Academy Leonardo da Vinci Clock Kit Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | March 2014 | Manufacturer | Academy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Da Vinci Clock | Scale | N/A |
| Kit Number | 18150 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Fun project that highlights the engineering genius of Leonardo Da Vinci | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Basic | MSRP (USD) | $21.98 |
First Look
 |
 |
 |
Leonardo Da Vinci developed a number of designs that were well before their time. His vision of vertical flight with his spiral helicopter, paddle wheel-powered vessels, and the early armored car may have been laughable in his day, but were the stepping stones for today's MV-22 Osprey, turbine-powered Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and M1 Abrams tank (and their analogs from other nations of course).
Here is a representation of da Vinci's clock which uses a horizontal pendulum and weights for power. This kit is completely snap-together - no glue, paint, or batteries required. This project literally took a few minutes though a careful eye to the instructions is required to ensure that the various parts are properly oriented. The engineering of this kit is well done though and you can see the results below. I really do enjoy assembling and tinkering with Academy's Da Vinci kits!
You can adjust the speed of the clock by adding or removing coins (ballast) from the hanging weight as well as fine tune the speed by moving the balls on the pendulum in or out on the marked slide. The clock has the table-top base or a bracket that can fit on the bottom to allow the clock to be wall-mounted. There is also an optional gear included in the kit to allow the lower dial to indicate different units of time. Here's a look at the clock in action:
This is a nice-looking model that is a snap (pun intended) to assemble and will be fun for your child to learn a little history or as a nice conversation piece on your desk at work or at home.
My sincere thanks to MRC for this review sample!