Space.Trucks' Space Garage & Showroom

[space.trucks]

(Just posted this to the Space Plastics forum in the hopes of IDing the capsule.)

 

 

 

[space.trucks]

(Copied over from the Space Plastics threads.)

 

Was NoS but the bag looked like it had been used as a sponge & vendor had it priced accordingly. Obtained to be opened and utilized as a stage piece for photographic work. Will eventually seek out another to keep sealed because this thing is surprisingly cool. 

 

Hard plastic, more pink than this coral tinting by my work lamp. And in spite of appearances is actually quite robust & very entertainingly functional. Test launched two or three times to great satisfaction. I usually do arm the rocket for pix but immediately release it and keep it bagged up in this state.

 

Now what's super cool -- and apologies if this is a subject which has been covered before -- is that I'd obtained it a ways before becoming absorbed by the Spacex Borg-Machine just because it looked cool & was intrigued by it being functional. Later on while assimilating the data on the GA website found this:

http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAderv/LPHK/LPhkRBpk/xLP_Dlmr/xLP_Dlmr.html

And this:

http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAderv/LPHK/LPhkSmTy/LPexplCr/LPexplCrC.html

Bingo. No clue what the significance might be if any, but it's defo the same rocket launcher design all over that stuff, and again my apologies if the subject has been covered on other threads previously. Coming late to the Golden Astronaut party for sure but I'm stoked to have had another link in that chain of insanity all along. 

 

The only marking.

 

  

Some sweet detailing. Scale is perfect for two to three inch spaceman forms.

 

Badass. For those unfamiliar with the mechanism you push the rocket's tail end into the muzzle and once the spring has worked all the way back turn the metal latch at the very end to hold in place. Then release it to launch & that thing flies real good. Would like to score a couple extra rockets just to have em stacked up next to it on some sort of rack. 

 

In application. I feel sorry for kids these days who don't have potentially dangerous toys like this to learn the hard way to be respectful of.

 

"FIRE FOR EFFECT."

 

Keep Watching the Skies.

[space.trucks]

This stuff became my focus due to being an Apollo Space Kid the era in which it was released, though I was too young to appreciate the line's existence before it went under. The Thunderbirds angle also appeals to me as it was my favorite show when I was six, still admire it as an adult and recognize it's and the model work in every other *GA production's influence on my photographic approach. I do have a vestigial memory of a Golden Astronaut as some sort of mythical figure one of my friends may have had. But would have been three in 1970 and my parents stridently opposed to cheap colorful disposable plastic toys made in Hong Kong. No way would they have bought any of this for us while the line was current product, the forms would have been demolished by love inside of two weeks. Had my Marx guys, basic Major Matt Mason loot & a Space Bucket kit but not so much as a scrap of any of this. Learning of its existence via the Database here + the SpaceX/GA website has turned it into a Quest to some day have an example of each or die trying. 

 

Third Floor: Related figures.

Second Floor: SpaceX/GA vehicles.

Ground Floor: Related vehicles.

 

Still carded units kept pinned to Ogle Wall.

 

My only loose GA & his survival capsule.

 

Wait .... Golden Astronaut = GA = Gerry Anderson?  0.O

 

Just to be thorough.

 

The loose examples I've been able to score. All have some issue with them or another except maybe the Lift Loader. Space Command Ship complete other than missing its rockets. Which to me means it's not complete. The Quest goes on.

 

Missing its grapple hook + cable. Middle axle also damaged with no "springy" response.

 

Compromised winch housing.

 

 

Only issue with this beast is that the lift platform doesn't like to stay in an upper position but that may just be from use. Otherwise intact.

 

I used to do indie game level design for a shooter called SiN which had drivable vehicles including a forklift. Made a four player "Forklift Arena" deathmatch level where you'd try to squash each other into infinity. The forklifts would also explode after taking sufficient damage values then re-spawn. Can't recall if I even added weapons. Just forklifts, and we had fun.

 

 

Rotors missing, cracked rotor housing, and the cockpit dome is missing its sliding door.

 

I will confess having tried to pluck him out of there but stopped upon realizing he's only half a guy.

 

Fun fact: I'd emailed Paul Vreede & included a pix of the carded unit and he recognized it as one of the examples used on the GA site from the bend at top right. His image was obtained with permission from the seller I'd scored it from. Most fun part is that I had presumed the dent was my handiwork and I am grateful to having been let off the hook! Am a klutz and I know it which is why everything gets obsessively bagged + boxed. 

