Daron Space Shuttle on Launch Pad

Great model but too small and too pricey

buen regalo

I am not a kid, so won't be playing with this model, it is part of my collection of space models and it will stay in one piece if not used as a toy. I have it on display on a bookcase in my tv room at home and it looks good. If you are going to use it as a toy I would advise against it because it is both plastic and metal, the plastic being the boosters and fuel tank so are more brittle.

I bought this to exhibit beside some Atlantis Shuttle medallions in a display case. I must say that despite accurate specifications (listed at 4 ½” tall) and a picture of the toy in hand, it was still smaller than I expected. The metal shuttle itself is about the size and build quality of a Hot Wheels car—no issue there. The plastic tank with solid rocket boosters and the crawler-transporter platform are cleanly molded, though of less quality and detail than I expected at this price—but, acceptable. The one lacking feature, as many other reviewers have noted, is that the pins that hold the shuttle to the orange tank obviously won’t last long. Since I’m displaying rather than playing, that was no issue for me, but these are delicate enough that I felt I had to exercise extreme care in removing and replacing the shuttle for sticker installation. Which brings me to one small high point of this toy: I thought I was buying a generic shuttle, but instead tiny stickers are included that let you customize it as the specific shuttle of your choice. Since I bought this to showcase some Atlantis Shuttle medallions, I was pleased as punch to put that tiny sticker in place! The sticker sheet is the size of an aspirin tablet, so make sure you don’t lose it when you open the packaging. Overall, this is a somewhat cheaply built toy for the cost but the most reasonably priced shuttle I found in this size and price range, and I’m content with it as a small display item that you can actually customize.

The shuttle is diecast and just under 2 inches (5 cm) long. The fuel tank and boosters are plastic and the fasteners between the tank and the shuttle are fragile. But it looks good and keeps on a shelf well.