I'll essentially agree with that. The toy industry has been broken for a long time. If it gets destroyed then it can be rebuilt with a different mindset.
@@blazerocker1734 I think the true future of the toy industry IS people with more advanced 3D printers. I mean, I can't even CALL it "the toy industry"... ...it'll be just fans, doing their thing. Next toy evolution will be like transformers transforming themselves, which for awhile only "companies" will be able to do.
It is definitely a fact. You can look at the G.I Joe Classified Version with Duke, Roadblock, Not giving them an upgrade look like G.I. Joe Resolute. I am scared of what they would do for Hawk, Stalker, or Some of the Dreadnoks.
Michael, you should join forces with Analog Toys and Toy Polloi, to film a definitive guide to vintage toys that need to be remade for the modern collector, giving details on why some vintage toys were just too fragile to survive!
God damn! The fans really do the best work! I wish the stigma would end across the board for toy collecting and allow more repro vehicle pieces and parts that improve across the board c:
To me, it seems like the difference between wanting a collection for personal enjoyment, and wanting a collection to garner prestige among peers. I don't really care much what others think.
I remember seeing the Buck Rogers Starfighter in Toys R Us. I wanted it bad but ended up with an X-Wing instead. I saw it on shelves a few more times and never got the trigger pulled on it then before I knew it it was gone much like my childhood and the late 70's :)
Did you know, Larry "Buster" Crabbe the 30's original Buck Rogers / Flash Gordon. Played a few times on the 80's Buck Rogers show?.He made a few guest appearances back then.
No love for the scorpion fighter?? IMHO it's the coolest fighter ever made for the big or small screen... It just looks so menacing, and so believable... Like an A-10 Warthog and a Hind helicopters love child... Got those two big rudder tipped forward swept elevators on the back on the two big engines with the top round intakes swept forward and blended into the stubby delta wings tipped with missile launchers, then the two F-14 intakes under the wings flanking the belly greebles, and the cockpit like a Apache helicopter on the front... Just SO cool, plus Kellogg and Cherise of the Legion of Death flew em... Along with a lot of other folks in the first season of BRIT25C... Man I would LOVE to have one of those!!!
Thanks for the love for the line. Michael, when I was a kid, looking for this in stores (born in '71), the Marauder and Land Rover dominated the shelves in TRU. Even being younger than 10, I knew to ask if any were in the back. The guy reluctantly said yes, and brought only one out. So I had all three. Seeing work done with 3D printers, the makers, and companies like MTF and BFS, companies like "Hasblo" better start pushing money and licenses at these guys, or their IPs they cling to won't be worth more than the paper their contracts are printed on. Marty Abrams is back with Mego, Buck Roger's and BSG toys are making a comeback. Mattel went back to basics with He-man. Now if only Mezco/Mego could get their hands on the entire GI Joe license (GI Joe, Action Man, Adventure Team, Action Force), maybe starting a special projects R&D (ahem Palitoy cough cough), we may be seeing the start of a Platinum age of toys, made by the fans, for the fans!!!
When I was in third or fourth grade growing up in Florida there was an all-you-can-eat restaurant buffet called Don's and for some reason I remember doing the Bidi Bidi Bidi I believe I was making fun of somebody after they walked away but it had everybody dying laughing you riding that comment brought me back to my childhood thank you
What a lot of people don't realize is that the Buck Rogers Starfighter was the original incarnation of the Colonial Viper for Battlestar Galactica The Starfighter, along with a number of other props from Battlestar Galactica, were reused in "Buck Rogers In The 25th Century"
This is preserving a beautiful toy design and childhood memory. How anyone could be against such a production escapes me. Amazing work and always great to see RB at the forefront of these reviews. Nice haircut, too!
BR was a little before my time. Never had a chance to see it until a few years ago. Seeing the trio of 70's space fighters makes for a sharp display. Very tempting to pick 1 up. Would love to see if someone could make a Last Starfighter or V shuttle in the same scale.
Simply outstanding work!! Now, it would be cool if he made a new “enhanced” line of action figures to go with it as well! Imagine Buck and Wilma with actual weapons! And with eyes and eye brows! And maybe a Second line of figures (technicians, other pilots, a Wilma in her blue spandex outfit, guest Star characters,etc.) The sky is the limit!
I saw one of these at KMart, languishing on the shelves for months. Despite my best efforts, I never scored one. Not even for my birthday. Wow - thanks for bringing this back for us!
😎💯👍🏻❤️🙏🧼 That Star Fighter is beautiful! I love 💕 fan passion. I wonder how many people wanting one of these missed out on the original toys 🧸 as children. I had no idea the show had a toy line until I discovered this channel. Best. Stay safe.
Just received mine today! I have been wanting one of these (the original is hard to come by) since I found out about them in the early 2000's. I had about every Star Wars toy known to man as a kid but I never knew these things existed. If I had, I would definitely have asked for one. I was a huge fan of the show. Roberts Starfighter is amazing! Sturdy and very accurate. The plastic is obviously different (one solid piece as opposed to the 2 pieces the MEGO one came in). But I think I like this one much better. The solid white color is striking! I found some really neat decals on EBAY that are more like the show Starfighter and I will get and apply them instead of the ones Robert sent with the ship. Robert also makes the Colonial Viper and Cylon Raider for Battlestar Galactica. Both are upscaled to fit the figures. RetroBlasting did a video on those as well. I have been wanting those since I was a kid also. Next on my list. Give this vehicle a try. You will not be disappointed.
