No! . . . Actually I held the Space Hopper back for the Marty Toys 'crawler' to turn up in the
garage which I thought was of similar or pirated-from-the-Atlantic design but actually it isn't! Now that the numpty TJF has
done his dust-sitting, follow-up and 'added
data', I thought I'd better do likewise if only to show that two can play
at that game, and one can play it better!
In the bag! It's a few crude lumps of a
hard polyethylene or polypropylene, unlike anything else in the Atlantic
stable, which TJF might have pointed out to 'add data' but didn't? Placed in a 'bread' bag, or what the toy
trade/packaging industry call a bottle-bag, which is gathered closed and
stapled; that's that! Moving swiftly on . . .
. . . and TJF could have 'added data' by pointing out it assembles
into a polymer hideousness of epic, or monumental . . . well proportions just
isn't the correct word! But he didn't. Ladies and Gentlemen; this makes the
modern AFV's from Atlantic look like
museum-grade connoisseur models . . . and that's saying something.
TJF might have noted that the finished
model looks nothing like the artwork, but he didn't. And - let's be honest; if either
of the vehicles in the artwork were within the box, most purchasers' would have
been happy! This points to the third or fourth reason for Atlantic's demise, hinted at here at Small Scale World over
the last ten years - shit production!
In no particular order; the nose is too
blunt for the nicely coned one in the artwork, the rear lacks the more graceful
curve of the artwork, the radar/comm's pole is too high and too chunky, the
tracks are set back too far, but not proportionally high-enough, the wheels are
obviously ugly and the exhaust pipes of the artwork have been replaced with
half a cathedral's organ on the model!
And - call me churlish - the artist appears
to have been the MD's five-year old, although he undoubtedly had more talent
that the model's sculptor! But then, given a decent tin of Caran D'Ache nearly anyone can turn-out a half-decent watercolour!
There are alternate parts for a 'flying'
version and while the wheels are still supposed to be fitted, they don't do any
meaningful job (vis-à-vis carpets) as they are no larger [in maximum diameter]
than the outer dimensions of the 'jet-feet'. Having two pairs of wheels, each
of a different colour is also annoying.
Alternate configuration . . . TJF also
neglected to point out that the sample he showed was incomplete, not that the
cab improves the lines a whole great deal!
The real reason for fitting 'useless'
wheels to this set-up is also obvious here; they hide the mile of spare
locating-rod/axle!
Yeah . . . well . . . familiarity doesn't
really improve the view, from any angle!
It's not an understatement to say that the
crude, single-moulding, with clip-in, hidden, carpet-wheels from Marty Toys, IS the better toy! Although
I hope you'll agree with me that the Atlantic
machine is improved greatly by having its track-units reversed? And neither of
them are much cop!
I don't know why the artwork and the
finished model are so far apart, but that the final item was clearly rushed to
market, seems to be in no doubt; from the admittedly only circumstantial
evidence. Not so much compromise as panic seems to be behind the birth of this
ugly duckling!
Indeed one wonders if - although numbered
in sequence with the spacemen/aliens box (49), it may have been a failed
element originally intended to be of/from the larger scale lines. And it's certainly
over-scale for the other two sets in the number-line.
Previously on Small Scale World
Atlantic 49 - Astronauts . . . no; Spacemen. . . no; Astronauts . . .
Atlantic 49 - Testicular Gonadians fromPlanet Bollocky-Bollock
Meanwhile;
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