the initial test phase of the programme is unmanned, the spacecraft is loaded with cameras to gather photographic data en route.

The Artemis Missions will hopefully land man on the moon again on the third trip, Artemis 3, sometime in 2025, with Artemis 2 being a manned circumlunar mission. Despite the almost commonplace nature of NASA launches lately, it was quite exciting still to sit on the edge of the bed this morning, in my pyjamas, watching history being made. An hour later, the first pictures arrived from space of the booster separation and the Orion capsule is now set to provide stunning views of distant Earth and the approach to the moon. 

MATCHBOX BP AUTOTANKER

 

No line up of vintage Matchbox toys would be complete with the inclusion of the futuristic looking BP Autotanker.

Matchbox produced this 1:89 scale model from 1961 to 1965 as part of their Major Pack series.

The real life Autotanker prototype vehicle was built in 1960 by the Bilston based Thompson Brothers in collaboration with Leyland Motors for British Petroleum and was designed to carry 4000 gallons.

It’s unique design combined tank-body, cab and chassis into one unit achieving a lower centre of gravity giving excellent roadworthiness.

As the tanker was rear- engined, entry into the cab was through the doors in between the front headlights.

The Matchbox Autotanker appeared several times as set dressing in several of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s TV series. Here we see it in a slightly altered state by Marineville Tower.

JFK RELATED KITS

Hi

As far as plastic model kits are concerned, John F. Kennedy must be the most popular US President of all time. Figure kits, as well as ship models, have been made. 

As the President, and his rocking chair, have already appeared a few times on Moonbase Central, I thought this set of PT-109 crew figures might be of interest - although JFK is not mentioned by name on the box or the instructions.

During WW2 the US Navy operated a large fleet of small, fast PT Patrol Torpedo boats. One of these, the PT-109, was commanded by a young Lieutenant (Junior Grade), named John F. Kennedy. This boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer on 2nd August 1943. Kennedy and most of his crew survived, and were eventually rescued, Kennedy winning the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for this action, as well as a Purple Heart for the injuries he received.

The PT-109 became famous, and over the years was the subject of a film (PT-109, released in 1963), and several model kits. Revell produced a 1/72nd scale kit in 1963, and a new version in 2018.

Revell's All-New PT-109 Kit Review - 2Modeler.com (dembrudders.com)

Other firms also released kits in various scales. Fine Molds even did a 1/350th scale double kit of the PT-109 and the Amagiri, the Japanese destroyer that sank her.

IJN Destroyer Amagiri, FineMolds FW02 (2011) (scalemates.com)

Italeri produced a massive 1/35th scale PT boat in 2006, and the PT-109 in 2012 - I am not sure if this is basically the same kit or a different model, as the Italeri box says NEW Moulds.

Back in 2008 Italeri released a general set of 1/35th scale US Navy crew figures for their WW2 PT boat kit. The PT Boat Crew set, No.5606, contained 10 figures in action poses, and wearing helmets, etc.

PT Boat Crew, Italeri 5606 (2008) (scalemates.com)

In 2014 they released another set of figures, this time the PT-109 Crew, No.5618, with 7 figures. These were in non-action poses, with two officers, and five Enlisted Men. One is swabbing down the deck with a broom, one is painting, and another is smoking a pipe.

PT-109 CREW, Italeri 5618 (2014) (scalemates.com)

The figures are all on a single sprue, moulded in light grey. The instructions are photographs of the assembled models (identified by the letter A to G), with a listing of which parts make up each figure. A photograph of the models also appears on one side of the box. Painting instructions are on the back of the box, in colour. There are some extra parts, such as different hats, so the figures can be given some variety. The arms can also be switched around.

Lt (j.g) Kennedy appears to be Figure A, the officer standing with his left hand in his pocket (second from left on the box top). The box art shows him bare-faced, but the figure is moulded wearing sunglasses. He comes in seven parts: head and body; two arms; two legs; cap; and pistol holster. The rest of the figures are similar.

This set adds to the 1/35th and 1/48th Tamiya Famous Generals set, which includes a model of General Eisenhower - another future US President.

This figure is much smaller than the famous Aurora model of President Kennedy sitting in a rocking chair, in the White House. That kit was to 1/12th scale, while the 1/35th scale Italeri model is around 2 inches tall.

Apart from kits of President Kennedy himself, and the PT-109, there are also kits of the aircraft carrier named after him - the John F. Kennedy, CV-67 (1968-2007). A second John F. Kennedy, CVN-79, is due to commission in 2024, and doubtless there will also be kits of this vessel.

Paul Adams from New Zealand