 

Vendor stated that they did not know if the rocket launcher still functions as they had no rockets to test with. Whatever holds the tube in a firing position also disabled. A still carded unit is incoming & I will do my best to leave it alone.

 

Have been utilizing sticky putty to fix it in a normal looking firing position when making pix.

 

Looks like a space-age suicide wagon like that ...

 

Boom.

 

 

Poor thing. Missing its front wheel arm and the radar dish is both disconnected and mismatched. Should be a white plastic with a waffle pattern. I do know where to obtain a more complete LP produced copy when it's time. Would rather find examples of other vehicles first, am good with this as-is until a carded unit can be secured.

 

Using sticky putty to fix the dish to the structure when in "use". I've decided not to re-glue anything on any of my finds unless it can't be avoided.

 

 

Front wheels missing and have enjoyed using that kitchen floor tile to keep it upright when in use for pix.

 

"The wheels turn", lol. Other than that it just sits there looking like it rolled right out of a Thunderbirds episode. Works for me, and I do know where to find an on the card unit when ready.

 

 

Most recent acquisition. Vendor said it is complete + functional other than missing rockets. Some adhesive residue visible on the engine nacelles but I can live with it having been re-built if that's what the flaw indicates. 

 

More adhesive on this side too. Maybe it was just a long day at the plant?

 

Badass.

 

Both launcher tubes have their springs, both mechanisms dry-fired and appear functional. So, anyone know where to come by a couple of spare rockets???

 

 

[space.trucks]

 

Now for the real madness. If you ask me the Triang & GA material is pretty straightforward with a specific line of specifically related product. This is where you start wandering into Flavor Country: The LP derived knockoffs & extensions of the designs thrown at them (or which they contrived) as accessories to the SpaceX/Golden Astronaut vehicles. Blame my entry into it on the "Blue Shield Apollo Moon Capsule" sets. I'd been looking for little spaceman figures in around the 1:64 Matchbox/Hot Wheels scale and am obsessed with the Lunar Module. It was wanting to understand why the figures were so different than the Space Bucket + Marx figures I was familiar with which led me to here, then to Commodore Verde's Sx/GA site. Only thing I wonder now is how it took me fifty years to hear about this stuff.

 

 

Here is the Sx/GA site's "guide" to what this plate of spaghetti is made of. It's all there, or linked to pages linked to its contents.

 

http://www.triangspacextoys.info/SpGAderv/LPHK/LPhkCpPg.html

 

 

Most of these vehicles were obtained from cake topping collector/vendors. Had a Major Matt Mason as a kid but only the sled, never had any Billy Blastoff either for that matter. Dime for scales.

 

Both in the listing and upon arrival he was facing backwards.

 

No markings anywhere which I can detect.

 

Obtained this about the same time, and here he is chromed.

 

Has an actual face as well.

 

These two obtained from different vendors, the example in red first.

 

Both marked "Made In Hong Kong" on the underside of the saucer rim. And as you can see this had indeed been used as a cake topper decoration. Seller was an older female who included a little religious blessing card in the packet. Can't make stuff like that up.

 

Am guessing that extra blob on the dome base next to the front latch is just an untrimmed overpour? and the flakes either adhesive or frosting.

 

This one scored with the MMM sled and does not appear to have been on a cake.

 

Nice detailing on his control panel.

 

Mercury capsules obtained with the saucers, the one on the left with the red domed unit.

 

Only realized when preparing the pix that there appears to be a bit of text on the nose cone. Will take a closer look at it tomorrow.

 

Markings on both nose cone and capsule on this side.

 

The second capsule, this one obtained with the MMM sled + clear domed saucer and I don't see the marks which look like text on the other. Will investigate.

 

This side marked "Hong Kong" on both nose cone & capsule.

 

The smaller "Unique 6 Party Favors Star Ship" set, and again it was only when preparing the pix that I noticed text on the blue capsule next to the dime. Was too pre-occupied with showing how one of the rockets had arrived with a fin pod broken off. Have the fragment & been lazy about gluing it back in place.

 

Admiring the detailing, and no script on this side.

 

The damaged rocket, no markings on the inside.

 

The larger rockets, and that's Thunderbird One or I'm a doofus. The two with white capsules at center came with the Mercury capsule & saucer lots, one with each though I cannot recall which anymore.

