Startales

The Royal Museum Of Science

#4 - Red Robot

LUNOKHOD-1 On The Moon

(Approximately 6cm)

#8 - Science Fiction

VIKING-1 Lander On Mars

(Approximately 10cm)

#6 - The Man On The Moon

One Small Step...

(approximately 8cm tall)

#5 - The Summer Of The Rocket

Liftoff Of Saturn V

(Approximately 11cm tall)

Hailing from Japan, these models appear to the be equivalent of baseball cards... They're packaged with a ball of bubblegum, and according to one source you can't tell which model is inside the box before you buy and open it! Designed by the bizarrely named Royal Museum Of Science, and manufactured by the equally bizarre Dreams Come True, they appear to be the brainchild of Japanese space fan site OTAKING.

The models are cast in a medium-density polystyrene, and most of them arrive in half-a-dozen pre-painted pieces ready for push-fit assembly. There is very little sprue or distortion in the components, and apart from a couple of minor tweaks they all slotted together very neatly indeed. The paint is also very nicely done, considering the size and price-range of the models, and the overall effect is really rather appealing. There are currently ten in the collection, and at around $3 - $4 each they're an absolute bargain.