If Rob is reading this - might I suggest a line of vehicles from V the Miniseries? These were mocked up at one point by a toy company - and the actual miniseries even had kids playing with vehicle toys!
This toy and the snowspeeder were my favorites. I cut out the back of the engines of the BR Starfighter and stuck glowsticks in there so they'd glow. That was cool. Glad to hear the wings have been reinforced. One of mine snapped off and I had to re-attach it with globs of Testors model cement. There is not a bad angle on that ship, so photogenic. :)
This makes me wonder why the toy companies could not do what Rob has already done in the past. His reproductions were better than most toy companies has ever done. Cheers to Rob!
I owned one of these when they came out, and I loved it more than my Kenner X-Wing! It was NOT the most durable toy, but it was everything my imagination and play needed and I thought it was the BEST!
3D printing is changing the game so much, early in the video I noticed the engine outputs had the layered look of a 3D print, but you're spot on, it's an immaculate recreation, with all of the best changes made to the overall design of it. Guys like MechZone on Instagram have been making short run exclusives and redesigns of toy lines like Starriors, and he's known well on the collector custom toy circuit at shows like 5 Points and the like. More and more, I'm still on the hunt for original parts, and much to the annoyance of many vendors, I am that guy that will go over every part, weapon, and piece, to find what I'm looking for. But this is amazing to see someone able to recreate this fighter. Great job on the video, and thanks for including Rob's instagram, I will be contacting him soon for one. I had never even come across one in the wilds of conventions, even over the last 10 years.
Great video!!! I must agree, Rob is really doing some amazing things, creating toys we wish we had and giving a real chance to buy them. Awesome you are showcasing his work!
This is so encouraging. The Thunderfighter has always been one of my favorite designs in sci-fi, and making small scale wargaming versions for myself is one of the reasons I bought a 3d printer. The future is fan-made. #TheFansAreDoingTheBestWork
Just received mine and it's amazing! Very durable parts with great attention to detail. Yes it's a printed model but it's way more play worthy than the original. Add a bit of glue from a glue stick to the decals and you're good to go!
The Star Fighter was always hard to find, but I grabbed 6 hatchet fighters on clearance at Toys R Us for next to nothing. I would love to get one of these.
That's very cool! Buck Rogers was before my time, but that is a slick design and it's always good to see something like this to allow more people to enjoy their fandom.
It's a nice looking prototype. Hopefully those loose parts and print lines can be ironed out. I don't see these things as reproductions since the toy companies aren't producing them. These are really works of art.
As I watch this video, I am also watching part one of "The Plot to Kill a City" - great timing or what? The best part to me is the robust landing gear - much better than Corgi's attempt that they used on their die-cast version of the Starfighter. And was that a Kylie t-shirt you were wearing? You are a man of supreme good taste, sir.
WOW! I just bought a vintage Buck, and have been searching for the Starfighter....looks like now Buck will be hotdogging once again! 😊 Thanks Michael & Rob!! 😁
The viper sometimes looks in the tv show to me that it is worn and dirty...but the buck Rogers starfighter I always remember as shiny white in the movies...and this is how the starfighter should look like! Great!
I found the Buck Roger's Starfighter to be my favorite as a kid over the Viper and even the X-wing. I drew so many variations of that beauty back then.
It's the microscopically misaligned lines in the 3D printing that don't let the sticker adhere.... from experience. I have now switched to 3D printed "decals" that glue down with CA glue and that has improved the look of the Starfighter I sell : )
I have three or four of these Thunder Fighters. Only one that is complete and unbroken. The others have some piece broken or missing. Easily lost pieces: Nose cannons, wings, thruster, canopy. Easily broken pieces see the previous and add in the landing gear. I would rather repair with repros at a decent price than the cost of OG pieces that will break upon placing back onto the shell (looking at you nose cannons and thrusters).
This brings back tons of memories. I had one of these, but I also had a much smaller version that I believe came with some sort of board game. I also had a smaller draconian fighter at the same scale, which actually still accommodated a Cloud Car pilot in its cockpit, but it was a tight fit. Great video!
It was super rare. I saw one when they came out exactly twice. Once on a tiny display in the seasonal section of a Sears of all things... never to be seen again. Once at another kids house. I NEVER saw them in stores after this. Nor did I ever see the MEGO Black Hole figures in stores. Star Wars was everywhere. Star Trek MEGO in a few places like K-Mart. But that’s about it. You’d see ads in the back of comic books and sometimes Starlog.
My order is in. I never had this toy back in the day, I did build the model kit. It's one of my favorite ships, so I'm super excited to add this to my collection. I don't understand the salty attitude towards reproductions. I could care less, I've got a lot of reproductions, and this one looks great. I currently don't have a BR Starfighter at all. This one is pristine, brand new, and that's exactly what i want. I can only conclude that the naysayers are more concerned about the value of toys, than the nostalgia of the toys. I'm a collector. I collect because it takes me back, and makes me happy. I couldn't care less how much my stuff is worth, or not worth, it's worth a lot to me, and as long as i'm breathing it ain't going anywhere. Frankly if your collecting toys as a financial "investment" your an idiot. Go buy stock or something.
