There is such a thing as R2-R9 R2-R9 appeared briefly in Star Wars Episode I "The Phantom Menace" The Astromech Droid was serving aboard Queen Amidala's Royal Starship as a repair Droid. His scene was cut short as he was shot off the hull during a repair. The above photo is from EPI     The Droid you see before you is not the Droid that was physially used in the Star Wars movie, nor is he the property of Lucas Films. Most people who see me operating him say I have the best job in the world. I go one better... He is an accurate replica made and owned by me. I get to take him home! With the help from an on-line R2-D2 Builders Club. Myself and the founder of the Builders Club came up with a full set of working blueprints. Over three years of manufacturing and collecting parts R2-R9 is operational. Fully remote controlled (RC) using 24 volt custom designed feet and dome drive systems. He walks, talks, head spins and has lights. He is made from 90% aluminum, 8% steel and 2% plastics. Weighing in at almost 200 pounds. The above photo is the real ILM R2-D2 next to my R2-R9! This was taken at Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2005 Thanks to Don Bies we were able to get up close with R2     Frequently Asked Questions Is he finished? No, there are always upgrades and more gadgets I want to add. What did he cost? I could be driving a new mid-size car. BUT you can build one for less money. It all depends on your budget and what you want to accomplish. There are other builders Droids out there made from plastics, plywood, cardboard I've gone to the extreme end of the spectrum How accurate is he to the movie R2? He is as accurate as your going to get With years of reference photos Members taking dimensions And inside help Though none of the Movie R2-D2's are totally alike We've standardized him for our building purpose and we've complied a full set of Blueprints Would I sell him? Only if I desperately had to. Can anyone buy one or a kit to build their own R2? NO, you have to do it yourself. What powers him? Three 12 volt batteries (similar to what you find in kids driveable "Barbie" type cars. How long does he run for? I can get a full four hours before you see considerable battery drain. Why the red colored R2-R9? Just to be different and stand out from the normal white and blue of R2-D2. What's the difference between R2-D2 and R2-R9? Just the color scheme. Am I the only nut who has one of these? No, there are actually builders all over the world. Some have static Droids (just stand and are for display only) and others have functional RC Droids like mine We recently got to get together and display our Droids at Star Wars Celebration 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana. There were over 100 builders present, with as many as 65 different droids being displayed. George Lucas himself came and visted our display room. If you are interested in more info or photos feel free to browse my site: If you are interested in building your own R2-D2 visit the R2-D2 Builders web site: Do the research, read as much as you can. Print out the blueprints, get to know the parts. Determine your goal, and set a plan. Be polite and curtious. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Patience. And most of all... HAVE FUN!