 

Was comparing wing nacelles and only when preparing the pix noticed the text markings on the red "Unique" capsule. I believe the white capsules on both of the non-"Unique" rockets do not have the text markings at all, will investigate further!

 

Yarp: Made In Hong Hong, going upwards. Smaller rockets likewise marked.

 

One of the larger rockets from the "Unique" sets, and all are likewise unmarked (will spare the pix).

 

The two white capsules, crop-down of a larger image then contrast adjusted. No text visible from this angle (see followup post below).

 

<3 my Apollo CSMs. The white one to the left of the dime missing its antenna array so I turned it backwards to show how the casting still included a notch for a little stand.

 

Just beautiful. I love the orange, and the detailing is remarkably crisp.

 

The white one missing the antenna, so we can see the obverse side.

 

Marked "Made In Hong Kong" by engine nozzle. 

 

And again.

 

All of em. Had not noticed until making these pix.

 

Here's why: On the card the side with the marks faces the cardboard so the antenna array won't be crunched. You can only see them if you open it up and free the capsules from the thread. And as for the rockets their capsules are apparently only marked on one side, so there's a 50/50 chance the marks would not be visible unless you opened them up too.

 

So I've burnt through four of these so far, a fifth is incoming from the UK with a red LM + blue figures using Marx poses from another vendor also specializing in cake topper decorations. They had some other goodies too, eager to inspect the initial results & send out for more.

 

LOL NICE GOUGE! Shafting people out of a hard earned nickel. Tagged on both sides, the shysters. You can score these from a vendor with a great sense of humor for about $14 shipped. Tell him the Squonk sent you, he'll understand.

 

He hooked me up with a nice model in beige as well as the cream/eggshell variant next to it. Most of what he had were plain white plastic as on either end, been meaning to see what he has left. The off-white LMs also came with gray figures + a white one and some yellows, the white LMs on either end all yellows.

 

 

All marked "Made In Hong Kong" on the base.

 

This one you can sort of see how the two stages are connected via a pair of pegs rather then adhesive. The central peg with a larger end which won't pull back through the top plate of the descent stage, the other to keep the ascent stage oriented "forward". The plate then glued to the hull of the descent stage. The design allows the capsule to have a little bit of give, still be a separate component, but not rely upon a relatively fragile adhesive bond to keep it in place. Pretty neat, though sadly all of my LMs have bent antenna arrays and I am too fearful of cracking them off to try bending them into place. Considering trying to heat their connective stems slightly first ...

 

Now for the big question: Can the "Unique Party Favors" CSMs dock with the "Blue Shield" LMs?

 

In theory, YES: Their scales are the same and their moulds do appear to have been prepared with interaction in mind.

 

In practice: NO. Just about a half millimeter off. Am considering shaving down the nib on the CSM missing the antenna array to make it work. Will share up if it does.

 

[space.trucks]

 

[space.trucks]

Recent finds: Palmer spacemen, sloppily painted "Made in Hong Kong" painted LP spaceman copies (Marx?), play-aged white spacemen from unspecified set/maker, flat/sideways lead cast Flash Gordon spaceman, blue cake topper spacemen with painted details but no markings (same vendor as blue LM), foxy French cereal premium spacewoman in purple, two carded SpaceX vehicles, three die cast bases for Britains Deetail space figures, and what was a NoS blue (not red!) UK vended version of the "Blue Shield Apollo Moon Capsule" set with four mini LP posed astronauts -- Vendor specializes in cake decorations, had used a loose LM with Marx/Hong Kong poses for their listing, stoked however it turned out & asking if they have more. No header card was included, making a point to explain I don't want them for cupcake decorations and do want the card(s).

 

[space.trucks]

Ogle Wall, Syracuse studio. Same stuff as above (with a few new arrivals), knew I'd be here for almost a week so I brought em just to stare at between tasks. Looking forward to the point where there's too many to shuttle around & I have to pick one place for them to be tacked up.

 

[tinluver2]

WOW!

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[space.trucks]

Three Stage Cap Bomb, Made in Hong Kong NoS:

 

 

[Brian..]

Steve, it's better and faster to post a link to anything you wish to duplicate. (Google penalises duplicate content). 

 

Just go to the article you wish to duplicate, copy the address from the top of your browser and paste it into a new post. Takes seconds.