F is for Future-Past Freight Fleet

Once you have your Space/Airfield, you will need a train, because - as I'm sure we all know - in the future-retro-past of the 1950's, most industrial or commercial hubs of any size had a railway service and/or sidings, before the fall of Dr. Beeching's axe, even funny little places like Tongham, near Aldershot used to have a loading dock and sidings, so it was no surprise that in discussing the transfers Brian had on his Convertiplane (previous post), a liveried Spacefleet railway was revealed!

Shades of Triang's Battlespace, but in a clean 'NASA' aesthetic, and bedecked with the Spacefleet logo, with slightly 1984/Big Brother'esque 'wanted posters' of the Mekon on the wagon ends - know your enemy! Again in his own words and first answering my question about the transfers, here's Brian;

 

"The decals are homemade. The art was scanned from one of the Dan Dare reprint books and lazer printed onto decal film. A while ago, I created a freight train of Spacefleet vans and containers using the same decals . . . Dapol has a small range of undecorated rolling stock. When I found out, I couldn't resist."

 

And while I will often crop/edit images from contributors, even Brian's, I've left these at the full, standard 4x3, as the backgrounds are so interesting and full of stuff, mostly a whole London Bus depot! Which we've seen shots of before, here, with rampaging dinosaurs, I think!

 

Thanking Brian for the above, I thought the army in the background of the Helicar landing platform was well-set, in the same future-past, with late war Cromwell's and Quad's, supporting post-war Saracen's and Saladin's! There's even a matador there, and they soldiered-on for many years, ending up as local garage (service station) wreaker/tow-truck or yard crane conversions, well into my childhood.

 

The cars, which I was equally taken with, Brian explained are the Hot Wheels Dream Mobile, which is a recreation of an earlier 1950's Mattel toy; the Dream Car, a 'space age' or concept car. There's a kingfisher-blue one which might have my name on it, in the near future . . . past?

S is for Spacefleet's Spiffing Speedplane!

I'd forgotten asking Brian Berke for pictures of one of his future projects, once it was completed, and the other day, he sent me these! A Spacefleet marked McDonnell XV-1 Convertiplane to rush Dan Dare from his still warm rocket, back to Headquarters with some devastating report on the nefarious doings of the Mekon and his minions!

 

 Brian's cover-notes; "Here is the McDonnell XV-1 Convertiplane. I built the Kleeware version back in the 50's. I saw the actual aircraft in the Smithsonian reserve collection back in the 90's. A few years ago some Frank Hampson reference sketches for Dan Dare turned up referring to the craft. Here's my Spacefleet rendition."

 

It really looks the part, and got me thinking that a couple of Fairy Rotodynes and a Bristol Beverly in equal markings would produce a fine Spacefleet Air/Space Port, with a few Helicar's and Helijets rushing about! Perhaps a line of Bell X1's in the background . . . the future we never got! And the cockpit/body looks like the Edgley Optica which was doing well until one crashed, crossed with a Gazelle!

This version is (was?) produced by Glenco Models, who have managed to reissue some pretty rare birds over the last three decades or so, and not just 'birds', although it doesn't seem to be in their current kit line-up, so you may have to shop-around for it?

 

Aircraft history at Wikipedia -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_XV-1

 

Frank Hampson - https://frankhampsonartwork.co.uk/

 

Also, it's amazing how futuristic some of these 1950's & 60's designs actually still are, a weird kind of future-retro-past! And many thanks to Brian for sending these.

P is for Pulp Fiction

How have I not had that title before now? I'm not sure if these are Giles's work from Dorset Toy Soldiers, or Ron's from Good Soldiers, but as they are the Crescent sculpts it's all a bit academic and I'll Tag all three, just to make sure they can be found, no matter how future browsers are searching for them! On the Dan Dare Tag you'll find a larger sample of these from Brian B which we saw a while back.

The reproduction label is actually quite faded on my sample, and I've enhanced it in Picasa, to give a better feel for the original, the trouble with home printers is that the ink fades quite quickly, as anyone who's put stuff up at work, or on the fridge door, will attest! The yellow tissue apes the yellow card the originals are often found tied-to.

 

Box is in Dorset's style, but the subject is more Good Soldier'y, while the contents are the same as the Crescent toys set. Colours are best described as the common schemes, with the suited Dan being also found in dark blue, sky blue, red, metallic red, a pinkish metallic, and silver, with the Treens also having a fair few paint variations in the original, in this version it's supposed to be the Venusian character Sondar.

