Mystery Zero X markings?

by **shaqui** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:29 am

I have a Japanese large format book called 'Thunderbirds & International Rescue'. In it are lovely photo schematics - I'm guessing these may be original photos taken as guides for merchandise companies and artists - but I noticed something odd about the Zero X one...

Instead of '1', '2' and 'Zero X' on the lift bodies and tail plane, it has instead the markings 'ZX-26'. I'd not actually noticed these before, even though I've had the book a few years.

Does anyone know what these may have been for?

by **Maltray** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 1:42 pm

Hm if I remeber well the Zero X craft and the desination ZX where to show that there where many of the Zero X type ships. From a old manazine of Captain Scarlet it was put forwards that the Zero X craft where to replace the aging XL ships of the space patrol.

by **shaqui** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 2:25 pm

That's a nice answer, but having recently researched the 'Zero X' strips in 'TV21' for the Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History, it seems it remained the sole ship of that class, at least until the end of the first series of 'TV21'. I would have thought the markings were for a special photo, but I have no evidence of that. These seemed to stop being taken by the middle of 1968 (Or 2068)...

by **shaqui** » Sun Apr 03, 2005 2:38 pm

And this is the photo (which is actually vertical - you can see the tips of someone's fingers holding the model steady as it stands on it's engines) but I've flipped it for clarity.

by **shaqui** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:52 am

Incidentally Maltray, do you know which 'Captain Scarlet' magazine you're referring to? Do you mean the 1990s issues?

by **Maltray** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:14 pm

As I recall they where from the 90's and one of the older magazine's I'm afraid to say I can't recall which thought :S

by **shaqui** » Mon Apr 04, 2005 1:43 pm

OK, thanks. I'll have a look through my copies.

by **21st Century Boy** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:20 am

Hi, I`m not sure but the pic looks like a `Space Models` pic - they were the model company sub - contracted by C21 to make models from Thunderbirds onwards. That would make this pic before the movie. That figures because its missing the nosecone - apparently these were finished elsewhere because of the chroming process (and cost a fortune).
If this is right, then interestingly it appears that it was the original intention in the movie for the Zero X to be one of a fleet...

by **shaqui** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:50 am

That's a very interesting observation, 21stCB. Though I would have thought Space Models would also have been working from a script as well, to know what the Zero X had to do. And as the film/novelisation stands, there seems nothing to indicate the ship was part of fleet and seemed a very specifically designed craft. Mind you, one has to wonder if this means there were earlier drafts or concepts for the film.

It is a very good theory though - one has to wonder if there is any way of validating it.

by **21st Century Boy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:21 pm

Hi Shaqui, the more I look at the pic the more convinced I am....its so similar to the Space Models pics I`ve seen for other TBAG craft. Plus I was always under the impression that both the 6 and 3 foot models(this one looks like the 3 footer) were totallled in filming, meaning this has to be a pre-filming pic. Certainly the model is the real thing-details to the stabaliser fins (looks like they move) and most interestingly the tail fin (retracted like the toy) make me confident its not a post-filming promo version or anything like that.
I guess there are two ZX`s in the movie, so the idea they were part of a fleet at one point isn`t a million miles away....

by **shaqui** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:11 pm

Hi again.

I don't doubt your theory on the origin of this - I've seen several photo series like it for the various Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 craft but didn't realise these were Space Models pictures. I just assumed they were taken by the Century 21 model department for merchandising usage.

by **Winged Assassin** » Wed Mar 29, 2006 11:38 pm

Maybe I can offer some help here. These photos are taken against a plain background in perfect profile and are therefore probably done at the studio by the Century 21 photographer not by Space Models who built the thing. It is indeed the 3 & 1/2 footer which survived the filming as only the big model was destroyed at the end of the film. The different markings were almost certainly applied months after the film to get new and different pictures of it for the TV21 comic. Also the chrome nosecone was simply made using chrome adhesive tapes! thats why the round bulges on the sides are just painted silver because the tape wouldn't go around such a shape - so not expensive at all.