Thunderball S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Tow Sled

thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
OPERATION: THUNDERBALL S.P.E.C.T.R.E. TOW SLED

In 1965 SPECTRE’S plan for world domination was thwarted by Agent 007 James Bond leading an underwater squad of Para-Marines against a legion of SPECTRE agents led by Emilio Largo.

A captured M.O.S nuclear bomb was guarded by teams of SPECTRE divers being pulled along by the use of self-propelled tow sleds with twin-mounted compressed air spearguns.

These tow sleds were manufactured by Jordan Klein whose job as ‘Director of Underwater Engineering’ was to provide the underwater props used in the film.

Originally there were 14 of the sleds built for the production company of which now only two exist. One of them is owned by the Ian Fleming foundation and is currently displayed in a Bond exhibition tour while the remaining one was owned by Jordan.

In 2005 I attended the New York National Boat show held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York hosting “the Boats of Bond’ exhibit. Many of the actual vessels used in the films were displayed by the Ian Fleming Foundation.

Upon seeing the tow sled on display I noticed that the spearguns mounted on the sled were not the same as the ones used in the film.

In 2007 I met Doug Redenius (Vice President of IFF) at Hofstra University while attending a Bond symposium and alerted him of that fact. I advised Doug that I had acquired the correct spearguns that were used in the film and he contracted me to supply them with resin copies. Doug contacted Jordan who confirmed they were the correct ones as were used in the film. These duplicates were supplied to the IFF who proceeded to mount them on the tow sled they had acquired and currently on display at ‘The Bond in Motion Exhibition’

I was later contacted by Jordan who also requested a set be provided for him to use on the last remaining tow sled from the film.
Jordan recently sold his sled to ‘Prop Store’ (http://www.propstore.com) who will be putting it up for auction in their upcoming auction catalog.

In closing, I am proud to say that the only two surviving tow sleds used in the film are now mounted with my copies of the correct spearguns and are ready for action should SPECTRE decide to try to once more face Bond in an underwater battle.
Ed Maggiani – TheSpyBoys.com

This is the Tow sled prior to having the correct spearguns mounted
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,,,and here she is ready for action as if she came right out of the film
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Here are some pics of the speargun replicas I supplied to the Ian Fleming Foundation.
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I am currently producing the short barreled version used by the Aqua Para-Marines as well Bond himself.
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Comments

  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    WOW ! Truly amazing work and craftsmanship. {[]
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Thanks!!! Very appreciated.
    Ed
  • ACACIA_AVENUEACACIA_AVENUE UKPosts: 1,774MI6 Agent
    Nobody does it better .... Than Ed, a prop genius -{
    One of us smells like a tart's handkerchief.
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,417Chief of Staff
    Such amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail - superb ! :o -{
    YNWA 97
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,241Quartermasters
    Awesome work Ed. Just fantastic! I need one of those Aqua Para Marine's short barreled spear guns! I need it bad!!

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    ...and have one you shall......soon.
    Need to buy some resin and start castings.
    And just think...your resin copy will be from the same mold as the one on Jordon Klein's original Tow Sled as well as the one on the other surviving Tow sled in the Ian Fleming Collection...pretty cool.
    Ed
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia, PAPosts: 753MI6 Agent
    Wow. Truly incredible work here. Amazing piece, very well done -{
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Thanks, Moose!!
    I see you're in Philly. We should get together one day.
    Ed
  • PoorMansJBPoorMansJB USAPosts: 1,198MI6 Agent
    Not that the replicas don't look incredible, but why not go with the actual spear guns; are they that hard to find? I've had several of the TechniSubs -- not working, of course, probably why there are a fair number of those on the market -- which are the same era.
  • danjaq_0ffdanjaq_0ff The SwampsPosts: 7,283MI6 Agent
    They look the dogs Ed {[]
  • Gadget MeisterGadget Meister Bicester, OxonPosts: 1,972MI6 Agent
    PoorMansJB