Yet another fantastic video. I love Retroblasting, the passion and discussion takes me back to the classic days of 70s and 80s toys! Well done! Again!!! :)
The fans are making the future! Live with it Purist!!! Live with it! It needs to be a way of life! It's great! Everyone can get the chance and opportunity to buy something vintage that is hard to find these days. Its not about having to have to pay over priced stuff from purist. Reproductions need to be a thing in the Market to buy from!
tHiS iS a RePrO aNd Is DeStRoYiNg ThE tOy InDuStRy!!!!!!1!!!! Seriously speaking though, great video man! All these fan-made projects you've been showcasing are absolutely outstanding. I certainly agree that I feel fans are doing the best work. While I feel some franchises and companies are HEADED by fans, say NECA and Hasbro's Transformers division (they're slowly but surely checking off all the boxes), some are really falling short and feel so out of touch with what fans really want. I'm happy that modern technology has allowed fans to fill those gaps!
Thanks again man! Agreed 100% we are in the Era where we can have what ever we dream up . there has never been a better time for toy nuts like ourselves! Blast on my Brotha!
The inside of the canopy looks smooth enough with a large enough edge to glue some acetate or styrene windows in. It also looks like the print is fine enough that a bit of sanding would bring it to a really smooth surface. It would be fun to have one as a representation of the Mego toy but have another to do some scribing and painting on to make it look like the studio model. (I'm also wondering given how he upscaled the Viper and Raider if he plans to do the "double wide" version with the wider cockpit for side by side seating?)
That starfighter is one of my all time favorite designs! Michael, I did notice the print lines when you did the close up of the console inside the cockpit. Literally the only time in the video where the print lines are visible. Now I know this video is 10 months old but a tidbit of information I came across, read and then kinda forgot about but it popped back into my head while watching this. Now you'll understand Why I thought it prudent to point this next thing out. But you will need to find out as I haven't been able to backtrack to where I got the information, I only remember that it was 3D Filament related. PLA and SLA Filament Plastics for 3D printing are apparently a Vegetable based plastic! And as such it Apparently has a Biodegradable Factor kinda built into its chemical makeup. The weakness from this shows up in the Layering and it causes separations. This process is Accelerated by UV Light. Which IF CORRECT infers that PLA printed works like this beautifully rendered and wonderfully corrected work will Age and become Brittle Faster than standard petroleum based plastics!! The newer Resin 3D printers however do not come with that inherent weakness in the resin. Considering how Smooth the outside surfaces of the PLA piece presented here look incredibly smooth inferring Some sanding and finishing to get that smooth a surface. A resin printed produces surfaces Ready for Priming and Painting. All that needs to be done when the prints are finished is trim the supports and Wash Out any Resin build up amd residue leftovers from the dipping print process, let it Cure in the Sun for maybe an hour then Off to the paint shop. The details the resin printers capture is INCREDIBLE. So much that in my mind it renders the PLA printers to prototype making Not obsolete, but definitely produces a truly Raw unfinished piece that must always be finished with extra work, whereas the Resin Printers more efficiently produce a product that requires FAR less finishing work. I'm working on my first ever Trooper cosplay and I bought a raw PLA print for my Patroltrooper costume. It had a few flaws I had to fix before I could even begin sanding, like using hardware store 5 min epoxy to Thicken the walls of the piece where the print was So Thin I could Blow Air through it and Look through it like Nylon Hosiery. Once those 7 spots in the print, like the top of the dome on the bucket, the chin cheek roundules where Thick and really badly layered on their underside but Thin Walled to nearly or definitely porous for air and liquid to pass through easiest way to search for Thin Areas in a print is to Hold it Up to the Light to see where its Thinnest. I Had to do thatas if I Had pressed Too Hard with my fingers against those thin areas, i would have broken through it Easily. Also PLA prints Break Easily and those breaks are almost Always between Layer Lines. So Do NOT DROP that Beauty of a Starfighter repro and Do NOT keep it ANYWHERE NEAR SUNLIGHT. I would certainly hate to see such a great work find a major fault, or even a minor one that could compound over time. I thought it prudent to share, not to discourage but to Improve IF that information I had was Accurate or Not. Admittedly I dont collect toys like I used to so it's not important to Me, but it Is to the Hobby and I Respect the hobby and those who love these toys as I do still. Like...if those snap on thrusters are repro PLA prints then they Won't Split like the plastic ones do needing zip ties or glue to keep them on. PLA reprints with Split horizontally in line with the layers before they split vertically. I know that with my helmet, its neither Fiberglass or carbon fiber like an Anovos or real safety standards approved Motorcycle Helmets...so I can't Afford to Entertain the Illusion of Structural Strength of my PLA bucket being equal to a Real helmet Just because I'm in costume. Because IF I Forget and am out with it and I'm Not Careful, if I Lean on it the Wrong Way or Drop it Even After I've reinforced it, it WILL BREAK. Once my bucket is finished, I intend to get me some Sooth On products and make a mold of my bucket and make a stronger bucket out of far far superior rotocasting two part Tooling and Highly Damage resistant plastic. In one of their videos the make a mold from a "Black Series" Grade Hasbro Ironman helmet. The reproduced piece once demolded and left to stand for a bit is later Tested by THROWING IT OFF THE ROOF OF A 2 STORY BUILDING INTO A GRAVEL STREWN PARKING LOT....and Nary a scratch...if anything. Thrown At the ground with Force and ..Nary a scratch. I humbly suggest this might be a good thing to bring to this particular fan creators attention as I'm certain by your Enthusiasm Michael, that your forsee a great long life for your purchase with your collection. I'm concerned about the lifespan of PLA and its weaknesses. As described I know full well the apparent flaws for a print of my helmets size versus that of a toy shell. That Shell was probably designed to screw together inferring that the print for it is thicker than the original but not by much, as the lower landing wing struts illustrate. Still the Shell itself is Strong Against the print grain but will be Weak With the Grain of the print. Anyways, I'm over talking it now. AIf you feel it worth looking into, I'd ask you out it on the makers radar so he's aware of it at least. Perhaps from this run he made enough money to upgrade to a Resin Printer and could make even higher quality and Stronger pieces.