Some sources state the sky blue were only from an RAF set (which they certainly appeared in), and which includes blue versions of the two green service dress figures (Digby and Dan), while others claim blue spacesuit for Dan and yellow for Sir Hubert Guest? With Professor Peabody also getting red and silver issues, I suspect it was down to the out-painters or packers, on the day, and of little other significance?

 

The ship could be all red, split red/yellow, or red with a silver nose in the original, here the repro' has a segment of yellow running back from the centre of the cockpit, and again the launch-frame follows Crescent's blue, although orange and brown-red can be found.

 

Red Wing! That's three mini/micro spaceships, joining the stash, in a few weeks with a rather Tin Tin'esque rubber rocket pencil-top and the little novelty UFO in polystyrene alongside the Dan Dare whitemetal ship.

F is for Follow-up - Dragonbird Whirlyflies . . . Well, Actually, 'Helicars' & 'Helijets'!

Just got in from work to find this treasure in the inbox from Brian B in New York, on the subject of Sikorsky S-51's (previous post, below) and their relationship to Dan Dare! In his own words:

"It was delightful to see the blog post on Tudor Rose helicopters, as I coveted them as a kid but never owned one. 

I remember being aware of the S51 from the movie 'The Bridges of Toko-Ri'

When Frank Hampson created the world of Dan Dare in Spacefleet, he based the helijet on the S51.

When I built my train layout 'Northern Heights', London in the 1950's, I had to have a hint of Spacefleet so adapted a model of an S51 into a Helijet, just as Frank Hampson did."

And obviously that's what I was remembering when I mentioned Dan Dare in the other post, you can see where Fairy were coming-from with their Rotodyne too, and the similarities betweens names and designs extends to the IM 'Rotorship'.

I really love the conversions of railway figures (?) to Spacefleet personnel, including two Treens! From the left I think we have Dan, Digby and Sir Hubert Guest, arguing about how to do the dangerously impossible, and save the World . . . again!

Cheers Brian, a real treat!

Two hours later - Brucey Bonus as the rabbit-hole provides!

https://downthetubes.net/unearthed-early-dan-dare-designs-by-frank-hampson-inspired-inspired-by-innovative-1950s-inventions/

L is for Lone Star's Luna Shooters!

Trawling the archive for more rayguns and water pistols, it quickly became apparent that Lone Star would tick both boxes for us! Isn't that nice of them, now the gloves are off, and we need to get this stuff posted!

From the 1958 catalogue comes the Dan Dare Space Gun, which, like most Lone Star cap-firing guns, would take a whole real of 'amorces' (we need em' for our forces!), and get through it in proper quick-time!

 

Mum would go spare "I'm not buying you any more caps, that's the last two rolls, use them sparingly, when they're gone, they're gone, that's IT", and if Dad was around he'd mutter "Use aimed shots, conserve your ammo.", neither of which entreaties would have any effect on us, as once the caps had run out, we just started "Bang! Bang!" 'ing each other, or the Collidge gang from Mattingley!

 

By 1963 Dan Dare was out, and generic sci-fi was in, with a quick renaming of the toy to The Space Ranger Pistol, which, even from black & white artwork looks to have been a tad more colourful?

 

Also from the 1958 catalogue, was this Trick Jet Water Pistol, with very 'spacey' lines, and if it was die-cast (possibly with similar brass fittings to the HR one?), there should be a few survivors out there, not that I intend to start collecting such things I have neither the room nor the budget!

D is for Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future . . . Past!

As you may have clocked by now, we are having a Space day and a Follow-up day and a Brian day, because they are all follow-ups to previous related posts of shots Brian had sent. This post is looking at some more of Brian's collection of Dan Dare stuff, and in his own words . . .

"These figures are mostly Unicorn metal, factory painted.

The second and third on row-3 are Phants painted by me and are unlicensed UK made metal figures.

Row four - the four figures on the right are Treens; as per the Phants

Row five is a Crescent Dan Dare/RAF figure, then 3 as per above Phants and Treens. Then a plastic Spacefleet Commando by Eaglewall. Then two larger Auburn Rubber policemen this time the whistle blower is Dan smoking a pipe, followed by two Unicorns and a Comet metal Mekon."

=====================

A lovely display of a favourite from childhood, and - at the risk of being accused of name-dropping;

When we used to fly to Alderney (Britten-Norman Trislander - like a small Lancaster but noisier!), we would sometimes be unable to land (due to fog) and would be re-directed to Guernsey for an unscheduled overnight stay. We used a little B&B, but it often meant supper with General Sir John 'Arnhem' Hackett and his wife.

