Moebius Lost in Space Robot (small)

KIT #: 418
PRICE: $12.99 MSRP
DECALS: Robots don't use decals
REVIEWER: Scott Van Aken
NOTES: Same robot as in the 'Chariot' kit.

HISTORY

"DANGER, DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!"

Probably one of the better known quotes from Sci-FiTV that ranks up there with "Beam me up, Scotty" and "You have entered...theTwilight Zone".  With the release of the movie "Lost in Space", thedemand for the original series kits has escalated.  The only kit producedfor mass markets was the old Aurora kit that was re-issued several years back by Polar Lights. Polar Lights went out of business, but according to what I have been told, is back in business with the original owners. Apparently the Chariot kit is unique to Moebius, though I could have bet that it was an old Aurora or newer Polar Lights kit. However, sci-fi kits are not my area of expertise so I'll go with what I've been told about this. Regardless, it is nice to see it released on its own without having to buy the larger kit.

THE KIT

This particular kit is the robot that was included in the Chariot kit from the LIS collection. You can tell it isn't a new mold kit as the part numbers start with 52 and the sprues are very oddly shaped, as if they were cut from larger ones.

If you thought the detailing on the larger robot was a bit crude, then this will not surprise you as it is rather simplified as well. You get no stand or bolt of lightning as you had with the larger kit, but you seem to get about the same number of parts. A wise modeler would put weight in the bottom of this model as it may well prove to be a bit on the top-heavy side. Unlike the larger kit, the arms on this one are molded in the straight out or perhaps even stowed position. I'm not positive about the scale as it isn't listed, but have been told it is 1/24 and that seems about right..

Instructions are on the back of the box and while there is a written sequence and an exploded view with all the parts numbered, there is no color information supplied at all so the builder is pretty much on their own in that regard.
CONCLUSIONS

This is probably a good marketing idea from Moebius to provide these smaller bits of larger kits. Many may not have room for the larger robot and want something simpler to assemble and paint. Judging by the rapidity of which these were disappearing from the LHS shelves, I'd say they are on to something.

July 2009

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