TriAng SpaceX LP Golden Astronaut Fleet

[space.trucks]

Will add to this thread as additional material from the Sx/GA legacy turns up on my work table.

 

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. Here is the SpaceX/Golden Astronaut site's "guide" to what this bucket of spaghetti is made of. I want more of it.

 

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

 

 

Here we go, and as usual my apologies if this is a subject already beaten to death on these boards. 

 

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.

 

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.

 

<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 again, but what's that by the engine nozzle??

 

"Made In Hong Kong"

 

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]

Addendum to the above: My white cake topper vendor rocket capsules are marked "Made In Hong Kong" as well. You really have to study it close & have the light catch the script at the right angle to notice. At casual glance it appears to just be more detailing. 

 

[space.trucks]

This in severe jeopardy of being opened. I have a thing about contraptions with Grabber Arms likely stemmed from The Death Probe on "The Six Million Dollar Man". I also like it better in person than I did in pictures, but what's up with my unit's antenna??

 

 

Note loose antenna stem, and that is under the blister plastic that way.

 

 

This in less jeopardy of being opened.

 

 

Had hoped my loose example's rocket launcher still functioned (seller did not have rockets to test it with) but now see that it is missing a piece on the trigger end.

 

Bummer.

 

Maybe worth it just to open and try to replicate these. Considering what to do.

 

Just to be sure ...

 

 

[JC Carbonel]

Some of this stuff is very Gerry Andersonish. the MEV is I think a very real design.

 

JCC

[Andyman]

Cool stuff, ST. Thanks for sharing.

[ervino]

If somebody doesen't know it, this is the "final" site on everything SpaceX/Triang:

 

Paul Vreede's New Spacex Toys Website

 

http://www.triangspacextoys.info/

[Golddalek]

Indeed, very much in the style of Gerry Anderson Sci Fi.

But seeing they are UK creations, it's no wonder.

I never heard of these toys.....Interesting, thanks for the link and photos.

[JC Carbonel]

The nice thing is that some of these vehicles are obviously inspired by real projects (I don't mean the flown hardware).

 

JCC