DH Cyclops and the Chariot Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

For those of us who remember that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings, we grew up watching a variety of Irwin Allen television shows including the original 'Lost in Space'. Centered around the Robinson family who launched from Earth in the Jupiter 2 to stake out a new colony on Alpha Centauri, their spacecraft goes off course and the family spends the next three seasons trying to return home. Aurora produced kits from several of Irwin Allen's television series including one capturing a scene from Lost in Space's first season that captures a giant cyclops standing atop a ridge preparing to drop a boulder onto the Robinson's transport (the 'chariot') as the family abandons the vehicle and scrambles for cover.

Here is the latest release from D&H GA - Cyclops and the Chariot. Who is D&H GA? The original D&H company was owned by the same person that also founded Moebius Models. When that owner retired a few years ago, he sold Moebius Models to Pegasus Hobbies in California while the D&H business was acquired by one of my favorite online retailers, CultTVman, and moved to Georgia. In keeping with his love of cult television, D&H teamed up with Round 2 Models to reissue another scene from an Irwin Allen television show, the Land of the Giants snake scene in 1/48 scale. They followed up with this kit but made some improvements along the way.

The original Cyclops and Chariot kit featured the iconic Snowcat Chariot in 1/48 scale, while the scrambling Robinson family figures were produced in 1/35 scale. I'm not sure what scale the cyclops figure is supposed to be as I'm not going to go out to take those measurements. In any case, when the kit was first released in 1966 by Aurora, and later reissued by Polar Lights, the kit did not have figures for Judy Robinson, Dr. Smith, or the robot. Given that the robot was stored in the rear cargo area with his legs removed, it isn't a surprise that he is not rendered as a figure, but how could Aurora forget Judy? When D&H GA decided to reissue this kit, they also worked to get new figures produced for Judy and Dr. Smith.

The kit is molded in light gray styrene and is presented on six parts trees, plus the front and rear halves of the cyclops, five parts of the display base and ridge, and the two new figures. According to the specs, there are 55 parts in this kit. To keep the kit simple, Aurora molded the chariot without windows, instead providing interior details with decals. This reissue provides those decals with optional views: with or without the robot inside. Also included in the kit is a folding backdrop that depicts the alien planet in all of its gloomy glory.

This is a nice looking kit and kudos to D&H GA for bringing us this improved version of the classic Lost in Space kit. You can find this kit at your favorite hobby shop or directly from mine: CultTVman Hobby Store.