MOT Inspector - Induction Training [2017]

28th September 2017

Sunday I was host to Ian H & Sam P, my self,

ran by Colin B & joined by Lee T.

The guys travelled down to mine for the afternoons

training session on how to inspect Droids for the UK Club.

UK R2D2 Builders Club,

is the only club that has an 'MOT approval' process,
ensuring that the Droids & their operators,
are safe for events attended.

You may ask, why do you need this??

.....Han Solo: Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy!

Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce

too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?

Well, it's nothing like dusting crops lol. But the point is, that yes, anyone can build an Astromech, but once you take it out in public (and your a member of the UK Builders Club) and are a representative of it and even more so, of Disney/Lucas films. "We wouldn't want a Droid 'breaking down' or 'bits falling off' or worse still, a run-away-droid as this wouldn't look good to the general public" ....quote.

So the UK Club set up an MOT process a few years ago, similar to what cars here in the UK have, providing the droids & their operators with reassurance that their Droids are to a safe standard, which is required to have for our PLI insurance cover.

2026..... This is still carried out and the list of MOT inspectors has grown over the years.

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Throw back Thursday - 1

Just posted this up on Instagram, so thought I'd share.

Throw back to my first event attended with R5's.

He was still a work in progress and didn't even have a dome lol.

Dome was brought along and borrowed for R5 by my new fried Ian,

with his R4-1J droid.

The end R6 droid was Mark's from PodPadStudios.

Above grab from 'james_r5d4' account

Shout out to Jedi News!

R5D4 gets some screen time.....

 .......on 'Sky's Star Wars Greatest moments'

I was away at the time, but my friend Karen, recorded the program for me. She had already watched and posted up on FB about seeing R5 on the program lol.

I mentioned in my post 'Celebration Europe 3 2016 event-report PT3' about the mini film crew & Alex Zane and was a little thrown when he was stood next to R5. I did get a very quick picture and video. Mark Cox took this great pic of the filming.

Filming for Star Wars Greatest Moments 2016

Also in the shot is R2 & Mike's yellow R2

Here are my screen grabs, lol...

This takes me back, I was just rolling R5 around and these guys asked if they could have R5 in their pictures. Then R4 & BB8 roll past and join the now growing photo opportunity for the first wave of attending visitors as the doors opened in the morning.

If you watched the programe, you'll also see R2-M80 (Matey, yellow) roll in front of us.

** Celebration Europe 3 - 2016 - The Event Report PT3 **

End of our first day, Thursday for us. The droids that where there ready for Friday morning, were all set up and ready. Food was ordered and we all made our way outside to await its delivery. Pizza all round lol.

Group pizza

After dropping off our droids, we had to park up. This was something that was an extra cost i didn't need :(. £15 for 24hrs was ok, but I didn't need this as would be staying at a hotel which had parking. One of our members, also concerned about cost savings, found a website called Justpark. This is an online website where parking spaces are advertised, fantastic! Me and Andre T, used the same church car park for the few hours needed, total cost was £3.10. (available from 8am - 9pm) Bargin!
(Recent large financial outgoings meant that I was/am on even more of a tight budget unfortunately).

Once pizzas were done, others were heading for drinks. But i had to find my hotel, check in etc, as wanted to be fresh for the day ahead. So i said my goodbyes and headed the 5 min walk back to my car. I also needed to check my route to Barking train station from the hotel, which was about 10-15 mins walk.

I arrived at my hotel without to much traffic hassle......i joke. But the Ibis hotel was a great relief. I unpacked and got what i needed for the day ahead, ready.

Friday 15th July 2016:
I woke up at seven and after breakfast, made the walk to the station. Its been a few years since i last travelled on the London transport system & first time using contactless travel. It was so simple tho and after my three short train journeys, i arrived, along with a few others at The Excel centre.

My R5-D4 trading cards I picked up Thursday

Mine & JJ's passes

As I walked in, I thought, oh....not such a big que forming in the main hall way. Then I remembered the actual que hall, lol. As an exhibitor, tho because I had bought passes, I wasn't technically issued with one of these, you were allowed through the bag check point via a separate que line.I had to then wait for Oliver to pop down to 'clear me' through into the North side of the Centre, where our stand was in section N9.

I/we all were checking over our droids, batteries charged etc and generally all hyped/nerves for the opening day ahead. Because it was a Friday, the initial crowds were slightly less than expected, but that was probably a good thing lol.

I was asked if I could move R5 to be infront of our iconic Sandcrawler display, made by Paul Wiz, to be next to Giles' R2 & the Jawa's. Around 10am as I walked back round I saw a mini film crew, not an unusual sight, but his time I recognised the presenter lol. I was more surprised that he moved into position right behind my R5!!

Sandcrawler scene

Alex Zane & crew

Short filming complete

So keep your eyes out for something Star Wars related on the TV featuring this man lol

More builders arrived during the morning and the crowds started to gather around the builders stand. So long in fact that it went almost all the way around it!! And stayed this long for most of the day!

Friday's R2 Builders Club stand - ques

Lots of questions were asked about how to build a droid, how much it costs, materials used etc. And lots of happy faces, both old and young :)

More to come of the day in Part 4.......

Mini Droid get-together - 2nd July 2016

On Saturday 2nd July at a top secret location, the builders club had a pre-celebration droid get together. This mostly involved us just driving the droids around and chatting lol, but some new builds were shown off and updates & testing were done also.

Is always good to meet up with new builders & old ones too. I've not been able to attend as many of these as i would like, due to family commitments.

Some pics of the day.

My R0-D4

My R0 domed R5 body with friends

Photo credit goes to Colin [I think lol].

