Make: Kit Reviews

People my age remember red plastic toy rockets from childhood that you filled with water, pumped with air, and watched as they leaped dozens of feet into the air. Well, things have gotten far more serious in the world of water-powered model rocketry, and hobbyists are reaching heights upwards of 800′ using plastic soda bottles, thin […]

Rockets: multi-stage, Rockets, water-powered

I was reading Boing Boing one day and saw a link to this bicycle motor kit, consisting of a 66cc two-cycle engine, drive mechanism, gas tank, muffler, and controls. The ad brought back kid-time memories for me, as I had dreamed of one day owning a Whizzer, the classic motorized bicycle. It was the only vehicle you could […]

Wheels: bicycles, conversion, engines, Wheels

In MAKE Volume 25, Sparkle Labs showed how to hack your TV remote control to make it solar powered. Just add a tiny solar panel and rechargeable batteries. It works with any AA- or AAA-powered remote. Now they’ve put together this easy kit: a flexible 4.8V solar cell with soldered leads and connector pads, and […]

Home & Shelter: home, remote control, solar energy, TV

The MintyTime Clock Kit is a fun way to add a binary clock to almost any container. It’s intended to be housed in a mint tin, such as the classic Altoids tin, but it looks great in almost any container, from a custom-designed, laser-cut enclosure to an old wooden recipe box.

Clocks: binary display, clocks, LEDs

This wild-looking R/C plane is life-sized (78” tall) and can take off vertically! The kit makes a superhero-shaped fuselage; you add R/C gear. Directions are clear, and the laser-cut parts go together smoothly, but it’s a bit tricky — a fun and unique kit for experienced builders that will definitely command attention! 57” hero plans […]

Radio-Controlled Vehicles: plane, RC, superhero