SHADO LUNAR MODULE and LUNAR CARRIER - from the 1970 TV Series ‘UFO’ created by Gerry Anderson
The SHADO Lunar Module was used to ferry personnel and equipment to and from SHADO Moonbase. It was lifted to very high altitude whilst docked with the Lunar Carrier aircraft. At the appropriate height it un-docked and flew to Moonbase where it landed on a specially designed landing pad.
I have always really liked this design - although it gets a bit of a rough time amongst fans as looking like a ‘guppy fish’. But I really like it.
The Lunar Carrier is clearly inspired by the experimental designs being explored in the late 1940s. In particular the XF5U1 (Flying Pancake) and V173 (Flying Flapjack).
It would be nice to have this kit in the same scale as the the Interceptors, SID, the Moon Mobiles, Skydiver and the UFO. Back in the era where coloured styrene was the norm, this rwould come in red plastic, like the Fokker Triplane kit.
Designed by Derek Meddings
What If Model KIts #17