MOONBASE CENTRAL

Monday, 2 January 2023

IN CONCLUSION .....

As Chucky would say-

Put a KNIFE in this Holiday, ITS DONE!!!

Hope yours was a good one -

BrianF

Monster Base NJ USA

A PRISMATIC NEW YEAR STORY

Hi Woodsie, I hope you had a good time with your family over the Festive Season.

My friend D Danger O (Danger is his middle name) was unwell, but the rest of his family came up to the Blue Mountains and stayed over for a few days before heading home again.

12 year old Z had something to take back and show him.

I showed her how to lay out a design for a toy before she sculpted it in plasticine

We then scanned the head and body and I fixed it up in the computer.

Then 3D Printed it in clear resin -It worked first time... Yay!

Finally we sat at the dining table stuffing the parts with prismatic crystal shred. glued on the head and painted in the eyes and tongue.

A project for the whole family to enjoy!

HAPPY 2023, MOONBASERS!

Looey,

WILL O's ASTRONAUT AUTOGRAPHS AND TV21 SPECIAL AGENT BADGE

from The Will Osborne Collection

Sunday, 1 January 2023

THE AVENGERS CORGI TOYS

As my recent Avengers posts have gone down very well, with plenty of views, I’ll continue with another look at the Avengers, and New Avengers Corgi Toys.

The Avengers Gift Set: Produced from 1966 to 1969. It featured Steed in a light grey suit and bowler, driving a red vintage Bentley with black running boards, brown upholstery and gold spokes on its wheels. A figure of Emma Peel stands next to a white Lotus Elan S2. The set also comes with three novelty umbrellas.

The Gift set also reputedly came in a rarer version which is often touted. A green vintage Bentley, brown upholstery, green running boards and wheels with red spokes. As a point of interest ,sometimes sets are seen with a green Bentley, dark grey running boards, red upholstery and silver spokes. The driver is dressed in a dark suit. This is actually from a different Corgi set, The World of Wooster.

A comparison photo showing the differences between what I think is the green 'Avengers' Bentley and the World of Wooster version.

Some Adverts from TV Century 21,

An advert for The World of Wooster Bentley.

Corgi model club news from TV Century 21

A collector's magazine:

Dinky Toys released Purdey’s Triumph TR7 between 1978 and 1980, and had plans to produce a version of John Steed’s Jaguar XJ12 5.3 Coupe. Aka ‘The Big Cat’. Sadly, the Jaguar didn’t make an official commercial release.

In 1999, Corgi re-released Steed’s vintage 1927 Bentley in British racing green with brown upholstery, black running boards and chrome spokes. It came with a painted metal John Steed figure in light grey suit, raising his bowler.

Finally in 2000, Corgi released two New Avengers die-casts; a green Range Rover with a different figure of Steed, in a dark suit , and Mike Gambit’s red Jaguar XJS. That came with a figure of Gambit.

Unfortunately, Corgi didn't release a vehicle for Purdey, so Dinky completes the team!

Let Bygones Be

On the road today in a large vintage/antiques warehouse in lancashire again. Heres a few interesting sights.

ZEE DYNA-FLITES F-111

We have been looking at the General Dynamics F-111 swing-wing jet recently. This was the first aircraft to enter service with variable geometry, or swing-wings, the angle of which could be varied in flight. Forward for low-speed, during take-off and landing; and back for high-speed flight.

It was a popular subject with toy, die-cast, and kit makers, especially in the 1960s and 1970s, when the aircraft was in service.

It is common for manufacturers to make a toy based on a real vehicle or aircraft, and use that single model to depict a number of different versions, even when there are major changes between variants. That applies to this small die-cast version of the F-111, which was part of the Dyna-Flites range by Zee Toys.

The real F-111 was built in several versions. The F-111A tactical strike aircraft for the USAF; the short-nosed F-111B fighter for the US Navy, which was cancelled; and the long range FB-111 for the USAF Strategic Air Command.

The F-111C was the sole export version, for Australia. The F-111K was intended for the United Kingdom, but this order was cancelled. The F-111D, F-111E, and F-111F were improved versions of the F-111A. The F-111G was a modified FB-111 for tactical use. Some of the early F-111A aircraft were converted to EF-111A electronic warfare jamming aircraft - these are easy to spot as they have a large 'canoe' fairing atop the fin.

The Dyna-Flites model depicts the EF-111A, with the large fairing on top of the fin, but it is painted in a US Navy style colour scheme of white and light grey, with black and yellow tail markings, but no US national insignia. However, it is clearly not a model of the F-111B. With the wings forward, the model has a span of 74mm; with the wings swept back the span is 40mm.

Have you anything like this?

Happy New Year!

Paul Adams from New Zealand