I had the Starfighter and Draconian fighter, nothing else from the line but Twiggy. I remember my baby sister falling on the Starfighter and crushed it. The Draconian fighter lasted, sans canopy, for years. I still have Twiggy.
I had an Estes model rocket of that star fighter that I launched once. I lived on a farm, so I took it down to one of our pastures and set it off. Unfortunately, the parachute didn't open and it came barrelling down nose first - into a huge pile of cow manure. The two points on the nose stuck into the pile, so that was all that ended up getting messed , but that was enough
I had a Star Hound, and a Draconian Marauder back in the day. In many ways I like the BR ships more then I did BSG. The engine cowling cracked on mine as well.
I'm not into retro toys at all, but after watching some starwars stuff a while back I've stuck around, your voice relaxes me and my brain can switch off :), you should do some more ww2 content.
I would like to see a Battlestar Galactic shuttle that accommodate a Land-Ram, the Buck Rogers Bomber, Eastern Alliance Destroyer, Buck's Shuttle, Hawk's Ship, a 6th Mill fighter , a Gunstar
Bidi bidi bidi, the fans are doing the best work Buck!
Destroying the toy industry? The toy industry destroyed itself the minute they decided the fans were no longer part of the equation.
Indeed!
I'll essentially agree with that. The toy industry has been broken for a long time. If it gets destroyed then it can be rebuilt with a different mindset.
$$$>Fans
@@blazerocker1734 I think the true future of the toy industry IS people with more advanced 3D printers. I mean, I can't even CALL it "the toy industry"... ...it'll be just fans, doing their thing. Next toy evolution will be like transformers transforming themselves, which for awhile only "companies" will be able to do.
It is definitely a fact. You can look at the G.I Joe Classified Version with Duke, Roadblock, Not giving them an upgrade look like G.I. Joe Resolute. I am scared of what they would do for Hawk, Stalker, or Some of the Dreadnoks.
You guys at Retro Blasting should start selling "The fans are doing the best work" T-shirts!
If Rob was able to make a Gunstar, he would be a God among men.
O wouldn't THAT be slick?
There's a fairly good model kit of the Gunstar available. I have one in my collection.
@@OrinThomas Who makes it and how much? Is that big resin one from 30 years ago?
OMG yes!!!
it's take ten minutes to reload all the nerf darts after a death blossom
Hands down the coolest looking toy spaceship that was ever made.
Rob's work (and your video) inspired me to "update" the parts for the Matchbox Robotech Veritech. I sell many of those parts on eBay now.
Michael, you should join forces with Analog Toys and Toy Polloi, to film a definitive guide to vintage toys that need to be remade for the modern collector, giving details on why some vintage toys were just too fragile to survive!
God damn! The fans really do the best work!
I wish the stigma would end across the board for toy collecting and allow more repro vehicle pieces and parts that improve across the board c:
Repros are fine as long they aren't being passed off as originals to scam people.
To me, it seems like the difference between wanting a collection for personal enjoyment, and wanting a collection to garner prestige among peers. I don't really care much what others think.
What's with white plastic turning yellow?.
Duuuuuuuuuuuude! That's about enough to bring a tear to the eye.. I hope someone shows Gil Gerard one of these!
I remember seeing the Buck Rogers Starfighter in Toys R Us. I wanted it bad but ended up with an X-Wing instead. I saw it on shelves a few more times and never got the trigger pulled on it then before I knew it it was gone much like my childhood and the late 70's :)
Great Video!
I always wanted one of these as well as the Mattel Space 1999 Eagle One Playset!😁👍
I had both- and they TOTALLY rocked!
One of the coolest starship designs ever.
Did you know, Larry "Buster" Crabbe the 30's original Buck Rogers / Flash Gordon. Played a few times on the 80's Buck Rogers show?.He made a few guest appearances back then.
Cool... but now we need a Draconian Hatchet Fighter to dogfight with.
