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Does anyone remember this?

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  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: USA
Does anyone remember this?
Posted by widepaul on Thursday, February 10, 2005 2:10 PM
I recall a spaceship model put out by Monogram (not sure on that) in the early 60's that depicted a ship that could travel from the earth to the moon or beyond. It had a Buck Rogers type design with good size fins in the back and a complete interior in the crew area. It even had small crewmen about 1/4 inch high. Thinking about it - I recall that it was in dark plastic (grey or blue) and had two or three stages. The upper stage which housed the crew also had wings and had a retractable skid used for landing.
It was a pretty cool model as I recall - but I haven't been able to find any info on it.

Am I just imagining this or can anyone provice any more details? Can it be had anywhere now?

Thanks,
Paul
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Third rock from the sun.
Posted by Woody on Thursday, February 10, 2005 10:10 PM
Paul there were quite a few sci-fi kits from the late 50's to the 70's that could be the kit your remembering. I kind of think it was this kit. . . . .

The roof section can be lifted to reveal a five man crew at their stations.

" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by widepaul on Friday, February 11, 2005 11:37 AM
Woody,
Thanks - that may be it - or it could have been the Revell H-1800-198 - I found that it was issued in 1957. I can't quite rememer - I was about 10 at the time. Looks to be quite expensive now - I sure would love to build one again tho.

Thanks,
Paul
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: phoenix
Posted by grandadjohn on Friday, February 11, 2005 12:51 PM
I would also like to see some of those old kits re-issued also, Most were conceptual ideas from leading scientist of the day about the future of space travel
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Third rock from the sun.
Posted by Woody on Friday, February 11, 2005 4:51 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by widepaul

Woody,
Thanks - that may be it - or it could have been the Revell H-1800-198 - I found that it was issued in 1957. I can't quite rememer - I was about 10 at the time. Looks to be quite expensive now - I sure would love to build one again tho.

Thanks,
Paul

Paul, Here is the XSL-01 Spaceship(H-1800-198). . . .


. . . .and the Lunar Lander part that was also sold as a seperate kit by itself.


" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by widepaul on Saturday, February 12, 2005 12:18 PM
Woody,
I was definatly one of those - it's been so long I can't remember which one tho. I sure wish I had saved it instead of played with it!!
-Paul
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: phoenix
Posted by grandadjohn on Saturday, February 12, 2005 3:17 PM
me too
  • Member since
    December 2002
Posted by topher5001 on Saturday, February 12, 2005 6:29 PM
I was looking for a model not too long ago & someone pointed me to this website:
http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/1950s_concept_spacecraft.htm
It may help jog your memory.
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: phoenix
Posted by grandadjohn on Saturday, February 12, 2005 7:50 PM
Thanks, brought back a few memories
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by widepaul on Monday, February 14, 2005 12:10 PM
Thanks - this has really cleard up my memory. It has been fun to remember these old kits - maybe someday they will be available again.

Cheers,
Paul
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 4:53 AM
That Convair Space Shuttle kit was reissued by Revell-Monogram about 8, maybe 10 years ago, so it might still be available at either eBay, at one of the older, well stocked model shops that do mail-order, or from one of the kit dealers who advertise in Fine Scale Modeler . It's still a nice kit after so many years.

The XSL01 Moon Rocket is now a very rare kit that goes for Big Bucks. I built one in either '58 or '59 and only saw it on my local hobby shop shelf one time (and a little later the issue of the separate first stage delta rocketplane pictured here, moulded in a light blue plastic as compared to silver in the full version). It's never been reisssued, unfortunately. But it _was_ considered by Revell-Monogram! At one of the IPMS National Comventions in the mid-90s, I had the opportunity to ask one of the Revell-Momgram VPs if they would ever reissue that kit (as part of their golden-oldies reissue program). I asked the right guy, it turned out, as he had personally inspected that kit's molds and though in good condition, the clear-parts die was missing. He said that would probably keep it from ever being reissued.

I bought a MIB collectors copy of the XSL01 about 10 years ago and it cost $400, a very good price at the time, considering its price range listed for it in the Burns Kit Collector's Guide. It was worth it to me to be able to recapture a cherished memory from childhood--but's it's too rare and valuable a kit to ever build now.

A piece of science fiction TV trivia rearding this old spaceship kit: If you remember the "Men Into Space" syndicated TV series from that early space era, well, in one episodes, the XSL01 was used as a Russian Mars ship that was to be lauched from the Russians Moonbase until--if memory serves--a Moonquakre destoyed it.

--Ken
  • Member since
    November 2004
  • From: USA, North America, Earth Milky Way
Posted by thunderbearr on Wednesday, February 16, 2005 4:32 PM
It might have been the 'Space Taxi'
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