Fireball XL5

Fireball XL5 is a creation of Gerry Anderson, most famous in the US for the series Space 1999. The show first aired in 1963, and was carried by American Television in the Saturday morning cartoon lineup. The main characters were the pilot, Steve Zodiac, Venus, Matt Matic, and Robert the Robot.

I have only vague memories of watching it as a child, mostly because I found it so exciting that I wound up changing the channel or not watching it altogether. Aside from the simple appeal of a futuristic space show, I really enjoy the old fashioned approach of a heroic figure who does not defer to the bad guys. Unlike more modern fare, in many episodes, the bad guys wind up as so much space dust.

The pictures below are of a model available from Comet Miniatures in England - the series was filmed in B&W.

The complete Fireball XL5 is now available as a 5 disk DVD set from A&E.

Enter the Fireball XL5 Gallery

Models

• Read about the construction of my Fireball XL5 scale rocket.
• Other Physical Models
• Virtual Models
• Scale data - screen shots of the craft from the show by Chuck Foster.

Fireball XL5 Links

• Fireball XL5 Web Site with lots of show information, 3D computer models, and more.
• Marc Frattasio's Models of Fireball XL5 web pages. (title refers to studio models)
• Byron Wilkins' Fireball XL5 site

Other Gerry Anderson Info

• The Worlds of Gerry Anderson - A Celebration

Join my Fireball XL5 Mailing List

I've created a mailing list specifically dedicated to exchanging information related to building static and flying models of the Fireball XL5. There are also several members active in creating virtual models. You can subscribe to this list using the box below.