Airfix 54mm Set #9 51577 Space Warriors (1981) - Pt 3 Pose 2 Hero Boy

Like the Tim-Mee Galaxy Laser Team, the Airfix Space Warriors has its own version of a Hero Boy. The two poses are very similar but the characterizations are totally different. The Tim-Mee version has more of an old school almost Buck Rogers look to it, while the Airfix version has more of that '70s-'80s vibe to it. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Airfix 54mm Set #9 51577 Space Warriors (1981) - Pt 2 Pose 1 Darth Nasty The Bad Guy

This first pose in the Airfix 'Space Warriors' set is the bad guy - Darth Nasty. Okay, I was bored and tried to come up with a stupid name. I succeeded.  While he is definitely not a Star Wars clone he has that aura of strength and domineering will and exudes mean guy-ness (okay, I made that up too - I'm still bored). Anywho, here he are! Enjoy! Opa Fritz

(L) Tim-Mee (R) Airfix

The Tim-Mee version is closer to being a Star Wars clone. The Airfix guy is in a world of his own.

Eldon No. 902 Cargo Plane Vehicles: Armoured Car - OD MORE INFO

Blog reader Robert from Norwich provided some interesting information in regards to what may have been the inspiration for Eldon's armoured car. 

Robert from Norwich

Hello Ed,
Good to see the Eldon armoured car being featured. You mention a resemblance to the U.S. "Staghound" supplied to the British, but interestingly there is also a strong resemblance to another British armoured car - the Daimler Mark II or Mark IV. For example, while the turret side view looks similar to the Staghound it is formed from flat panels like the Daimler. The driver's cab profile looks more like that of the Daimler, though the moulded shape on the front could suggest the double crew visors of the Staghound. (Oddly the long gun barrel resembles neither, and the wheels are modelled as though spoked - just like those of Eldon's jeep!). However the angular looking mudguards/fenders closely match those of the Daimler, whereas the Staghound's were curved. These also carry Daimler-style stowage boxes. Overall it seems to be a bit of a hybrid, but then it was just intended as a toy after all.

Best wishes,

Robert

When presented in the fb groups, everyone came up with the same answer: it was based on the Staghound. NO ONE even mentioned the Humber! Yet, as you can see by the photos, the Humber appears to be similar to Eldon's version as well. That being said, it is just a toy and we're only second-guessing what the toy designer's at Eldon were using as their inspiration. Still, it bears mentioning - you make the choice! Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Eldon Armoured Car

T-17 Staghound

Courtesy Wikipedia

Humber Mk II

Courtesy tankencyclopedia.com

Airfix 54mm Set #9 51577 Space Warriors (1981) - Pt 1

I've been holding on to this set for years and it was finally time to photograph it. We just finished off the Tim-Mee 'Galaxy Laser Team' from 1978 which was a nice set with some interesting figures in it that are most certainly welcome in any space diorama or set-up. Three years later - in 1981 - Airfix released their take on the whole space opera gig by releasing this set called 'Space Warriors'. Quite frankly, this is a far better set. The figures are scaled to 54mm, are better sculpted, and are more 'animated' as a whole. There are no 'fillers' like generic astronaut poses - each one of these is a space warrior, no doubt about it! My set was made in France and, quite frankly, that's all I know about Airfix. When I was a kid I built some of their airplane models and did have some of their 1/72 figures but that was a l-o-n-g time ago! Maybe I'll learn a little more about the company as the series progresses.  The photo essays will be in forthcoming installments. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

This is what was included in the box

These are the separate poses. Their are no aliens or robots in this set.

Eldon No. 902 Cargo Plane Vehicles: Missile Launch Truck - OD SP

Here's the last of the three vehicles which came with Eldon's large No. 902 Cargo Plane, the Missile Launch Truck. All three of these olive drab vehicles would normally have come with the all-silver version of the cargo plane not the red-white-&-blue version I have, but I haven't yet tried searching for the correct red-white-&-blue vehicles (and I'm not sure I'm even gong to try - I'm thankful to have these). My sample is missing the missile (could've sworn I saw that thing in a box somewhere) and measures: 4.75" (12.06cm) L x 1.75" (4.44cm) W x 1.625" (4.12cm) H (4"/10.16cm H with launch rack raised). Enjoy! Opa Fritz