SallysDad Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 Have you wondered about the "real" dimensions of this ship, how engines work, speeds, power supplies.... ? I was never able to find out anything about the Fireball. So, please feel free to speculate with no limits. Thanks. Randolph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur_Dent Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 There's not masses of information about the Fireball xl-5 ship out there but there's some decent information over on the Gerry Anderson wiki and there's a pretty interesting scratch build of the ship Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 Way way back when I were a lad in short trousers and single figures (probably early 1960s) I built one from a kit. It was fairly basic and I can't remember who produced it (possibly FROG but I can't swear to it) but it had a neat detachable nose-cone and was a pretty fair reproduction. I would guess it was about 10 inches long. Anyone here have any knowledge of it? Memories... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire man Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 12 minutes ago, Neddy said: Way way back when I were a lad in short trousers and single figures (probably early 1960s) I built one from a kit. It was fairly basic and I can't remember who produced it (possibly FROG but I can't swear to it) but it had a neat detachable nose-cone and was a pretty fair reproduction. I would guess it was about 10 inches long. Anyone here have any knowledge of it? Memories... I too had one around the same time, dad bought it from local newsagents at top of the street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 FOUND IT! It was made by Kitmaster as part of a promotion for Zoom, a Lyons Maid ice lolly - remember them? See here... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire man Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 Ah, beat me too it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 It was moulded by Airfix, who then took over the Kitmaster range. Pete in Lincs picked one up at a car boot sale, and another of our members re engineered it in resin. A few of us have them. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 Yes, he's right. A box of model bits cost me 1.50 about five years ago. The XL5 was missing the nose cone and one wingtip sponson. I sent it away to another BM member and he reproduced the missing parts. So I have two. The repaired original and a resin copy. IIRC The 'real one' was supposed to be over 300 feet long. The series was set in the year 2062 BTW (I looked it up). Here you go.. With a Dinky Eagle for a size comparison. This one is in the house. The copy lives in the manshed. The replacement nose cone, I think, was moulded from a large drop tank. Yes, I really must get the duster out! Cheers, Pete 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 3 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said: Yes, he's right. A box of model bits cost me 1.50 about five years ago. The XL5 was missing the nose cone and one wingtip sponson. I sent it away to another BM member and he reproduced the missing parts. So I have two. The repaired original and a resin copy. The replacement nose cone, I think, was moulded from a large drop tank. Actually a plunge mould using 1/48 Flanker and F-4 Phantom radar nosecones for depth and diameter. I still have one of the two resin plunge plugs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 Ah, I stand corrected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 Blimey, I never thought I'd see one of those again. I don't remember mine looking anything like that good though! (unsurprising as I was in single figures when I built it). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SallysDad Posted September 7, 2022 Author Share Posted September 7, 2022 Thanks, everyone, great to see the old kit. Thanks, Arthur Dent, for the links. Sure brings back memories. Randolph 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 I don't have a photo host at present or I would put mine up too. Edit* It's here. I'll see if I can find a better one. https://www.facebook.com/190037197796389/photos/pb.100067230352194.-2207520000../2445937518873001/?type=3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Klaatu Posted September 8, 2022 Share Posted September 8, 2022 When I was a kid, Fireball XL-5 was my favorite TV show; just a year or so after I started watching, I was given the toy set of it from an older kid. I loved it! Sometime later, I don't remember how long, I came home from school, to find out my mom had gone through my things, and had given away some things, that among them. She was always donating things, my toys, books, marbles...it's probably why I'm such a nostalgia nut for things of my past! Over the years, I searched for and bought those things that I missed, including that. I'm retired now, but I still get a kick out of it, and remembering. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Lambess Posted September 21, 2022 Share Posted September 21, 2022 Funnily enough I'm building the old comet miniatures kit atm ...lovely vacform .just watched the whole series on Blu Ray which inspired me to deep dive in my stash 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 I wonder if they still have the moulds? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HL-10 Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Some details on Fireball XL5: 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted October 22, 2022 Share Posted October 22, 2022 And another cutaway and pictures that i found out there... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 I've got one of those resin repop kits as well, along with a larger resin kit from UNCL. What is stopping me from building either kit is that I'd need to scratch build the launch gantry/ramp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 86973920 610699059489564 9158920885732638720 n orig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 He's talking in code again nurse!!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 New photo host, Had to find the right code. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 I'm breathless with excitement. I need my oxygen pills. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted October 25, 2022 Share Posted October 25, 2022 Nice paint and love the base Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarkas Posted November 12, 2022 Share Posted November 12, 2022 On 10/14/2022 at 1:11 PM, bentwaters81tfw said: I wonder if they still have the moulds? Afraid not. AFAIK, both the XL5 moulds and the Stingray kit are long gone. SHame about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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