We already talked about the small MER scale models, but here's a very large model:

http://www.masterpiecemodels.com/johnsmodels/

Gargl!!

(cleaning my keyboard)

Wow! Incredible, it's very close to the original! It's ... a clone!
Amazing full scale model! I see a lot of work behind the final result...

Whoa, I wonder was it commisioned by someone? Looks fantastic.

You sure he didn't nick one of the spares - this looks very real.

It was commissioned for a museum, check out this and this from the company's blog.

--Emily

Amazing stuff.

I was a bit shocked to see this comment in their blog:


I can't for the life of me understand what the Security angle in this case is - all they would have needed to make the job a lot more straightforward were the bare mechanical layout blueprints. Mad.

But - well done to them for replicating it so well in any case. It seems like Scooterlord isn't the only magician when it comes to building out blueprints from a handful of photographs.

Because the molds for the wheel are available, I've contacted them to see if they would sell a wheel to collectors... in any case it would look file together with our small 1/18 scale MER models

John contacted me and corrected:

Actually the blueprints are not avalaible because of timing and copyright issues. We built the entire MER just from scaling the photos that we could dig up. My team built the whole
MER in less the 2.5 months

Looks like a great small book the guy is holding:
http://masterpiecemodels.blogspot.com/

http://bp2.blogger.com/__tIYppLnCI8/RdSj5R...20/IMGP3253.JPG

THAT IS MENTAL.

There is a touring exhibition that was in Manchester early last year - and the MER model in that was no where near as accurate as that one...no where NEAR as accurate.

Doug

Well Kudos to the Team that is a stunning job - it's a fantastic model and I now want to go on a pilgrimage to the Virgina Air and Space Center.

I know what you mean, Doug. When I went to see the IMAX film "Roving Mars," the theater had a full-scale MER model in the lobby. And it was nowhere near as accurate as this one is. Nowhere near at all. (For one thing, the MER model I saw had rubber tires that looked like they had come off of a riding lawnmower or something...)

The interesting thing was, though, that when I walked up to this model (which, for all its faults, was at least very close to the proper size), I found that I was staring directly into the "eyes" of the Pancam. The Pancam lens simulants were at exactly my own eye level.

-the other Doug

I had that as well.."hmm - a bit tall..OH...it's on a little plinth thing...." I spent about 10 minutes picking holes in the one I saw - I'd need about 10 minutes to find anything wrong with this one....astonishing.

Doug

It's missing an arm!
Work in progress I guess....
I wonder if they get that arm, when it's finished, actually moving or if it's just a static display.
That will give the team some headaches I think...
Amazing thing anyway!

Well, I have asked some info about ordering 1 wheel as the ultimate display item
The molds still exist but they'll have to ask the original firm (Proach models) who contracted them to make this... As a highly detailed model on 1/1 such a wheel would cost in the US $ 750.00 range.
Superb model indeed!

The finished MER model (middle of the page):

http://masterpiecemodels.blogspot.com/

http://bp2.blogger.com/__tIYppLnCI8/Redowv...00/IMGP3275.JPG

Swiss people does it better :

Click to view attachment

Found this while hkking in Switzerland

Updating weblinks: http://www.masterpiecemodels.com/

And: http://www.spacemodel.com/mer.html

I was just going back through the videos I taped during the MER EDL of Spirit and Opportunity, and I noticed that Mark Adler was holding a little MER rover model that looked very detailed, aswell during a few press briefings. Does anyone know of any place on the internet where I could get one?.

http://www.bookstore.caltech.edu/JPLLAB/sh...roduct_list.asp

This is not the same as the one Mark was holding; I think Mark's was a 1/10 scale, the JPL store used to sell those for $90 or $100. Those were in limited supply and they must be gone by now.

--Emily

Thanks! Emily, I found that one that Mark was holding, and I'm gonna email this place and see if I can get one. If not I'm gonna purchase that one that you suggested.

http://www.hightechscience.org/mars_exploration_vehicle.htm

James, the model suggested by Emily is very nice and comes with a landing base/plate
There's a separate UMSF topic on that particular scale model and You'll have to take extreme care to unwrap it from its box!
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...ost&id=2971

The other model was made by " Code 3 " and these have sold out...

Ok Phil thanks for the tips, I know what thread your talking about, and I saw a post that said the Rocker-Bogie system does not flex, or the rovers 4 outer wheels did not rotate for steering, and also the IDD was made of plastic and that it could break real easy. Is that true about the model that Emily was talking about?. Overall it does look like a pretty decent model, and I was gonna spice it up abit anyways to make it more accurate to the real thing, and purchase 2 of them.

Indeed James, the IDD ( Instrument Deployment Device = arm with the science suite instruments ) is made out of plastic but folds very good away underneath the metal body of this nice 1:18 scale MER. It won’t break easy and You can deploy it easily
The 6 wheels are fixed onto metal legs ( rocker-bogie mobility system ). Only problem I see it the missing (left) Pancam on the camera bar of the PMA ( Pancam Mast Assembly ) but overall the model is great, it even has a detailed Pancam calibration target:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mer/2004-01-10/target.jpg
but no Lego DVD :
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mer/2004-01-08/lego.jpg

Also check:
http://hobbiton.thisside.net/rovermanual/

Received my monthly copy of Ciel et Espace today. A club named Magnitude 78 built a 1/2 scale of MER and named it Squymer. I thought it was after Squy(res) Mer but they say it means Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines Mars Exploration Rover (the place where the club is established). I 1/2 believe it's only meaning this !!!
BTW I can't find a link to show you the picture. ADMINS, do I have right to take a shot of it directly on the book with my camera and post it here with credits? Thanks to tell me.