Fun & Games

The latest DIY ideas, techniques and tools for bikes, rockets, R/C vehicles, toys and other diversions.

Mars Lander

Mars Lander

If you want a more challenging project that takes shape with some real cutting and sanding, small manufacturer Semroc produces high-quality balsa rocket kit reproductions. The Mars Lander, originally sold by Estes in the 1970s, is a beautifully realistic-looking spacecraft with spring-loaded landing legs. You can also try their Saturn 1B ($78), a 1/70 scale re-creation of the […]

Desktop Trebuchet

Desktop Trebuchet

RLT Industries has gone above and beyond with its Desktop Trebuchet kit. Each piece of wood is carefully chosen and precisely computer-cut. All the required tools can be found around your house or at a hobby shop, and the instructions are very detailed. However, as instructed, I used wood glue on the main frame and […]

Atlatl Kits

Atlatl Kits

If you’ve ever wanted to hurl spears to bring down a woolly mammoth, then these two kits from Thunderbird Atlatl are the way to go. The Nanticoke and Kanakadea kits are both high quality and simple to build, so with a little time and effort you can make a very nice-looking atlatl suitable for serious […]

Man Flies in Electric Multi-copter

Man Flies in Electric Multi-copter

It’s being widely reported as the first time an electric multi-copter has carried a human being aloft. Germans Thomas Senkel, Stephan Wolf, and Alexander Zosel are the brains behind e-volo, a 16-copter with four groups of four blades, each of which is driven by a separate motor. The first human-carrying flight is reported to have lasted one minute and thirty seconds.

Loud Objects Noise Toy

Loud Objects Noise Toy

Bzzzzrrrreeeeepeh-khkhkhhhhhhhk! Build your own Noise Toy with this kit from electronic noise group the Loud Objects. Plug in your headphones and glitch out, or jack into an amp and play it as an instrument. These kits come complete with a custom-printed circuit board, a noise generating microchip programmed with the firmware Loud Objects uses for […]