Rocketship Type 1 from "Men into Space" (1959-1960)

Scale: 1:48
Initial Release: 2016
Medium: Resin
Length:  10 Inches
Kit Rarity: 2

About the Design

"Men into Space" was a syndicated TV series that produced a whopping 38 half-hour-long episodes in its single 1959-1960 season. Although the show was anchored by actor William Lundigan as Col. Edward McCauley USAF, the series was basically an anthology, with little in the way of recurring characters or story lines. Presented in a quasi-documentary  style, the series chronicled a fictitious U.S. Air Force space program as it progressed from the first manned flight to the first moon landing and, eventually, the first trip to Mars.

The program attempted to be as realistic as possible for its time and limited budget. The show's "hero" ship -- if there was such a thing -- was an unnamed "winged-bullet" capable of carrying up to four astronauts. The most common variant was what we call the "Type 1," which was distinguished by its four engine bells. Another variant, which we call the "Type 2," had only a single engine bell and also spouted a distinctive nose spike.

Launched as the third stage of a three-stage chemically fueled rocket, both the Type 1 and Type 2 made powered landings, although how they landed and/or were recovered was never specified.

Both the Type 1 and Type 2 "Men into Space" rocketships frequently appeared via the magic of stock footage on the CBS sci-fi anthology series "The Outer Limits."

About the Kit

The "Men into Space" Type 1 Rocketship kit was released by Fantastic Plastic Models in late November 2016. The 1:48 scale kit was mastered in CAD by Scott Lowther and cast by Ravenstar Studios' Resin Foundry. (This was the Ravenstar's first casting job for Fantastic Plastic.)

The kit came with a base patterned after the wheel-shaped space station featured on the show, as well as a custom-sculpted spacewalking astronaut figure.