    These are probably the rarest spearguns in existence, and probably illegal in some countries. I've never seen one come up for sale, and I know Ed lucked out on the one he has. I've only seen one come up on EBay of the same make but the incorrect model and if memory serves it went for a couple of $k. These are without doubt the holy grail of spearguns.
  • Bond Collectors' WeekendsBond Collectors' Weekends Gainesville, Florida USAPosts: 1,882MI6 Agent
    4_Chicago_257.jpg
    Fan dreams do come true. God bless Maggiani and Redenius! Here's to you, fellows.
    Seven (007) James Bond Tours! Mission: Mexico!
  • Gebruder GumboldGebruder Gumbold San FranciscoPosts: 541MI6 Agent
    Brilliant work Ed! What sharp little eyes you've got...
    Tom
  • PoorMansJBPoorMansJB USAPosts: 1,198MI6 Agent
    Beyond the guns, do we know who did what restoration to which sled? The IFF sled looks quite different from Prop Store's offering.
  • AufingerFanAufingerFan USAPosts: 51MI6 Agent
    What spectacular work, Ed. Thanks for posting the pictures and providing the back story on the sled displayed at the Bond In Motion exhibit.
  • Aston Martin DBSAston Martin DBS Derbyshire, EnglandPosts: 659MI6 Agent
    Ed - just wondered looking at the photo's do you use a length of metal pole for the majority of the spearguns and resin parts to go on each end or do you use resin for the entire gun... just wondered as I'm no prop maker - I can just about make my bed each morning... but the amount of work that must have gone into taking a mold from the original guns and then casting the duplicates makes my mind boggle :s but once again this is a testament to your amazing work.
    "NEVER SAY NO TO ADVENTURES." Ian Fleming
  • CarsonDyleCarsonDyle AustraliaPosts: 153MI6 Agent
    Oh Man! Now I have to write a grovelly email and postpone my lifesaving operation! ;-)
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    My email is: thefudds@aol.com........and I can perform whatever operation you may need.
    Ed
  • SimesSimes WindsorPosts: 80MI6 Agent
    Incredible work, and a superb write up and presentation.
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Ed - just wondered looking at the photo's do you use a length of metal pole for the majority of the spearguns and resin parts to go on each end or do you use resin for the entire gun... just wondered as I'm no prop maker - I can just about make my bed each morning... but the amount of work that must have gone into taking a mold from the original guns and then casting the duplicates makes my mind boggle :s but once again this is a testament to your amazing work.

    Hi,
    Thank you for your kind words they are very appreciated.

    Yes, all the parts are resin except for the barrel. I use either a brass or aluminum tube for strength because a resin barrel would be too fragile. I also use the tube so I can insert a replica spear into the tube so you can display it with or without the spear in the tube. I also make it so the trigger is movable. I insert a tiny spring inside a hole that the trigger pin protrudes from so that the trigger can move the pin in and the spring forces it back out. All the screws are real steel screws. I also replace the resin speartip with a real one.
    Ed
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    PoorMansJB wrote:
    Beyond the guns, do we know who did what restoration to which sled? The IFF sled looks quite different from Prop Store's offering.

    No, unfortunately, I don't have names but I believe it was done by the Prop Store in L.A.
    Ed
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Matt, that looks like the Doug Redenius / Ian Fleming Foundation tow sled. They are (incorrectly) equipped with Sagitarius spearguns. That's the sled I first provided my resin versions for and is the one now on display at the Bond in Motion exhibit.
    Ed
  • PoorMansJBPoorMansJB USAPosts: 1,198MI6 Agent
    That shot is from 2001, long before you stepped in, Ed.
    Again, curious who did the work here and which is the more accurate tow, this, or the Prop Store listing?
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Exactly! I met Doug in 2007 and he contracted me to supply if IFF Tow Sled with the correct spearguns.

    Brandon from the Prop Shop said "We had top repaint it, as it had been done again in the wrong colors. Fortunately, when we took off the access panel on top, the original silvers and reds were still under the lid"

    --Ed
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Nice video showing of the Tow sled with before/after speargun restoration.
    Ed

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPKc8EhebCw
  • PoorMansJBPoorMansJB USAPosts: 1,198MI6 Agent
    Gotta, say, if I didn't know these weren't metal ...
    UqUDZB.jpg


    More views (click on any to enlarge):
    Bq8TCz.jpg X7zb07.jpg

    Ysry7m.jpg G5OtyQ.jpg

    NsAADy.jpg hE1005.jpg

    After my visit, was crated and off to the exhibit
  • thespyboys11thespyboys11 Lindenwold,NJPosts: 1,844MI6 Agent
    Thanks for the great pics, Alan. Did I see a pic of you taking a pic of Bob's Piranha at the UNCLE 50yr Affair? Looking forward to seeing those pics.
    Ed
  • PoorMansJBPoorMansJB USAPosts: 1,198MI6 Agent
    Did I see a pic of you taking a pic of Bob's Piranha at the UNCLE 50yr Affair? Looking forward to seeing those pics.
    Ed

    Yes, I was at TGAA and will be putting up pics -- little by little -- on facebook. To be honest, I'm not a huge MfU fan and went mostly just to see the car!
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