1:8 SCALE ROBOT FROM CLASSIC 'METROPOLIS' SCI-FI MOVIE AVAILABLE FROM X-PLUS

METROPOLIS IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST and most talked-about science-fiction movies ever made. And now the Japanese X-Plus company has created a 1:8 scale kit of Maria, a female robot that became the film’s most powerful image.

TINPLATE ROBOTS: SCI-FI INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE

MANUFACTURED IN CHINA, THE ELEKTRA ROBOT is an unusual collectible mechanical that seems to be a *sorta* female.

ORIGINAL SCI-FI INCOMING - 1:48 SCALE ORBSHIP, 1:35 SCALE TROOPERS ON RELEASE FROM INDUSTRIA MECHANIKA

SMN REPORT:

Industria Mechanika are making a name for original sci-fi and fantasy modelmaking, and here are some of the latest works being prepped for sale.

FROM POLITE ROBO-DOG TO SNARLING KILLER-CANINE - DOCTOR WHO K-9 UPGRADE

SMALLSPACE COUNTDOWN:

The smallspace “model show for all things space, science fiction and fantasy” will be held this Sunday, July 1, and among the sci-fi stars on display will be the original K-9 robot dog from Doctor Who.

ROBOTS ON THE MARCH IN JAPAN

SMN report:

We’ll be fascinated to see how many robots will be on display at Japan’s Shizuoka Hobby Show on May 17-20. They’ll probably number in their hundreds, from a host of toy, figure, and kit manufacturers, including Fine Molds, whose 1:20 scale robot shown here comes from the anime fantasy movie Laputa: Castle in the Sky.

AMAZING ‘SAND FLEA’ ROBOT CAR LEAPS INTO THE AIR

SMN report:

Sand Flea is a four-wheel robotic vehicle with an extra ace up its sleeve - on top of its normal radio-control (RC) mode, at the flick of a switch it can hunker down and leap high into the air - up a cliff, onto a roof, even over a wall!

STAR WARS R2D2 - LEGO MEGA-MODEL COMING SOON

SMN update:

Here’s the LEGO take on the company’s upcoming Star Wars release: “Presenting the iconic R2-D2 as you've never seen him before! Everyone's favorite droid from the Star Wars galaxy is now part of the Ultimate Collector Series and features fantastic detailing, such as retractable third leg, front panels that open to reveal a universal computer interface arm and a circular saw, rotating head...”

LEONARDO, F-16i, K9 THUNDER - HOT KITS FROM ACADEMY

SMN report:

The Italeri versions of Academy’s Leonardo da Vinci kits are proving successful, so what’s happening with Academy’s own productions? Well, there are plenty more on release, though as usual with these multi-market products, there are subtle changes in presentation, depending on where they are being sold.

Da Vinci series

Academy’s kits go under the simple title, ‘Da Vinci Machines Series’, rather than Italeri’s splendidly romantic ‘The Marvellous Machines’. Also, Academy bundles the da Vinci kits into a loose grouping called Educational Kits, which is fair enough, especially as these include rockets and robots - tasty stuff indeed.

MICHAEL PAUL SMITH’S 1:24 SCALE MINI-WORLD

Here we have scenes from a 1:24 model zone called Elgin Park by its creator, US model maker Michael Paul Smith. He’s built a miniature town to precision standards, and best of all, has the photographic skills to create believable super-real pictures that would have all but an expert fooled.

The diner interior is one of SMN’s faves, as it’s made from just about every item from a box of bits like the one that most of us keep. He’s even used part of an earring as a delivery tube for the hot water urn. The night shot has a dusting of snow and Michael’s prowess with the camera is evident from the careful lighting and depth of field - we’re also assured that these are all ‘real’ shots, where Photoshop has not been used to slot backgrounds into place - which makes the whole thing more remarkable.

There are more pictures at Michael’s Flickr Photostream, where you can also spot Mr and Mrs Robby Robot, and their son, Robby Jr - just great!