Plus there are 2 color variatioms if i remember right
No love for the scorpion fighter?? IMHO it's the coolest fighter ever made for the big or small screen... It just looks so menacing, and so believable... Like an A-10 Warthog and a Hind helicopters love child... Got those two big rudder tipped forward swept elevators on the back on the two big engines with the top round intakes swept forward and blended into the stubby delta wings tipped with missile launchers, then the two F-14 intakes under the wings flanking the belly greebles, and the cockpit like a Apache helicopter on the front... Just SO cool, plus Kellogg and Cherise of the Legion of Death flew em... Along with a lot of other folks in the first season of BRIT25C... Man I would LOVE to have one of those!!!
This Rob fellow is a national treasure.
Thanks for the love for the line. Michael, when I was a kid, looking for this in stores (born in '71), the Marauder and Land Rover dominated the shelves in TRU. Even being younger than 10, I knew to ask if any were in the back. The guy reluctantly said yes, and brought only one out. So I had all three.
Seeing work done with 3D printers, the makers, and companies like MTF and BFS, companies like "Hasblo" better start pushing money and licenses at these guys, or their IPs they cling to won't be worth more than the paper their contracts are printed on.
Marty Abrams is back with Mego, Buck Roger's and BSG toys are making a comeback. Mattel went back to basics with He-man. Now if only Mezco/Mego could get their hands on the entire GI Joe license (GI Joe, Action Man, Adventure Team, Action Force), maybe starting a special projects R&D (ahem Palitoy cough cough), we may be seeing the start of a Platinum age of toys, made by the fans, for the fans!!!
That guy has some mad Cad skills!
Use cold water only never use hot on some of those 3D printed models I've had some split and crack because of heat!!
When I was in third or fourth grade growing up in Florida there was an all-you-can-eat restaurant buffet called Don's and for some reason I remember doing the Bidi Bidi Bidi I believe I was making fun of somebody after they walked away but it had everybody dying laughing you riding that comment brought me back to my childhood thank you
What a lot of people don't realize is that the Buck Rogers Starfighter was the original incarnation of the Colonial Viper for Battlestar Galactica
The Starfighter, along with a number of other props from Battlestar Galactica, were reused in "Buck Rogers In The 25th Century"
Yes, and designed by Ralph McQuarrie too.
Exactly! Ralph is responsible for the great iconic spaceships, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers
And now we’re left with Doug Chiang for SF designs 😤👎
I think now, Rob needs to make a Hawk Man ship now. That would be so cool!
THAT.....I would sell a kidney to have.💯👍
Maybe even one of my own...😏😉😁
This is preserving a beautiful toy design and childhood memory. How anyone could be against such a production escapes me. Amazing work and always great to see RB at the forefront of these reviews. Nice haircut, too!
I really hope Mego keeps its mouth shut, unless it's to hire Rob.
This is so great. The fans really are doing the best work.
They cant say anything they dont have the rights anymore. And I dont think universal does either
BR was a little before my time. Never had a chance to see it until a few years ago. Seeing the trio of 70's space fighters makes for a sharp display. Very tempting to pick 1 up.
Would love to see if someone could make a Last Starfighter or V shuttle in the same scale.
Simply outstanding work!!
Now, it would be cool if he made a new “enhanced” line of action figures to go with it as well! Imagine Buck and Wilma with actual weapons! And with eyes and eye brows! And maybe a Second line of figures (technicians, other pilots, a Wilma in her blue spandex outfit, guest Star characters,etc.)
The sky is the limit!
I saw one of these at KMart, languishing on the shelves for months. Despite my best efforts, I never scored one. Not even for my birthday. Wow - thanks for bringing this back for us!
😎💯👍🏻❤️🙏🧼 That Star Fighter is beautiful! I love 💕 fan passion. I wonder how many people wanting one of these missed out on the original toys 🧸 as children. I had no idea the show had a toy line until I discovered this channel. Best. Stay safe.
Just received mine today! I have been wanting one of these (the original is hard to come by) since I found out about them in the early 2000's. I had about every Star Wars toy known to man as a kid but I never knew these things existed. If I had, I would definitely have asked for one. I was a huge fan of the show. Roberts Starfighter is amazing! Sturdy and very accurate. The plastic is obviously different (one solid piece as opposed to the 2 pieces the MEGO one came in). But I think I like this one much better. The solid white color is striking! I found some really neat decals on EBAY that are more like the show Starfighter and I will get and apply them instead of the ones Robert sent with the ship. Robert also makes the Colonial Viper and Cylon Raider for Battlestar Galactica. Both are upscaled to fit the figures. RetroBlasting did a video on those as well. I have been wanting those since I was a kid also. Next on my list. Give this vehicle a try. You will not be disappointed.
If Rob is reading this - might I suggest a line of vehicles from V the Miniseries? These were mocked up at one point by a toy company - and the actual miniseries even had kids playing with vehicle toys!
Come to think of it, I can't believe Funko / Super 7 didn't make figures from THIS series.
At least we could've gotten one of a Visitor unmasked.
This toy and the snowspeeder were my favorites. I cut out the back of the engines of the BR Starfighter and stuck glowsticks in there so they'd glow. That was cool. Glad to hear the wings have been reinforced. One of mine snapped off and I had to re-attach it with globs of Testors model cement. There is not a bad angle on that ship, so photogenic. :)
These fan-made gems are just rolling in and each one is a sweet surprise.
