ROCKET MAN IN SPACE ARMOR - ALPS BANDAI - JAPAN

Tin and plastic battery op remote control robot astronaut. Yellow plastic antenna on this example is correct; grey and white have been seen but these may be later additions. The metal antenna is not used - in keeping with the box art. The robot advances with walking motion, moving arms and lighted head as his color wheels spin and pistons move in his chest. Press the second remote button and he individually fires his rockets. Flip up his helmet to see the tin astronaut head. Made by Alps for distribution by Rosko.

It is the first of a group of Alps badai robots based on the same molds: Rocket Man (1963) Moon Explorer (1966) and Missile Robot (?). It bears a strong resemblance to the Alps TV Spaceman but the scale of the components is appreciably larger.

The Rocket Man is currently dated to 1963 when it appears in a number of catalogs, including Aldens Christmas Catalog where it is described as a Mars Explorer. (Rocket Man's head is attached to the body by a hinge which fits into slots molded into the head pressing. These holes can be seen on the later Moon Explorer where they have no function.)