This
week at Flashbak, I remembered Milton Bradley’s line of Star Bird toys from
the late seventies.
Here’s a snippet and the url (http://flashbak.com/fastest-ship-galaxy-remembering-milton-bradleys-star-bird-1978-58502/
)
“One of the great toy lines of the immediate
post-Star
Wars era comes from Milton Bradley.
Sold under the umbrella name of Star Bird starting in 1978, these space
age toys are much-prized collectibles, especially today.
The Milton Bradley Star Bird (later released as
the Star Bird: Avenger) was described on the box as a “space transport” featuring electronic engine sounds, firing “photon beams” and “battle sounds.”
The ship was truly state-of-the-art for the time,
because if you owned two Star Birds they could electronically duel with one
other.
Or as the box put it: "Fire your photon
beams and hit the alien spaceship. Hear distress signals and sputtering engine
sounds!"
The Star Bird -- like Gerry
Anderson’s Starcruiser 1, which I recently covered -- was actually several
starships housed as one. Mounted on the dorsal side of the ship was an "escape pod" and cannon, in case of
battle damage.
Also, perched on each wing of the large star bird
stood a small one-man "interceptor
fighter.”
Finally, the Star Bird itself could be
disassembled to create a smaller fighter by detaching the engine and the
cockpit section, and then re-assembling them together without the main hull.
An added bonus: the cockpit housing could be
removed in this mode too and you'd get a third fighter, the so-called "power orbiter." "For
the fastest craft in the galaxy," read the description, "release
the orbiter from the front hull. Even this stream-lined orbiter controls full
power over photon beams and engines."
The second toy in the line was the Star Bird Command Base. This was a huge “action control center” for the Electronic Star Bird.
As the back of the box describes it: “The command base is a
fabulous, fun accessory for more great excitement with your Star Bird.
Assemble the strikingly detailed fiber board and action plastic parts.
When you’re done, you have a specially equipped elevator base and control tower.”
Features of the base include:
“Anti-invasion laser guns: Set the turret bases
into the corners of the tower cap. Mount the anti-invasion laser guns into any
two of the bases and you can rotate them to return enemy fire.”
“Real working crane and hoist: Fit the working
crane and hoist into any one of the four turret bases. Pick-up the transport
vehicle and swing it into the maintenance tunnel.”
“Transport vehicle: “You’ll have lots of fun with the
transport vehicle. It has four rolling wheels and a special carrier unit
designed to hold the laser guns, Star Bird’s escape pod, its power thruster
engine, or interceptors.”
“Interceptor landings deck: Star Bird’s
interceptors sweep onto the Control Tower’s special landing deck. Rush
them over to the main landing platform on the transport vehicle using the
multi-purpose carrier.”
Please continue reading at
Flashbak.
The best part is the "action plastic parts" on the base. "Um, excuse me, Mom. This is not cheap fiber board and plastic. It's ACTION PLASTIC. Totally different." I so wanted these ships as a child.
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