This is a commercial model of a flying saucer from the television show, "The Invaders," which was broadcast on ABC from 1967-1968. The program, which broadcast for two seasons, centered on space aliens in flying saucers attempting to take over Earth. The plots centered on fears of alien infiltration of society and were a commentary on contemporary Cold War fears of communism.
According to the instruction sheet included with the kit, "As the strange saucer-shaped silver ship from outer space approaches the planet Earth, radiating from the underside and viewing ports an ominous reddish glow, the people of Earth sleep soundly, unaware of the dangerous peril with which they are faced."
Box model kits allowed hobbyists to connect with vehicles, whether real or fictional, by studying them closely as they constructed, glued, and decorated the structures using the plastic pieces included inside the boxes. The precise placement of decals as well as the addition of painted details gave modelers ways to customize their creations, making them as accurate or imaginative as they wanted. This detailed model had removable top that revealed the occupants inside.
The donor, Richard G. Van Treuren, built and modified the Aurora kit while serving at sea aboard the naval aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk (CV-63) before donating it to the Museum in 1974.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.