Next to their ubiquitous 2" astronaut figures, Multiple Toymakers also sold these much larger 5" (1/18 scale) figures with many items of separate equipment and some detachable helmets that could be fitted in their hands and also swapped around. They exist in the usual red, white, blue and silver-grey, as well as in green, yellow and I believe gold-tan. Sometimes these colours are bright and full, but sometimes they can appear rather faded too.

The Spacex copies hold the actual equipment that was supplied with each individual MT figure. On the much larger originals, it is (at last!) possible to identify what some of those mysterious gadgets are actually meant to be:

- blue figure top-left holds a cup-shaped item on a small handle, possibly a signaling light.
- red figure top-centre holds a geiger counter, linked to a case that is omitted on the Spacex figure (and in this picture as well), which is holding the hand-held sensor upside down as well. One of the prongs sticking up is the grip, the other is part of the lead to the case. See picture below to see the entire counter and case (2nd from left in middle row).
- blue figure top-right came with a 1960s cine camera and a sextant, visible with the left-most figure in middle row below.
- bottom figure holds a rangefinder on a tripod, which on the Spacex figure has the three legs reduced to a single pole.

As to copies, there's a rare copy of the figure with the sextant and camera visible in an early Roxy triple pack. Since I believe Miner and Triang sued Roxy for their blatant copying, I wouldn't be surprised if that put a stop to any copies of MPC and MT figures too (1). In the mid-1970s Sitap (qv) also copied a few of these 5" figures for the 1" figures supplied with their Minispace toys. And finally, this entire series of 5" figures was cloned fairly recently, cast in much harder plastic (2).

Whatever pressure suits these figures may be wearing, they're not astronauts. Most appear to be based on late 1950s flying gear used by test pilots, one figure actually sporting an open shirt-type collar with Air Force rank badges on it. Some of the straps on them look suspiciously like a parachute harness as well (like those on the blue figure top-left in top picture above).

Helmets are also an odd mixture. The only one I have a clear origin for is above, very close to what NASA Dryden test pilot Joe Walker was using in 1958, and which saw use by early U-2 spy plane pilots as well. The red figure with the geiger counter is wearing something that may have started life as a 1960s football helmet, while some other helmets look adapted from those worn in an X-15 and a Sopwith Camel...

The 5" figures were sold in a vinyl bag with folded cardboard rider, which interestingly states they were manufactured in Canada. The figures themselves do not have any trademark, so it would appear Multiple Toymakers bought these in from another manufacturer. The rider design changed in 1969 as shown below.

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1) See lefthand figure visible on early Roxy triple pack. Evidence of litigation is in an advert by Miner and in a brief mention in a trade article (second on that page). Use your browser's back button to return here. back to text

2) See 5" figure copies page. Use your browser's back button to return here. back to text