Imported from Japan! The first manned sub-orbtial flight was the goal of Project Mercury, with the ultimate aim of putting a man in orbit around the Earth. Mercury is a Roman god, and is often representative of speed, so the name was apt as the small spacecraft soared around Earth. North American Aviation was contracted to design and build the Little Joe boosters for the Launch Escape System (LES), while McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was the prime contractor for the 20 Mercury capsules that were made. This 1/72-scale die-cast features an aesthetically-pleasing color finish with delicate imprinted markings.
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