UFO 7TV

I must be honest this idea only came to me at Salute this year. But now that I look back I was probably only going to end up here anyway.  Back when it first came out I was not a fan of the TV series "UFO" by Gerry Anderson much preferring other TV series like "Colditz" or even Captain Scarlet (and the Mysterons). But in the past few years it has grown on me. Without knowing it I first built a moonscape, well that is to say I knew I was building it and was enjoying it, but was never really aware why. I don't mean that in a "Close encounters of the third Kind" build a mountain, I am sure you get what I mean. I was building it as mostly I just wanted to. I even painted up a handful of astronauts but not really enough to do anything with telling myself that at the time there just was not enough astronauts figures to make the project viable as well as the fact that I could not find any suitable aliens in space suits. So the Project did not go anywhere after my initial burst. (That is just so me!)

Then a chance conversation with Tim at the wargames club where he mentioned the various "Dinky" diecast toys from the period. When I was a kid one of my best friends John had this toy. Not this actual one but this diecast model. Anyway I asked Tim what scale it was but he was unable to tell me. It was about 40 years ago so I could not remember. So I looked it up online and still could not find an answer so I looked for the cheapest I could get on eBay just to get an idea.

While I know I will never get an exact scale, looking at the seats inside the cabin I would say that it is about the right scale for a 28mm figure. From that realisation it quickly became apparent that a tabletop version of the now, "classic" UFO series was a strong possibility. I already had a moon scape (I will have to re-do some of it and remove about 1/2 the craters but still). I already have the Astronauts and the Aliens. (they were humanoid and wore space suits as well). I have a set of rules almost perfect for the series, and now I have a "Shado Mobile" diecast toy.


 So I have just about gotten everything I need. yes it will all need work to bring it to life, but I have all the basics.

Talking of the "Shado Mobile" considering the cheap eBay price, where the postage cost more than the product it is not in bad nick. Obviously it is missing tracks and also missing the rocket. But as you will never fire the rocket using the spring on the diecast model the missing rocket is the least of my worries. It will need a new coat of paint to hide all the chips and scratches but that is stock in trade for wargamers!

 A couple of the axles are also bent, but as I will mount it on a base and not "trundle" it across the floor as most kids wouldhaving bent axles and no tracks is a modelmakers bread and butter. For a start I could take the tracks from another model kit, or I could use an elastic band of the correct size and width or I could make them from plastic as they are now not going to need to move. So overall while I know I will sweat and swear at it and myself I am very happy and expect to realise this project in the next few months. Well at least the start of it.

So now back filled with vim and vigor I have a new and unlikely project to fulfil.

Thanks for tuning in, and I hope this project excites you as much as it does me.

Cheers from Clint