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Which manufacturer offered this Snark?


Dick Montgomery

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Anyone know which manufacturer produced this Snark? Note that the "base" is actually a transport trailer and not the launch pad, itself. Any help is appreciated.

 

Snark.jpg

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Dick,

If it's 1/48, it's probably the one by Lindberg. On the internet, the kit goes for around $30-$50 bucks, or at least that's what they ask. Who knows what they actually get. Revell had one but it was on the launcher and was 1/72 or there-a-bouts. 

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Thanks Ron. My initial "research" (a 4 minute shallow dive into Lake Google) indicated it was most likely Lindberg.

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It’s not the Lindbergh kit. The trailer is not the same. Most obviously, it doesn’t have enough wheels. For the same reasons, it is not the Monogram kit. The Revell kit is not mounted on wheeled trailer. (This can easily be checked by googling these kits if you do not have them in your stash.) It would appear to be a kit unknown to us all. I will check my plastic kit directory tonight. I love these mystery detective adventures in our hobby. I offer a first prize/ no prize to the first person to solve this. Nick Filippone

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It is, indeed, a mystery. If needed, I can provide additional images.

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I googled “ plastic Snark kits.” I found two more. ( They may both be from the same mold. They are both the same scale- 1/135.) Comet and Kleerware are the brands. Kleerware apparently had a reputation for re-issuing others companies kits. But the kits are very simple- at least based on the pictures of them. They consist of just the missile and a very simple launch cradle. 

The plot thickens. 

Dick, is this a photo of a kit in your possession or a photo of someone else’s? Could we see additional images? Could it be a scratch built trailer? Perhaps a trailer modified from another kit?

 

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I've got a house full of grandkids for the next several hours but when time permits I'll shoot a few additional pics.
The kit is in my possession. I acquired it when I handled an estate sale many years ago. I'm thinking that the transporter trailer may actually be from a different kit but the fit between the Snark and the trailer are perfect. There's a locating pin/hole combo on the underside of the Snark that matches precisely with a pin on the trailer.

 

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Additional pics....
The kit is in my possession. I'm thinking that the transporter trailer may actually be from a different kit but the fit between the Snark and the trailer are perfect. There's a locating pin/hole combo on the underside of the Snark that matches precisely with a pin on the trailer.

 

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Edited by Dick Montgomery
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Here's Monogram's Snark for comparison:

Snark2aWeb.jpg

Snark4aWeb.jpg

Edited by SkyKing
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John Burn’s “ Plastic Aircraft Kits of the 20th Century” while exhaustive, covers only manned aircraft kits. Specifically, the listings for Northrop do not mention any Snark kits. So that is a dead end.

Looking at Dick’s model, and comparing it to images of the Lindbergh kit, it is apparent that there are differences in the markings. So both Snark and trailer are something entirely different. 

Dick, did you calculate the exact scale?

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Dick’s model has a “USAF SNARK” on the nose. If you look at pictures of the box art of all these kits, only the Mongram kit has that marking. The arrangement of the white stripes is almost the same as the Monogram kit. If Dick’s model is small scale (c. 1/135 scale) could it be some combination of the Monogram kit and a different trailer. It is worth noting that the missile is pointed backwards on the trailer. The Lindbergh and Monogram kits have it pointed forward. Is it fake? Cobbled together?

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Hey, Dick, I posted a coupla pix on Hyperscale. Maybe some of those guys have a clue, 'cause I sure don't.

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A friend of mine has suggested it is the Sharkit 1/72 kit, but the Sharkit Snark does not include a trailer. Sharkits are resin; is this heavy enough to be resin?

See here for Sharkit info: https://sharkit.com/sharkit/Snark/snark.htm

 

Edited by SkyKing
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Scalemates also lists these additional Snark kits:

Ventavia (1/100)

Sanwa (1/160)

Monogram (1/128); included in the United States Missile Arsenal (PD40-298), Model Missile Packet (MP-2), and Missile Mobile (PD-43) kits, but these did not have a trailer.

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Another point ( I can’t let go of this thing!) all the kits either with trailers or on launchers are pretty good representation of the real thing. Dick’s model’s trailer does not look anything like that in any photo of the real Snark. I think the trailer does not belong with the missile. To solve the mystery, we need to identify the source of the trailer. 

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It's definitely not resin. I'm thinking that I've erred in thinking the Snark belongs on this trailer, even though the fit seems to be really good.

 

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Yep. That's it! Unfortunately the Regulus missile that would match the trailer isn't included among the debris in the box. Congrats to Pat and thanks to everyone for chiming in. That was fun!

Now, I've got another missile/base combo mystery but this one has enough clues to appear to be rather simple to figure out.

This is a Monogram base. The word "Monogram" is molded into the plastic on the interior of the base. I've never seen this kit before and have no clue what the rocket is.....but the weird thing is that there is a long red rod, the same length as the rocket body, itself, that I found inside the rocket body. There is a rocket "nozzle on one end of the rod, and a black "cap" on the other end that, when inserted into the hole in the nose cone of the rocket, fits perfectly. Note that the black tip of the red rod has a hole in it, as if there is another piece that slides inside the red rod.
Anyway, this shouldn't be too tough to track down. I'll google "Monogram Rocket Model Kits" or something similar and just scan the images until I see a match. In the meantime, if anyone just happens to know what this kit is called that would speed the search.

 

 

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Well, that didn't take long, and I should have remembered this kit, since I owned one for many years.
It's Monogram's TV Orbiter kit.

TV Orbiter Monogram PS44-129.JPG

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