Old Airfix diorama ?

[Sunray]

Amazing what you find at car boot sales!

A bits of kit box with three vac formed diorama - looks close to N gauge or even 1/150 - The buildings have sculptured  "damage" and may belong to a 1970s kit called "Praying Mantis" ?   A science fiction model of a giant insect wrecking a modern city.

They have only one dimension/profile, but should be easy to build up with plastic card.   It has the potential for a good street diorama.  There is a railway  station with a damaged clock tower and a couple of corporate style office buildings.

Does this ring a bell with any old and bold on the forum?  Is the kit (s) still manufactured ?

[Techno]

Any chance of a piccy ?
Cheers - Phil.

[petercooman]

This?

http://geb.ebay.in/g/ImportHubViewItem?itemid=221224023222&Praying-Mantis-Diorama-1996-MODEL-KIT-MIB-Horror-Monster-NEW-by-AMT-ERTL-8389

https://www.google.be/search?q=vac+formed+diorama+plate&client=firefox-a&hs=lwG&rls=org.mozilla:nl:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=nJaPUrKuOoWPtQbQ9oCgDA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=617#q=diorama+praying+mantis&rls=org.mozilla:nl%3Aofficial&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=ZDWg0p4-8uGpOM%3A%3B_Ajc-Zt5AYy7BM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fecx.images-amazon.com%252Fimages%252FI%252F61d6ZEwsKpL.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.amazon.com%252FGigantics-Colossal-Mantis-Diorama-Model%252Fdp%252FB002MN78KS%3B500%3B375

[OldenBUA]

I remember building that, many years ago. I think it was Airfix. Here's a link to the instructions: Gigantic Praying Mantis - 05850-2 It says it was produced in 1977, which would match my kit-building phase (I was born in '64).



The kit Peter found seems to be the same thing, but from another company, and produced later.

[petercooman]

And still available on ebay. There were 3 variants. They are called "gigantics" and come as a mantis, giant scorpion and giant tarantula.

http://stores.benl.ebay.be/ModelMetropolis/_i.html?_nkw=gigantics&submit=Zoeken&_sid=99465333

[Sunray]

Many thanks for the information- yes, these are the models.

I seem to have the buildings from two distinct kits.  The cardboard backdrops and the "insects" were long gone.

I will post images when I get them scratch built into proper buildings and painted. They really do fit well with N gauge and Pendraken figures.

Pity the insects didn't attack airfields in the 1970s - be good to have some airfield/airport buildings in N gauge

[shawnt63]

That is very cool!  I picked up the old Anzio beach playset a couple years ago for about 15 bucks - now I see it on sale on Ebay for between 50 and 100! Wish I could find some of the complete comic book sales they used to have - like the US Civil War ones, or the Knights - those always looked so cool - but I only ever got the Battle of Chicimauga set for my birthday - they were like 2.99 lol