The SPINDRIFT

Original Kit Issued: 1969 -71

Re-Issued: 2002

One of the more unlikely TV spaceship designs, this bright orange beetle-bomb flew through many of my childhood sci-fi fantasies.
The POLAR LIGHTS factory BU  
 
Until recently, this kit was another "Holy Grail" for collector/builders, with original MIB kits fetching ridiculously high prices at auction. (I was able to obtain an original BU in pieces for under $75, and considered myself lucky!) Then Polar Lights brought out their excellent re-issue, and now everyone has a chance to build this wonderful kit. Although there are a few minor inaccuracies compared to the original (see pix at right), it is still a fine kit. I'm going to do a kit bash with my old and new kits to get a BU that is as original as possible. It's gonna be grrr-eat!

Here's the original TV SFX model on and off screen.
The original 1969 kit
  

Original 1969 kit instructions
ORIGINAL SPECS:
KIT # 830
SCALE: 1/64
PLASTIC: Orange, Lime Green
BOX SIZE: 13"X5"X2" 		RE-ISSUE KIT SPECS:
KIT # 255
SCALE: 1/64
PLASTIC: Orange, Lime Green
BOX SIZE: 13"X5"X2"
 X 
 X
The GIANT SNAKE DIORAMA

Original Kit Issued: 1969 -71

Re-Issued: 2002

This kit was always a favorite on my "Wish List" as a kid. I remember seeing it in model catalogs, but never got a chance to build it then. The subject of this kit makes it hard to classify. It calls for some rather diverse painting techniques to create a convincing scene. As in the MPC Gigantics kits, the central creature is actually found in nature, and will therefore require a very realistic paint job. I love a challenge!
S.M. CLark's Stunning BU
  
Here's another awesome kit that has found its way back into production. All of us collectors of kits to build are very happy about it, too. Before the friendly folks at Polar Lights decided to make this baby available again, it seemed the only way to get your hands on a kit was by paying $200-$400 for an original, or $100-$150 for a garage resin recast. PL- You Rock Mighty!
1966 Original Kit BU............
2002 Polar Lights Reissue BU...
ORIGINAL SPECS:
KIT # 816
SCALE: 1/48
PLASTIC: Metallic Green
BOX SIZE: 13"X5"X2"
RE-ISSUE KIT SPECS:
KIT # 7512
SCALE: 1/48
PLASTIC: Purple
BOX SIZE: 13"X5"X2"

LAND of the GIANTS
Sep 1968 - Sep 1970 ./. 60 MIN - ABC

"This two-season series details the adventures of the three crew and four passengers of the sub-orbital spacecraft Spindrift. They are drawn through a space warp that crashes them onto a planet where everything is 12 times normal size. The castaways struggle to repair their damaged craft and somehow get back to Earth while being hunted by the totalitarian government that rule the planet."

 
The Crew working on a tough one...
from TV TOME edited by: Gislef, Wade Ballard
 
  
Kit pix courtesy of Polar Lights and S.M.Clark
Model kits available from
eBay