IKR? What golden egg's going to fall out of his brain-box next?
Rob did an incredible job on this. Thank you for giving a great review for us.
This makes me wonder why the toy companies could not do what Rob has already done in the past. His reproductions were better than most toy companies has ever done. Cheers to Rob!
I owned one of these when they came out, and I loved it more than my Kenner X-Wing! It was NOT the most durable toy, but it was everything my imagination and play needed and I thought it was the BEST!
I have to have one of those. Absolutely one of my favorite sci fi fighter designs of all time.
I would love it if he made 3 3/4 scale V ships!
Awesome, a brand new 40 year old ship...that bright white really makes it stand out!
3D printing is changing the game so much, early in the video I noticed the engine outputs had the layered look of a 3D print, but you're spot on, it's an immaculate recreation, with all of the best changes made to the overall design of it. Guys like MechZone on Instagram have been making short run exclusives and redesigns of toy lines like Starriors, and he's known well on the collector custom toy circuit at shows like 5 Points and the like. More and more, I'm still on the hunt for original parts, and much to the annoyance of many vendors, I am that guy that will go over every part, weapon, and piece, to find what I'm looking for. But this is amazing to see someone able to recreate this fighter. Great job on the video, and thanks for including Rob's instagram, I will be contacting him soon for one. I had never even come across one in the wilds of conventions, even over the last 10 years.
FANtastic - FANtastic - FANtastic!!! Great job Rob & thank you Michael for your dedication. Outstanding!!!
one of the best looking starfighters in TV EVER
I had one and loved it. Lost it long long ago. Loved that thing.
I had a Starfighter back in the day. Good times.
Same, but it wasn't complete. A lucky garage-sale strike.
Seeing Michael so happy over this piece brought a smile to my face.
Absolutely fantastic! Hopefully I'll nab one of these in the near-future!
Ordered one this week, cant wait to get and display. Been waiting 40 years have one of my own.
Great video!!! I must agree, Rob is really doing some amazing things, creating toys we wish we had and giving a real chance to buy them. Awesome you are showcasing his work!
Agreed. I think RB & Rom are a great match!
Rob, sorry.
This is so encouraging. The Thunderfighter has always been one of my favorite designs in sci-fi, and making small scale wargaming versions for myself is one of the reasons I bought a 3d printer. The future is fan-made. #TheFansAreDoingTheBestWork
Just received mine and it's amazing! Very durable parts with great attention to detail. Yes it's a printed model but it's way more play worthy than the original. Add a bit of glue from a glue stick to the decals and you're good to go!
Amazing job , 1977 x wing fighter, 1978 colonial Viper and 1979 buck Rogers fighter, best ships
The Star Fighter was always hard to find, but I grabbed 6 hatchet fighters on clearance at Toys R Us for next to nothing. I would love to get one of these.
My all time favorite starfighter!
I always wanted one when I was younger, so, yeah, it’s still popular for the kid in all of us
One of the most interesting Sci-Fi fighters. This is the kind of toy the big companies should be making.
And if I may suggest, perhaps a smaller version would sell well.
I remember seeing the Buck Rogers toys in the Christmas catalogs. That's the only memory I have of them.
Holy cow. I do have the vintage one with original package. This guy does an amazing job.
That's very cool! Buck Rogers was before my time, but that is a slick design and it's always good to see something like this to allow more people to enjoy their fandom.
That's just beautiful work, and they've improved it?? Nothing short of genius.
It's a nice looking prototype. Hopefully those loose parts and print lines can be ironed out.
I don't see these things as reproductions since the toy companies aren't producing them. These are really works of art.
I had one as a kid. Fell apart real quick.🤣
OH MY GOD THIS IS AAAAAWWWWWEEEEESSSSSOOOOMMMMEEEE!!!!
As I watch this video, I am also watching part one of "The Plot to Kill a City" - great timing or what?
The best part to me is the robust landing gear - much better than Corgi's attempt that they used on their die-cast version of the Starfighter.
And was that a Kylie t-shirt you were wearing? You are a man of supreme good taste, sir.
so the first question when i saw that was: wonder if Rob will be doing a duel canopy/side by side figure version like in the series.
Thanks for the link to Rob's channel. It was a nice behind-the-scenes look. Nice ship by the way.
Don’t really know that much about Buck Rogers. Thanks for the information.
We did an entire two part feature on Buck Rogers......
RetroBlasting Yup, I went back to watch those. You do good work👍
I used to have the die cast version of the Alliance Star Fighter. Had pop out wings and missiles. Stunning toy.
WOW! I just bought a vintage Buck, and have been searching for the Starfighter....looks like now Buck will be hotdogging once again! 😊 Thanks Michael & Rob!! 😁
If I ever have kids, I would buy Rob’s vehicles for their action figures hands down.
The viper sometimes looks in the tv show to me that it is worn and dirty...but the buck Rogers starfighter I always remember as shiny white in the movies...and this is how the starfighter should look like! Great!
I found the Buck Roger's Starfighter to be my favorite as a kid over the Viper and even the X-wing. I drew so many variations of that beauty back then.