Now, after supper he and Dad would talk 'shop' (jumping out of perfectly-serviceable aircraft mostly!), while my Brother and I would sit at the top of the stairs going through a whole shelf of Lion, Tiger and Eagle annuals! Indeed we had to be dragged FROM the top of the stairs FOR supper, and were only returning to our 'roost'! Consequently; I knew well, things I should have been too-young to remember, like Harris Tweed, Waldorf & Cecil, PC49, Luck of the Legion and - of course - Dan Dare! "Pilot of the Future" . . . then!

=====================

Although the best thing there is hiding on the bottom row - where the hell do you go to find a figurine of Desperate Dan? "Cow-pie, with horns!"

Brian also sent a close-up of his Auburn Rubber paint-conversions - Cheers Mr B - some real treats!

D is for Dare, Dan Dare!

The third of today's contributions is one of crossed-wires and mixed messages (my fault), resulting in a post's worth of images from Brian 'Terranova' Berke on a subject close to his heart; Dan Dare - "Pilot of the Future".

Group shots, the top row is half Dr. Whatsit and his Kaled's; nothing to do with Dan the Man who battles the evil Treen boss - 'The Mekon'.

From the left the top row shows Dalek from a Dr Who Advent Calendar (which I think is the same little silicon-rubber one that The Toad sent to the Blog many years ago?); A metal 'first Doctor' painted by Terra', a home-printed (or - I'm told - a son-in-law's-home printed-) 3D-model TARDIS, and a 5-inch model of the First Doctor (played by one William Hartnell), I hate to say it but Terranova's in danger of dating himself with his dateable Doctor-fandom!

Then we're on to the Meat & Two-veg' of the post; Dan Dare, and start with a nice paint-conversion of a Marx pilot from the late version (hollowed-out base) 45mm Air Force set, A 3½-inch GI Joe figure painted-up as Dan, both matt-painted by Brian, with - either side of a PVC Thompson (or is it Thomson?) figure from Tin Tin - two gloss-pointed Auburn Rubber policemen, again by Brian but in the 'old toy soldier' style. Finally; the little guy half-seen is a Unicorn Models RAF Pilot also painted-up as Dan Dare . . . it's lucky, but space pilots of the future all wear 1950's military pilot's gear!

The lower line-up; again from the left consists of Professor Peabody, a Treen and a [slimer than I remember him] Digby, these are solid-metal castings of the old Crescent hollow-cast figures (again painted by Mr. Berke), then we have five metal copies of the Eaglewall figures (these are supplied by Good Soldiers as unpainted castings) From a red Dan Dare himself, and carrying-on to the right; Sir Hubert Guest and three generic 'Spacefleet' officers - think the Spacefleet equivalents of Star Trek's red PJ-wearing Ensign Smith!

Close-ups the painted casting in Brian's Dan Dare collection; the more observant among you will have clocked that Sir Hubert Guest and Dan dare are the same casting, but with Sir Hubert's arm moved to reflect the movable nature of the plastic original.

This is the boxed set, also available from Ron Good's firm as a pre-painted set of seven casts with an aditional Mekon, not released in plastic by Eaglewall! From the top left to the bottom right we have:

- Commander Lex O'Malley

- Digby (another slim one!)
- Dan Dare
- Sir Hubert Guest
- Professor Jocelyn Peabody
- The Mekon
- Cadet 'Flamer' Spry

On the left we have close-ups of the Dan Dare half of the upper row, and on the right a comparison between the Good Soldiers Dan (out of the cabinet) and Brian's home-painted sculpt from the same source, the Good Soldier's painted version has an other ranks silver helmet (shock horror!), while Brian's has been painted with the proper gold one!

Seen here at Small Scale World before; Brain also beefed up his 'Planet-side' Spacefleet command staff with a quick, flat-matt paint-conversion of some rack-toy policemen (from Jaru's 55-piece Emergency Rescue Police Big Bag set) into Spacefleet officers for space-port security, hunting-out Treens and probably a bit of Ensign Smithery . . . aaahrrrrh!

Thanks again Brian!

W is for ♫♪ Wooarp! Wooarp! - Isdee'Sound o'der Polieece! ♫♪ Wooarp! Wooarp! ♫♪

This is a right old Picasa-clearing, box-ticking, bag of bones today with nods of thanks to Brian Burke and Peter Evans for 'shelfies' and/or samples and a couple of images that have been on my 'phone since 2011!

