- "In a desperate bid to bring peace once again to this sceptred isle, the USS Nimitz today arrived off the coast with a full compliment of F-14 fighters. Now ordinarily, the might of the US Navy's flagship would be no match for the robots on Robot Wars, but tonight, things are a little different."
- — Jeremy Clarkson introducing the featherweight heat
Heat D of Robot Wars: The First Wars was the fourth of six heats which determined the Grand Finalists of Robot Wars: The First Wars. The episode featuring Heat D was originally broadcast on March 13, 1998 on BBC Two.
Competing robots
Bugs | ||
Weight | 7.3kg | |
Dimensions | 0.70m x 0.55m x 0.40m | |
Speed | 4mph | |
Turning Circle | 0m | |
Ground Clearance | 40mm | |
Power | 12V motors | |
Weapons | Ramming wedge | |
From: Chesham School | ||
Team Members: Michael Stacey, Michael Langdon & Stephen Devereau |
Cunning Plan | ||
Weight | 11.5kg | |
Dimensions | 0.63m x 0.48m x 0.17m | |
Speed | 10mph | |
Turning Circle | 0m | |
Ground Clearance | 10mm | |
Power | Electric drill motors | |
Weapons | None | |
From: University of Reading | ||
Team Members: Oliver Steeples |
The Demolisher | ||
Weight | 2.9kg | |
Dimensions | 0.60m x 0.34m x 0.17m | |
Speed | 40mph | |
Turning Circle | 0m | |
Ground Clearance | 5mm | |
Power | Electric motor | |
Weapons | Aluminium spikes | |
From: London | ||
Team Members: Sam Rudgard, Gary Speed-Macey & Bill Rudgard |
Krayzee Tokyo | ||
Weight | 3.2kg | |
Dimensions | 0.63m x 0.34m x 0.22m | |
Speed | 12mph | |
Turning Circle | 0m | |
Ground Clearance | 10mm | |
Power | Electric | |
Weapons | Curved bumper | |
From: Milton Keynes | ||
Team Members: Kevin Church, Matthew Davy & Chris Purchase |
SAT'arn | ||
Weight | 10.5kg | |
Dimensions | 1.27m x 0.60m x 0.21m | |
Speed | 10mph | |
Turning Circle | 3m | |
Ground Clearance | 10mm | |
Power | 8.4V motors | |
Weapons | Pointed horns | |
From: Billericay | ||
Team Members: Tom Barber & Sam Barber |
Vector of Armageddon | ||
Weight | 10.7kg | |
Dimensions | 0.46m x 0.69m x 0.26m | |
Speed | 20mph | |
Turning Circle | 0m | |
Ground Clearance | 1mm | |
Power | 2 x 14.4V motors | |
Weapons | None | |
From: Romford | ||
Team Members: Adam Clark |
Gauntlet
Competing order: 1. Cunning Plan 2. Krayzee Tokyo 3. SAT'arn 4. The Demolisher 5. Bugs 6. Vector of Armageddon | ||||
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Ranking | