Masudaya Planet Explorer Variation

[gernot]

Masudaya Planet Explorer, Non-Fall with oval shaped moving lights.

Just added and could not find this variation in the database. 

I thought I had this double now but found out that I had the more common version without the oval lights.

Well there are so many variations of this similar shaped toy that it is hard to distinguish.

Box art is a true classic with light blue color graphic.

No date for the time line, but listed in Gallaghers Modern Toys book as #1946, 1959-1961.

I guess this version with the two lights and without the number on the box might be the earlier of the two variations. 

 

[K-9]

Nice find Gernot, as you've mentioned there are surely other versions of the Space Explorer. The oval lights were also utilized by Modern Toys for the Space Surveillants and Space Survey series; as well as the Space Ship 1 and Space Giant series saucers. I have the more common version and a Friendship 7 variation similar the Alphadrome photo below but without the oval lights.  I prefer the Friendship 7 version lithography, particularly the space scene on the tail fin.   

 

[steve]

Nice find!

[K-9]

Four versions of the Atom Rocket 7 with variations in the lithography and the side mounted 'rocket engines'... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tikidoc]

@gernot  Very cool find! It also made me think and do a little research. Masudaya made the Atom Rocket X-1800 which is the same shape as the Planet Explorer and the data base has a date of 1960 for the X-1800 but does not list a date for the Planet Explorer with out the oval lights. Then the data base has a date of 1962 For the Atom Rocket 7 blue variation with oval lights. In my head the more common Planet Explorer without lights may have come before the one with oval lights because they were already producing the X-1800 so why not make other variations with the same tooling, and the box that came with your Planet Explorer doesn't show the lights. So with that thinking after they started producing Atom Rocket 7 in both blue and white variations in 1962, to keep the Planet Explorer in the line up and dress it up (because while I love the Planet Explorer without lights, it is a bit drab) with oval lights to make it more appealing to kids. Now this may have been a later version but, I believe a more rare variation ( based on only seeing 4 or 5 of the lighted version vs. seeing way many more of the non lighted version) . This is written purely as an opinion piece , I don't have 100% of the facts to back it up , but to me it seems logical.  

 

 

[Fineas J. Whoopie]

I have this theory that any non fall rocket that has the short tail pipe will have the "bean" shaped smaller windshield. Think Planet Explorer.

And any non fall rocket that has the longer tail pipe will also have the larger, rounder windshield. Think Moon Rocket.

Can anyone think of a non fall rocket that does not fit this general rule? There does seem to be a lot of transition versions.

[Ranger]

I don’t usually buy space ships but I got this rough Planet Explorer off eBay for about £25 about a year ago. I need to either get a repro antenna or make one along with a new rear battery door. I haven’t even tried to power it up yet so it may need taking apart. It’s another one on my ‘to do list’ but I have no idea if or when I will ever get to

look at.