It was love at first sight. Fourth of September, 1975 and Space: 1999 was broadcast on British television for the first time. I was 12 and had fallen for a spaceship…(And a fictional spaceship at that.) The Eagle Transporter was the lead spaceship in this new TV show by Gerry Anderson, and it was incredible. It was versatile, so very versatile.

In the first episode Breakaway we saw it carry nuclear waste drums to Area 2, it transported Commander Koenig back to Moonbase Alpha…(Another incredible model.)…and with the winch pod, the Eagles were sent on a desperate mission to break up the nuclear waste pile and avert catastrophe. We also got the VIP Eagle with its orange livery. (Never to be seen again.)…carrying Commissioner Simmonds, only for the Eagle to be taken by Alan Carter to oversee the events  happening in Area 2. We saw the Eagle take off, fly, land, crash, boy, could she crash.

The Eagles crashed many times in that first episode and counting the crashes and who was flying at the time has become a major topic of conversation with the fans for nearly fifty years. (Commander Koenig has the most number of crashes under his belt during both seasons.)  My love affair with the Eagle has been a constant in my life. I made drawings of her, made airfix models of her and when I got into computer art, I found that I really could do the things I always wanted to do with an Eagle. I made hundreds of CG images of the Eagle. https://www.flickr.com/photos/181998606@N05/  and I know I’ll be making images of the Eagle forever.