DID YOU HAVE A MUSIC CENTRE?

Did you have a music centre at home? I think we used to call it a stereogram as well, a sort of wooden chest on legs containing a record player and space for albums. 

I think the music centre had a cassette player too maybe?

Do you recall yours?

JAPANESE RESEARCH INTO THE NICHIMO MOON RANGER

"Since the launch of the "accused submarine" for the first time of the power plastic model in Japan in 1959, energetically power model has been released in Japan model (aka Nichimo Corporation) is to launch amphibious expedition vehicles "Frontier" in 1965 you.

Turn the caterpillar and the screw in the motor power, water is also the design of this kit that land was also moving around, the roots of the company's amphibious tanks flourish after, solid chassis design will feel also robust, which is a feature of Nichimo Corporation AFV kit.

フロンティア

チャレンジャー

Next in 1966, has been arranged to smart in a more SF Chick with exactly the same concept, "Challenger" is N. B. It will be released from K.
Although this is a science fiction mecha of hailed as space exploration vehicles, the year that this 1966 is also the year Midori has been released, such as "Beetle II," "Echo 7", hereafter Japan JOSF kit of explosive development It will be.
(Previously in this corner there is a time that introduced the Challenger and the product of Nichimo Corporation, but it will correct it was a mistake. I apologize)



In addition the same year, Challenger will evolve more of retrofuturism feeling full of bubble canopy equipped to "pioneer".
By the way, but was a major futuristic design of about say that even had the same thing in this "pioneer" design at the time of Tin Toy, but whether the mechanism that was its original neta What is it, or of Nichimo Corporation and the toy as a product for such as which is what was in the first, yet in the course of research.

フロンティア

チャレンジャー

Now, the upper structure of the "pioneer" is has been as it is also used in space exploration bulldozer "Ranger", wonders that this kit and hit the obstacle straight ahead, keep on running to automatically back change of direction I had the mechanism.
In fit and in's report Baan unit of the maker of the gear box is the corona, the same thing was also used in non-stop Imai "BB-1 tank".

And in 1968, Nichimo Corporation is first billed as the SF series №1, it up to the slightly revamped the design concept of the SF mecha was outdated design, announces the monumental space exploration vehicles "adventure".

This kit is a single run with one motor, radar rotation, observation tower inside of the light source rotation, but it was super kit to perform a gimmick, such as missile time differential firing, thus epoch-making SF submarine tank debut among JOSF plastic model of Japan the preparation went well-equipped steadily. And ...."

*

Translated into English using Google Translate from an original article on the Japanese net by Mizu.

DID YOU SEE YOUR TOYS BEING THROWN AWAY AS A KID?

I had so much stuff as a kid that I don't have now. 

I had literally tons of Action Man gear, Major Matt Mason stuff, Billy Blastoff, die cast cars, Hot Wheels tracks, plastic cars, space toys, a Johnny Seven. games and books, not to mention Project SWORD [including the Zero-X] and SpaceX vehicles and my favourite space figures, Colouforms Outer Space Men!

Where did it all go?

I can honestly say I don't recall ever seeing my parents throw any of it out but they must have done, way back in the early Seventies. 

Maybe they threw it out in installments as I got older? I just don't know.

Did you see your folks throw out your childhood stuff readers?

KEV'S THUNDERBIRD 2 POD SCRATCHBUILD

Hi,

I have been scratchbuilding a TB2 for absolutely ages. 

Still haven't finished it, but I've just completed the pod.

Take care,

Kevin

KEVIN'S MERCURY CAPSULE MODEL

Hi, In response to the request for pictures of recent collectable acquisitions, I picked this up at the weekend. The Dragon 1:72 scale Mercury capsule (this one being Liberty Bell 7). 

It is a really detailed model, in the same range as the Apollo ones I've got and it is really small, about 11cm long (but most of that is the escape rocket). Mind you, the Mercury astronauts said you didn't get into the spacecraft, you put it on!

Take care, Kevin

BRAIN SALAD ALIEN

Talking of bio-vehicles, you can't really ignore its evolution into bio-mechanica in the hands of H.R.Giger.

I first came across his skeletal pipes on the cover of Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson Lake and Palmer in 1973. I was 12 and it was one of my two older Brothers' LP's in the pile next the music centre we had back then.

I had no idea it was a Giger cover but always remembered it. I made the connection with the emergence of ALIEN five years later. The nuts, bolts, screws and skulls suddenly fell into place!

The inside cover, hinted at through the peep hole on the front, involved further Gigerism, a portrait of his girlfriend Sil.

Just where would ALIEN and SPECIES be without Giger?

I still havn't heard Brain Salad Surgery even after all these years. I was more into the guitar-based side of prog as a teenager, rather than all those moogs. Am I missing anything readers?

THE GREEN HORNET PART 5: CORGI BLACK BEAUTY DIE CAST

One of the most popular items of Green Hornet merchandise, both in Britain and America was the Corgi 268 Black Beauty, which, considering Corgi sold well over three-quarters of a million of these die-cast toys, is still fairly easy to find in reasonable condition and at a reasonable cost.

According to Corgi model news in TV 21 issue 152 (dated December 16^th 2067), the model was released in December 1967, and from then on continued in production until 1972.

There were two versions, which only differed in either spun or cast wheel hubs, and  slightly different box art.

Mine is apparently an example of the earlier version with spun wheel hubs.

Sat in the rear seat is The Green Hornet pointing his gas gun. These are quite fragile and prone to being broken off. A tiny lever on the base turns the figure.

Kato sits in the driving seat behind the green tinted windscreen.

Flick down the front radiator grill to reveal the firing missile, and two fixed banks of missiles behind the side lights.  The missile’s released by operating the forward switch.

Lift the boot (Truck in the States) using the rear switch. Flick it again and the Radar Scanner flies upwards at a speed easily capable of taking an eye out!

It originally came with 3 Scanners and 3 missiles, and if these got lost, which was highly likely, you could buy extra ones in packets containing 8 of each.

One of its most attractive features is the detailed Green Hornet decal on the roof.

Corgi model news featured The Black Beauty die-cast a couple of times.  

Some  advertisements for the Black Beauty, as seen in TV 21, and the Corgi catalogue.

"Let's roll, Kato!"

THE PRAWN TANK

Ever since my old Mum got me the album Squawk by Budgie in the early 1970's I have been aware of bio-vehicles.

The great Roger Dean's cover beautifully blended a bird skull with the body of a Blackbird spy plane, a visual pun if ever there was one. He even made a model of it first as pictured in his gorgeous book Views.

So I was thrilled when I saw this stunning bio-vehicle on the cover of I Romanza di Urania from Italy. It's a prawn tank and somehow it just works!

 The artist [Ceasar?] has made the most of the pinky pallet of the prawn and used the same for the turret. What do you think readers?