It's the microscopically misaligned lines in the 3D printing that don't let the sticker adhere.... from experience. I have now switched to 3D printed "decals" that glue down with CA glue and that has improved the look of the Starfighter I sell : )
I have three or four of these Thunder Fighters. Only one that is complete and unbroken. The others have some piece broken or missing. Easily lost pieces: Nose cannons, wings, thruster, canopy. Easily broken pieces see the previous and add in the landing gear. I would rather repair with repros at a decent price than the cost of OG pieces that will break upon placing back onto the shell (looking at you nose cannons and thrusters).
This brings back tons of memories. I had one of these, but I also had a much smaller version that I believe came with some sort of board game. I also had a smaller draconian fighter at the same scale, which actually still accommodated a Cloud Car pilot in its cockpit, but it was a tight fit. Great video!
It was super rare. I saw one when they came out exactly twice. Once on a tiny display in the seasonal section of a Sears of all things... never to be seen again. Once at another kids house. I NEVER saw them in stores after this. Nor did I ever see the MEGO Black Hole figures in stores. Star Wars was everywhere. Star Trek MEGO in a few places like K-Mart. But that’s about it. You’d see ads in the back of comic books and sometimes Starlog.
I’m flabbergasted! That’s awesome!
Now, all we need is newly molded figures and a 12 inch talking Twiki w/ Mel Blanc samples!
This is a must have.
My order is in. I never had this toy back in the day, I did build the model kit. It's one of my favorite ships, so I'm super excited to add this to my collection. I don't understand the salty attitude towards reproductions. I could care less, I've got a lot of reproductions, and this one looks great. I currently don't have a BR Starfighter at all. This one is pristine, brand new, and that's exactly what i want. I can only conclude that the naysayers are more concerned about the value of toys, than the nostalgia of the toys. I'm a collector. I collect because it takes me back, and makes me happy. I couldn't care less how much my stuff is worth, or not worth, it's worth a lot to me, and as long as i'm breathing it ain't going anywhere. Frankly if your collecting toys as a financial "investment" your an idiot. Go buy stock or something.
Thank you for your videos. Great info on toys from a golden time. My youth.
Yet another fantastic video. I love Retroblasting, the passion and discussion takes me back to the classic days of 70s and 80s toys! Well done! Again!!! :)
The fans are making the future! Live with it Purist!!! Live with it! It needs to be a way of life! It's great! Everyone can get the chance and opportunity to buy something vintage that is hard to find these days.
Its not about having to have to pay over priced stuff from purist.
Reproductions need to be a thing in the Market to buy from!
tHiS iS a RePrO aNd Is DeStRoYiNg ThE tOy InDuStRy!!!!!!1!!!!
Seriously speaking though, great video man! All these fan-made projects you've been showcasing are absolutely outstanding. I certainly agree that I feel fans are doing the best work. While I feel some franchises and companies are HEADED by fans, say NECA and Hasbro's Transformers division (they're slowly but surely checking off all the boxes), some are really falling short and feel so out of touch with what fans really want. I'm happy that modern technology has allowed fans to fill those gaps!
Thanks again man! Agreed 100% we are in the Era where we can have what ever we dream up . there has never been a better time for toy nuts like ourselves! Blast on my Brotha!
Very cool..I never had any Buck Rodgers vehicles, only Buck and Twiki
The inside of the canopy looks smooth enough with a large enough edge to glue some acetate or styrene windows in. It also looks like the print is fine enough that a bit of sanding would bring it to a really smooth surface. It would be fun to have one as a representation of the Mego toy but have another to do some scribing and painting on to make it look like the studio model. (I'm also wondering given how he upscaled the Viper and Raider if he plans to do the "double wide" version with the wider cockpit for side by side seating?)
Rob is going to make SO much money!
I remember having the Twiggy figure. Buck Rodgers was my favorite as a kid! Erin Grey need I say more
That starfighter is one of my all time favorite designs!
Michael, I did notice the print lines when you did the close up of the console inside the cockpit. Literally the only time in the video where the print lines are visible.
Now I know this video is 10 months old but a tidbit of information I came across, read and then kinda forgot about but it popped back into my head while watching this.
Now you'll understand Why I thought it prudent to point this next thing out. But you will need to find out as I haven't been able to backtrack to where I got the information, I only remember that it was 3D Filament related.
PLA and SLA Filament Plastics for 3D printing are apparently a Vegetable based plastic! And as such it Apparently has a Biodegradable Factor kinda built into its chemical makeup.
The weakness from this shows up in the Layering and it causes separations. This process is Accelerated by UV Light.
Which IF CORRECT infers that PLA printed works like this beautifully rendered and wonderfully corrected work will Age and become Brittle Faster than standard petroleum based plastics!!
The newer Resin 3D printers however do not come with that inherent weakness in the resin.
Considering how Smooth the outside surfaces of the PLA piece presented here look incredibly smooth inferring Some sanding and finishing to get that smooth a surface.
A resin printed produces surfaces Ready for Priming and Painting.
All that needs to be done when the prints are finished is trim the supports and Wash Out any Resin build up amd residue leftovers from the dipping print process, let it Cure in the Sun for maybe an hour then Off to the paint shop.