Visit Michael’s Photostream here.

If you’re inspired, we present a range of 1:24 scale vehicles here.

DESIGNER ADDS A CRUTCHBOT TO THE ROBOT HORDES

Science fiction fans generally have something of a love affair with robots. Whether they are small and helpful (R2D2), tall and shiny (C3PO), or deadly enemies (Transformer Decepticons), there seems to be just ‘something’ about a mechanical man that appeals, even more so if it’s a dangerous clockwork killer. And in Texas, designer-photographer Adam Voorhes has joined in robomania with the damaged machine-man shown above (top), its mobility-aid an old-fashioned wooden crutch under the arm. Adam’s even given a title to his creation: ‘Something seems to be missing’...

Japan is ground-zero for robotics, both real and fictional, and robo-culture there is sometimes obsessed with them. Magazines such as the excellent Hobby Japan run big features, and Euro-comics such as the UK’s 2000AD run strips based on robo-themes. The diorama here shows an excellent ABC Warrior from the strip of the same name, wreaking havoc while on display at a model show.

We recently reported on the T700 robot to 1:18 scale which came with the Terminator Hunter-Killer robo-flyer. But of course the small-scale T700 is just one of a seemingly endless horde of robots on sale, any of which would look great in a sci-fi based diorama. Some of the bigger ones are on offer at massive post-Christmas discounts, so it’s worth hunting around to see what’s available, meantime the T800 endoskeleton (bottom pic) is generally available in stores and online.

Visit Adam Voorhes here.

Terminator robots are available here.

And you can see more robots here.

IS IT A TOY? IS IT A MODEL? - SCI-FI HUNTER-KILLER FROM ‘TERMINATOR SALVATION’

SMN reports
If you’re a sci-fi buff, then the ranks of the mainstream kit manufacturers present fairly thin pickings. Apart from Revell’s Easykit range of Star Wars machinery, there’s not a lot out there.

However, if you widen your horizons a bit and graze the shelves of toyshops, supermarkets and newsagents, then things get a whole lot more interesting. The SMN crew regularly trawls big chains like Toy ‘R’ Us and Tesco, as well as local stores, and what’s on offer can be tasty indeed, especially as these retailers often have deals or special lines to tempt us.

The Hunter-Killer from the movie Terminator Salvation is a case in point. Aimed at the children’s market by Playmates Toys (who launched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back in 1988), it was on offer locally at less than half-price - what a bargain! And even better, it came complete with a 102 mm (4 in) tall T700 robotic figure, making it about 1:18 scale, just right for causing mechanized mayhem to any spare large-scale diecast vehicle you may have parked in your collection. The Hunter-Killer measures a chunky 307 mm (12 in) long, and is a pretty nifty design, waiting for conversion to another futuristic occupation - maybe an autonomous SAR (search and rescue) craft - or maybe we’re just peace-lovers here at SMN.

We’ve a short unboxing video to show you at the weekend; meantime here are pix of what comes out of the box, and very nice they are too. The main drawback from a scale perspective is that much of the detailing is rather heavy-handed, so what we plan to do is give this ‘toy’ a going-over, and see if you agree with the results. Either way, if you’re into science fiction in a big way, then items like this are a win-win buy.

The Hunter-Killer is available at the standard price from various suppliers, including Amazon here.

You can visit Playmates Toys here.

WELCOME TO THE EXPERT GUIDE LIBRARY

You might notice a new picture box at top right. This is the 'Expert Guide Library', which is SMN's term for ebooks on a wide range of model subjects, produced in a unique and easy to view screen format.

You can flip from page to page, zoom in and out, read online, or download to pdf for offline viewing. There are just the two entries there at the moment, but we've new titles in the works, from Air Shows to Traction Engines, Model Displays to Doctor Who, Robot Collectibles to Model Trains.

We'll flag out new additions in future, as and when they are ready to view.