ED's SWORD DAY TARHEEL PINK NOVA I

I've just got this Nova I rocket in the post! It has a couple of condition issues, but these things simply don't come up for sale that often and, as they say, "Any port in a storm will do".

The canopy is missing and one of the canard wings is broken off (it appears that perhaps a 1/72 scale F-104 Starfighter wing might be a close match??). According to Paul V., all three Nova rockets share the same part or item number (No. 5918).

Enjoy!

From Vegas Base

Ed

THE NUCLEAR FERRY RIDE: SPECIAL STOPS ALONG THE WAY

 Perhaps the longest running blog legend on MC is the Project SWORD Nuclear Ferry.

An amazing toy, of which maybe only about a handful are known to exist we think, its possibly the high point of the SWORD fleet, even pipping Zero-X to the post for sheer fabulousness!

Its Century 21 box art is equally fantastic, based on artist's Bob McCall's original.

There have been a few really significant moments covering the Ferry over the years on MC:

Wotan Bill discovered the ship's origin early on.

Our friend Arto tracked the first five known Nuclear Ferry toys:

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2014/12/ferry-christmas-time-line-of-all-five.html

I discovered a white version of the Nuclear Ferry on an old ITN film, possibly a prototype.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-great-white-nuclear-ferry-mystery.html

We featured how the late and acclaimed TV21 artist Mike Noble recycled the Nuclear Ferry design as the Tanker in Look-In comic's 1983 Star Fleet strip.

Our friend Paul V created what is most likely the definitive webpages about the smaller Triang SpaceX Nuclear Ferry on his amazing SpaceX toys website:

https://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAtoys/NFer/SpLTNFer.html

We found out that Bob McCall's original nuclear ferry painting was hanging in the University of Arizona Museum of Art [anyone been?]

But my favourite Nuclear Ferry moment on the blog came, again early on, when early contributor Rob Godwin, who knew Bob McCall personally, sent me this message:

"I sent the picture of the toy to him and he was very surprised and delighted to see it!"

When artist met the box art and toy we came full circle.

Hope you enjoyed this short ferry ride.

and, have you got one? A Nuclear Ferry?

DIE-CAST PROJECT SWORD

 Here are the two "Project SWORD" vehicles that have been released as die-casts.

Not branded SWORD in this instance, they are nevertheless legit SWORD craft, as both appear in the Project SWORD Manual.

I give you the Aoshima Zero-X, featured in Scoops ace post yesterday, and the Imai Scramble Bug!

They do look great together and unlike their Century 21 Toys counterparts the scale might be about right!

Have you got either of these beauties?

OVER A BARREL: THE HOVER TANK TURRET

My friend Paul Vreede's fabulous SpaceX Toys website is peppered with gems.

One such gem is the registered design for the Project SWORD Hover Tank toy, which sadly, was never produced.

 https://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGApapr/rUKdsgns/MA944883.html

Looking at the Tank it struck me that the chrome gun turrets looked familiar, especially with the belled cap and the small trigger near it.

I thought of the SpaceX Cricket.

Bill and Paul wondered about the Hamiltons Invaders Tank

or maybe the Hamiltons Invaders Mosquito Jeep

Do you think its possible that any of these turrets were used in the building of the prototype Hover Tank in Hong Kong?

ED'S SWORD DAY TARHEEL BLUE TASK FORCE 1

This

is a blue Task Force No. 1 which came to me several years ago in battle weary condition.

There were no markings to indicate the manufacturer and I'm guessing it's Tarheel? I'm going to have to dig it out and take another look.

I like its scrappy appearance as it lends a certain air of used-ness (I just made that word up LOL). The exhaust cone seems awfully large and I'm wondering if perhaps there's a piece missing?

From Vegas Base

Ed

PROJECT SWORD BOXES HIDDEN ON A HONG KONG ASSEMBLY LINE

I'm always amazed what's hidden away on British Pathe footage.

In this film, amazingly, Hong Kong toy factory workers are using flattened Project SWORD Cape Kennedy Set boxes as assembly line table covers whilst making racing cars! Its at 1.08 on the counter.

https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVA38SVVZCW74P7YBE5RXEE4OHWF-HONG-KONG-MAKING-CHRISTMAS-TOYS-FOR-1971/query/hong+kong+toys

This is a picture of the box top for reference.

A number of things spring to mind watching this footage. Why are Cape Kennedy Set boxes being used like this? Is it because its 1971 and the sales of SWORD toys, having been launched in 1967, will have ended and therefore the boxes are now redundant?

More intriguingly, could this have been the very Hong Kong toy factory that the Cape Kennedy Sets were produced years earlier on behalf of Century 21 Toys?

What do you think?

There are lots of Project SWORD toys on British Pathe. This is just one.

PROJECT SWORD DAY TWO!

 I thought we'd celebrate some more and stretch the SWORD day fun to a second day.

Enjoy!