The details the resin printers capture is INCREDIBLE. So much that in my mind it renders the PLA printers to prototype making Not obsolete, but definitely produces a truly Raw unfinished piece that must always be finished with extra work, whereas the Resin Printers more efficiently produce a product that requires FAR less finishing work.
I'm working on my first ever Trooper cosplay and I bought a raw PLA print for my Patroltrooper costume.
It had a few flaws I had to fix before I could even begin sanding, like using hardware store 5 min epoxy to Thicken the walls of the piece where the print was So Thin I could Blow Air through it and Look through it like Nylon Hosiery. Once those 7 spots in the print, like the top of the dome on the bucket, the chin cheek roundules where Thick and really badly layered on their underside but Thin Walled to nearly or definitely porous for air and liquid to pass through easiest way to search for Thin Areas in a print is to Hold it Up to the Light to see where its Thinnest.
I Had to do thatas if I Had pressed Too Hard with my fingers against those thin areas, i would have broken through it Easily.
Also PLA prints Break Easily and those breaks are almost Always between Layer Lines.
So Do NOT DROP that Beauty of a Starfighter repro and Do NOT keep it ANYWHERE NEAR SUNLIGHT.
I would certainly hate to see such a great work find a major fault, or even a minor one that could compound over time.
I thought it prudent to share, not to discourage but to Improve IF that information I had was Accurate or Not.
Admittedly I dont collect toys like I used to so it's not important to Me, but it Is to the Hobby and I Respect the hobby and those who love these toys as I do still.
Like...if those snap on thrusters are repro PLA prints then they Won't Split like the plastic ones do needing zip ties or glue to keep them on.
PLA reprints with Split horizontally in line with the layers before they split vertically.
I know that with my helmet, its neither Fiberglass or carbon fiber like an Anovos or real safety standards approved Motorcycle Helmets...so I can't Afford to Entertain the Illusion of Structural Strength of my PLA bucket being equal to a Real helmet Just because I'm in costume.
Because IF I Forget and am out with it and I'm Not Careful, if I Lean on it the Wrong Way or Drop it Even After I've reinforced it, it WILL BREAK.
Once my bucket is finished, I intend to get me some Sooth On products and make a mold of my bucket and make a stronger bucket out of far far superior rotocasting two part Tooling and Highly Damage resistant plastic. In one of their videos the make a mold from a "Black Series" Grade Hasbro Ironman helmet. The reproduced piece once demolded and left to stand for a bit is later Tested by THROWING IT OFF THE ROOF OF A 2 STORY BUILDING INTO A GRAVEL STREWN PARKING LOT....and Nary a scratch...if anything. Thrown At the ground with Force and ..Nary a scratch.
I humbly suggest this might be a good thing to bring to this particular fan creators attention as I'm certain by your Enthusiasm Michael, that your forsee a great long life for your purchase with your collection.
I'm concerned about the lifespan of PLA and its weaknesses. As described I know full well the apparent flaws for a print of my helmets size versus that of a toy shell. That Shell was probably designed to screw together inferring that the print for it is thicker than the original but not by much, as the lower landing wing struts illustrate.
Still the Shell itself is Strong Against the print grain but will be Weak With the Grain of the print.
Anyways, I'm over talking it now. AIf you feel it worth looking into, I'd ask you out it on the makers radar so he's aware of it at least.
Perhaps from this run he made enough money to upgrade to a Resin Printer and could make even higher quality and Stronger pieces.
Not that I'm complaining but you've cost me a ton of money!! Thanks!!
Hahaha
Money? Well, I have confidence that you'll soon recover the expense.
I had the Starfighter and Draconian fighter, nothing else from the line but Twiggy. I remember my baby sister falling on the Starfighter and crushed it. The Draconian fighter lasted, sans canopy, for years. I still have Twiggy.
Love the ships from this toy line. I still have both the Starfighter and Draconian fighter from my childhood! Awesome Job again recreating Rob!!
I had an Estes model rocket of that star fighter that I launched once. I lived on a farm, so I took it down to one of our pastures and set it off. Unfortunately, the parachute didn't open and it came barrelling down nose first - into a huge pile of cow manure. The two points on the nose stuck into the pile, so that was all that ended up getting messed , but that was enough
Fans building what fans want. Its the best.
I had a Star Hound, and a Draconian Marauder back in the day. In many ways I like the BR ships more then I did BSG. The engine cowling cracked on mine as well.
I got one for Christmas when i was a kid. It was bjt fragile but i loved it
Another fan-built superstar ship!
I had both of the ships, plus all the action figures.
i really love this ship, looks great!
I wonder if Bob can rework the Kenner Star Wars micro playsets to 3 3/4" scale..
I'm not into retro toys at all, but after watching some starwars stuff a while back I've stuck around, your voice relaxes me and my brain can switch off :), you should do some more ww2 content.
Very interesting video on vintage toys.
I would like to see a Battlestar Galactic shuttle that accommodate a Land-Ram, the Buck Rogers Bomber, Eastern Alliance Destroyer, Buck's Shuttle, Hawk's Ship, a 6th Mill fighter , a Gunstar
Great! I got two Mego as a kid for the same reason(Buck and Wilma). Did anyone get the Monogram kit too? Ah good times. Thanks for the video!