Getting the aforementioned out of the way first; I can't even remember where I shot these, but it was in November 2011, as I was moving so it could have been anywhere! Looks to be HTI the - then - new branding for Halsall [Toys International] and the figures are about 45mm, we'll look at the firemen from the twin-set tomorrow.

A rather busty police-woman who's been put in 'shirt-sleeve' order to advertise her charms, while her colleague keeps his tunic on! And would you say the uniforms are actually quite Chinese, despite the international [play-value] feel of the rest of the contents?

These should have been in last year's Rack Toy Month (as should a few other things in this year's!), but they got held over. The figures are well sculpted, but a little wooden in their dynamism and have been issued under various brands; here claimed by Regent Products' sub-brand of Good Old Values.

Duplication of pose between sets (which have figure-specific blisters so it's meant) would require quite an outlay to find all the poses, but they do turn-up in other brands packaging or loose on eBay occasionally.

Brian pointed out that the mock-up of a shoulder patch on the Regent packaging is missing the NYPD (New York Police Department) of a genuine ESU original, so it can be assumed this is an unlicensed 'tribute-act' rather than any kind of official 'homage', and as such - a slightly distasteful exploitation of peoples goodwill; we're talking 9:11 and its aftermath here?

Also from last year (but 2009-marked stock) is Jaru's set Police Emergency Rescue with the police sculpts/figures in both blue and red (and with poses I still have to track down). All that; for five dollars? Bargain!

While this year Brian sent shelfies of Imperial's offering which appears to have the same boat as Jaru's, but all stickered-up, along with the same road/traffic signs but a mix of figure poses from two of the sets below.

Note that the importers are Greenbriar/DTSC, while Imperial are a US-based seller in their own right, a fourth unknown 'name' will be the shipper and the factory - a fifth!

We looked at some of these last year, some a few years ago but I think new poses have joined the first row, courtesy of Peter's 'Big Bag', while I grabbed a few others of the same vague size. The figures in the Imperial bag contain poses from both the Jaru and the Top Toy sets but in a better quality than the Top Toys.

Top Toys/Imperial (and others!) are also taking from Fishel in the pose department, while the unknowns at the bottom pay some homage with the pistol-firer almost a mirror-reverse. It should also be noted that while having new poses the Jaru bagged set above has flat-based figures, not the slightly hollowed-out ones sent to the Blog by Brian last year and shown here.

I almost forgot - Brian had sent me this ages ago, too cool for police-college; he's painted up a bunch of unknown police and the Jaru radio guy as what I believe (Brian'll correct me if I'm wrong!) represent Dan Dare space-police in 'planet-side' uniform!

Looking at the guy reaching for his 'piece the others may be additional poses from my unknown last row, but then the shooting-with-bull-horn looks like one of the poses from the larger Jaru bagged set, are they one and the same? Or are mine poorer, 2nd-generation copies of the Jaru 'originals'?

News, Views Etc...Dan Dare Puzzle Post

Visitor Andy B has sent a lovely scan of the box-top for the puzzle I blogged at the start of the month, the vastly improved post can be re-seen here;

D is for Dan Dare - Pilot of the Futurepast

D is for Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future...Past

Shot this a few years ago now; no toy soldier or model figure connection whatsoever...but that hasn't stopped me posting other esoteric things in the past and who can resist Dan Dare?

Various shots of the box, which ends-up giving a better idea of the puzzle as well, due to the vendor covering the actual puzzle in...

...clingfilm! Which just will not be photographed from any angle with flash, but which - due to the light conditions in the hall couldn't be photographed without flash either!

Added; 26th October 2014

Andy B has come to our rescue with a superb scan of the box-top, which gives full credit to the artwork, first as he sent it, and then collaged to show each quarter the 'right way up'!

Thanks Andy, that's improved the post by about 100%!

R is for as Rare as Rockinghorse-shit

Speaking of George Erik as I was...er...n't (Reamsa figure in next post below!); as well as designing for Reamsa, George also designed for various UK manufacturers and often re-used a pose. One of the more original poses from his hands was the crawling figure from the Turkish WWI set, and it also got re-used for the Reamsa US Cavalry set...

...and for the Kentoys set of three Space Police Commandos. This is a hard lot to track down, I photographed this on Adrian's stand at a show, the set was only three poses, with a further three 'Terra Nova' figures, the whole to enhance the Dan Dare set. The Terra Novans don't seem to have left the factory for retail (they can be seen in one or two of James Opie's books - as he owns the test-shots. and the Plastic Warrior Kentoy special), while the Space Police Commandos only got a limited distribution.

Paint's poor on this survivor, and the disc shaped badge on the shoulder should be yellow.