** Celebration Europe 3 - 2016 - The Event Report PT2 **

Next, myself Matt & Ian, crossed over into the second hall area. This was where the 501st, Rebel Legion were as well as more shops, Lego display and of course the Rogue One costume display was.

Rey & BB-8, picture for my daughter :)

Lego Star Wars

R2-D2 - battery powered! Not one of ours tho lol

Mandalorian Mercs area

First Order Stormtroopers, impressive......most impressive!

Whilst checking out the stalls setting up, I noticed a familiar face. I waited as he did have people he knew were talking to him, then asked if I could have my picture taken.

Me with Steve Sansweet

Ranch Obi-Wan link

There was the usual 501st landspeeder, but also a Wampa cave photo opp, control room set up as well as the Tantive corridor wall. And also this Jedi Interceptor by the French Garrison.

Jedi Interceptor - French Garrison

With so much going on & what we needed to prepare for, so we headed back to the Builders stand. Here's some more of the Astromech's on display...

Over the course of the weekend, builders who arrived slotted their droids in between the others. So some of the pics may look the same, but have droid variations lol.

This was the side next to the Family Area. Here we have R0 droids (Lee Towersey TFA version, 2nd from left) Two R4's (blue is Ian Havenhand's), R2 units, Oliver Steeples red R5, Alan's scaled R2 & then the BB-8 builders table.

R2 display, next to the Family Area

BB8 builders setting up.

The cut away version is James' X-Robots

More updates in Part 3....

Corsham Sci-Fi 2016.....????

One event, local to me, that I look forward to attending, is Corsham's Sci-Fi day in April.
This event & the group, raise lots of money for local charities.

But it looks like this year the event will be taking a break.

~~~

I first attended the event back in 2010 with my family and it was a big hit with them all!
Plenty to see and do, even the non-sci-fi wife was 'happy' lol.

2013 was R5's first time at the event, headless and motionless lol.
Tho Ian, brought and lent me his R3 clear dome.

2014 was R5's second year attending and this year he was fully assembled.
Another great event.

2015 was R5's third time an this time he was fully operational!

I look forward to the event returning soon.

Chippenham Sci-Fi Convention 2015

Am planning on taking R5 again this year.

This was us last year....

My R5-D4 makes the grade!!

When I started building R5-D4, it was for the 'challenge' of attempting to build him.

When he was standing, head-less, at his first event, it was a very 'nervous' moment. As he was next to some quality, working, droids!

R5 with a borrowed R3 clear dome, thanks to Ian [pic]

Then when it was his first moving event, I was stupid 'excited' [note the grin on face in pic below] about him participating with Giles & Ian!

R5's not fully complete yet.....bout 99.5% lol, but representing the R2 Builders club at events, is something I take great pride in. He's still waiting on his sound link up for his bad motivator, but rolling around at events is a really good feeling,

bringing kids big & small the world of Star Wars to life :).

Yesterday, I received my club membership badge in the post.

This means a lot as a builder :).

Nice art work Colin! lol

2015 - R5-D4 & The UK R2-D2 Builders Club

So 2015 is here and the countdown to episode VII is literally less than a year away! I know my kids are looking forward to it along with friends, some who have surprised me with their almost hidden enthusiasm for Star Wars lol.

Im especially looking forward to getting R5's dome motorised and under remote control! With lots of events on and of course the film release, Star Wars groups will be more popular and be in demand than ever, so I've already 'booked' time off to be able to attend these and others with R5 and other members of the UK R2 Builders club, Ian, Giles, Stuart, James, Phil to name a few as well as costume groups like The Southern Troopers, Joker Squad, Milton Keynes Garrison at events like Corsham Sci-Fi family Fun Day (TBC), MCM events, Cardiff Comic Con (TBC). There will be more events to be confirmed as the year goes along. So check out these groups, all have FaceBook pages as well as Twitter accounts too, like and follow them for events they'll be at near you! Of course theres R5's own Facebook page and Twitter account, still getting used to using Twitter lol, so look up R5 under James R5-D4.

Not been well these last two weeks so not been able to work on R5, and its back to work next week......maybe........if antibiotics do their thing!

Next on R5's list for this year is to get his motivator working, smoke and sound effects too. All with what available spare cash I can find. As much as I want R5 to be fully operational, family life has to come first. Tho thankfully my kids are understanding (& proud) that R5 is going to be out and about

***** Chippenhan Sci-Fi Day 2014, UPDATE *****

** GUEST UPDATE **

Sarah Louise Madison (Dr Who - Weeping Angle) won't now be attending

due to work commitments.

R5-D4 and other members of the UK R2D2 Builders Club will be in attendance.

I've set up my own...OK....R5's own Event page over on FaceBook, just for fun.

***** Chippenhan Sci-Fi Day, October 25th 2014 *****

R5-D4 will be attending a local event in a few months time.

A fellow R2 Builders Club member and friend Ian, will also be attending with his

R4 'Arther' Astromech Unit.

Event's facebook page:

Chippenham Sci-Fi Charity Family Fun Day

New Project....? - A Clear Dome R3-T6

Since borrowing Ian's R3 Clear Dome, at Corsham earlier this year.

I thought how cool it would be to own one so R5 could be converted, slightly into R3-T6.

This droid was seen very briefly in 'A New Hope' on the Death Star.

The main differences between R5-D4 & R3-T6

are the Large Data Port & Centre Vent surround being red, not blue.
And his panels on his rear. These can be red vinyl stickers.

Oh and their Domes, of course.

Here's my R5 at Corsham earlier this year with Ian's Clear Dome.

So watch this space....... :-)