F is for Final Round-up . . . Rangers and Scouts

We've looked at the X-200 Space Ranger once or twice here at Small Scale world, so I'm actually going to concentrate on the space scout, which isn't obvious in either of the 1954 annuals, but despite appearing four times in the tag list here, is not covered that well on the blog, with one tag being the X-200 renumbered by Dimestore Dreams and the other mentions being single image posts or follow-ups to other things.

 

But first, I did look at the Premier sculpts (first post in this sequence) once before. I think it's one of these which has joined my fleet, possibly the other 5" Dart - version 6, to use Ed's nomenclature.

 

The back cover of the Adventure Annual shows two versions, the green one having a closer resemblance to the real thing as far as window-panel count is concerned, but I think the other (Swift's ship) is a different variant in real life, the 'bat-wing' tail-planes marking it as a Tudor Rose Space Patrol craft? Image on the right from Ed Berg a while ago.

 

We looked at the Ranger in detail not that long ago, here, and in the strip Swift mutters of the enemy ships that "Those must be the secret X-200's", so he knew his toys! But then they were on the artist's desk!

 

So, to finish-up, the X-100 Scouts; the metallic blue one (probably Kleeware) was in the lot I had to let go, but I've since picked-up a silver one (probably Tudor Rose, it has a hole for hanging/mounting on/off something), while Ed Berg also sent the red-one (Pyro?). In the past we have seen semitransparent Skandi' ones, versions with a floor piece, and I know a push-and-go was made, so quite a versatile little model!

 

And they are all septuagenarians now! To be in British 1954 annuals (printed at the end of 1953, for the Christmas market), they must have been born by Pyro, Thomas and Co., in the US, early 1953 at the latest?

W is for Wittrock, H Wittrock

Another contribution from our reader/follower in the snowy North, and before I get on to the W of H Wittrock A/S, the company who produced the X-300 below, the first image is of a new and interesting version of the X-100 Scout.

Having two forward wheels and no tail wheels, it also has no window voids, due to the most surprising feature, a second skin or liner in a flecked grayish plastic which runs the whole length of the fuselage, fitting snugly in the nose and tail. I can only assume this was to reinforce the whole model and keep breakages to a minimum, lowering the amount of negative feedback at the time?

Three views of the box for a Finnish produced X-300, the Finnish title is Avarus Raketti, while the Rymdraket is the Swedish version of the translation for 'Space Cruiser, I suspect actually they both translate back as 'Space Rocket'? The same ship also sold in Denmark as Rumskib.

Another box in a brighter yellow graphic, Telex was the brand, but the contributor states that Wittrock were the actual maker. The shorter, blunter profile of the lower tail fin is a deliberate feature of these and given the damage the Pyro/Tudor*Rose ones get suggests this was a good move!

Another major difference between the Pyro one and this Scandinavian beast is the long probe coming off the front canopy...well; if you've taken the breakage-susceptible bits of the back - why not add one to the front!!

M is for More Space Stuff!

This image was sent in by a reader/follower from Finland, who wishes to remain anonymous, however many thanks to him for doing so as there are two bits of real interest here...

First is the reversed colourway for the Space Hawk/Spaceship from Pyro/Poplar, which rather confirms my suspicion that the 'Tudor Rose' one below is actually another Poplar moulding. I was told it was Tudor Rose and the 'Made in England' rather throws you...but the Welsh (in the 50's) weren't as bothered by their status as some are now, and 'England' would get exports more recognition than 'Wales'?

Of more interest in the photograph are the four X-100 Space Scouts at the back, these are in a semi-transparent/marbled plastic, and in conversation with the guy who supplied the photo, the thought is they are local production. If not Finnish, then Scandinavian at least...Now, the Ajax/Beton/Everybody else mounted figures from the very early days of plastic, were carried/produced in Europe by an unknown French company, Airfix, Remsa and, in Denmark, by Riesler...could Riesler have produced these four?

The other two are a silver X-200 Space Ranger like the red one below [this is a pyro original] and an Atomic Space Ship (with a damaged nose), [marked] Tudor Rose.

I is for Invasion Fleet; Kleeware & Tudor Rose