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Showing posts with label Marx rocket launcher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marx rocket launcher. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2025

Marx Battleground, Training Center, and Other Military Playset Pieces - Marx Long Range Rocket with Launch Pad

Marx called these "Long Range Rockets with Launching Pads" in the write-up for the 1961 Sears Wishbook, but I'm not sure what prototype rockets/missiles these were meant to represent.

The hard plastic launching pads came in three pieces - two hard plastic launch pad pieces and one spring which is missing from my launchers - and were usually color-matched (I switched the colors around for the photos to provide a bit more contrast). The Ajax style rockets had a hard plastic 1st stage and a soft plastic 2nd stage with a set being one launcher and three 2-stage rockets. There appears to be three different types of rockets - that is, three different second stages (I only have two variations in my collection). Eventually, all components were molded in a variety of colors, but early sets tended to have all white launchers. The launch base is 2.5" (6.35cm) diameter base. Overall, the height with launch pad is: 6.5" (16.51cm) (Rocket #1) and 7" (17.78cm) (Rocket #2).

Ed


The yellow HP launch pad on the far right has perhaps shrunk with age and won't allow me to push the rocket down all the way, and I don't want to force it and risk breaking it.
NOTE: all my launchers are missing their springs.


Two different 2nd stages are shown here.

There were three different castings for the 2nd stage pictured at far right. I only have two. From looking at catalog pages, the third casting appears to have additional little nubs at the very top.