Kellogg's Engine House to Fire House Project Templates!!!

HOOORAY! I've been able to recover the .PDF file for the templates. Here's what happened. Not long before the external hard drive went kaput I had downloaded the file to Google Docs, then when I went back to the docs page I couldn't find it!!! arrrrrrgh@!**#  

So today I went back to Google Docs and played around with the settings (Google re-formatted their screens from the last time I used them and I was a tad lost) and found the file along with several others that were 'lost'. Below is the shared link to the file. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

Kellogg's Fire House Template

I hope the template is easy enough to follow and that someone out there is able to do a much better build than me. I'd be interested to see your results.

Lost

Here;s a goofy little sign I've had for many years and thought it would make a good kinda 'No post today' notice

Swadar Fairchild XC-120 Airplane 1950s - Gray HP

A few days ago we featured the red version of this XC-120 and today we bring you a gray version. This time I've posed a small Pyro Jeep along with it. The Jeep is larger than the original vehicles that came with the toy and needs a little finessing to get into the cargo pod but it still looks good. Both planes have some condition issues like broken propeller blades and this one is missing a rear pod door but they still display well. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

Masuya Moon Rocket

The Masuya tin-litho Moon Rocket is a toy that just won't die. First appearing in the '60s it was a classic toy design.A fairly straight forward rocket ship design taking it's cue from the Mercury or Apollo space program but with the addition of fins - so it has something to rest on when it lands on the Moon. It features a friction motor and spring release mechanism which, when the nose runs into an object and gets pushed backwards, causes the forward wheel to pop out and uprighting the rocket. At the same time the side hatch opens, and the ladder deploys showing the spaceman inside ready to explore new worlds. Masuya made at least two versions of this that I'm aware of, the white bodied rocket featured today and a blue bodied version with a nice representation of space capsule lithographed on the top portion. The rocket measures 15 1/2" (39.37cm) H x 4 1/4" (10.79cm)  wide at the widest part of the fins.

I say this is the toy that wouldn't die because it has remained such a popular design that it was being manufactured in Hungary in the '70s as the Holdraketa (which was featured here on Nov 22, 2014). The Hungarian rockets also came in at least two designs, one being the Holdraketa, the other one lettered for the Soviet Union - CCCP. Then in the '90s China put out their version called the Sky Express which was featured here on Oct 4, 2014. Also, if I'm not mistaken there were at least two variations of the Chinese rocket as well so there's plenty of variety out there to for anyone interested in collecting these. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

Blasting off for its rendezvous with the Moon

****added Nov 29 2015 - a nice animation courtesy Google****

Passing over the Moon in low orbit

Mission complete. Time to head home.

Beginning re-entry

Renwal No.38 P-38 Lightning

For many years I was really into WWII aircraft, mostly those from the European Theater of Operations (ETO) and the P-38 Lightning was one of my all time favorites as it was with so many other plane enthusiasts. Toy companies were quick to oblige kids love affairs with this plane by pumping out Lightnings by the truckload, either as plastic kits, ready made plastic toys, die-cast, wood - I mean you name the medium and the P-38 was probably made in it! This Renwal version, part of their Tr-Scale line of toys, was made from 1945-47 and from 1949-53 with a retail price of $0.29. It came in various colors, with or without decals, single sale or in sets with other airplanes. My example has a rough box and is itself kind of battle worn, the plastic having warped over time and missing its propellers. It measures 4 7/8" (12.38cm) L x 6 1/2" (16.51cm) wingspan x 1 1/4" (3.17cm) H. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

The box was quite rough but a tad bit of cleaning up in Photoshop makes it look a little more presentable.

Side and end flaps have the same design