My Dinky Toys' Space 1999 Eagle restoration project

Previously, on these pages, I presented some progresses in my Dinky Toys' Eagle restoration, with episode I and episode II. Today I found some spare time to complete the paint job, even if the quality of spray paintings I chose was not so good and the final result does not satisfy me completely.

However, this is how the story went...

My Dinky Toys' Space 1999 Eagle restoration project

My restoration project keeps going, dismantling at first the old toy. Since I was a child I wondered why Dinky decided to paint these amazing die-cast models with such an infamous colors, mybe due to some marketing choices or some paint remainings from the Ufo Shado line. In fact in the early 1970's, Dinky Toys produced an Interceptor toy as well, which for some reason was painted green!

Let's dive into the second part of my chronicle...

My Dinky Toys' Space 1999 Eagle restoration project

Last months were particularly demanding, with a lot of work to be done, my academic research to be developed and a lot of BIM vocational training courses in which I taught. So I decided to take a little rest for my mind during the Easter break, in order to relax with some handcrafted diversions.

A couple of days ago I won, during an eBay auction, this amazing Space 1999's Eagle made in the early 70's by Dinky Toys / Meccano, in the United Kingdom. This toy was fabricated in plenty of different flavours over the years, using various colors and materials: there are five original existing versions of the Dinky's Eagles, in different packages.

This is the chronicle of my restoration...

The history of the lazy frog

My name in katakana, thanks to Sato-san!

I learned that there's a way of saying in Japanese that is 井の中の蛙大海を知らず。 (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu); more or less it does mean literally that a frog in a well does not know the great sea. The meaning could be that people judge things by their own little experience, never knowing of the boundless world outside.

Here I came just like that frog, leaping out of the well to reach a wider place. For the first time, in Japan I experienced how different cultures can be amazing and how they should be respected and respectful of others. That is why I find completely unacceptable what happened in Beirut and Paris these days.

The way of the 外人 (Gaijin)

Tokyo is an amazing city and Japanese people are lovely. Despite I had a very little time to visit the city (my schedule at Keio is very tight), what I saw so far is very nice. Shibuya and Shinjuku were such an experience for me, with their chaotic scenario.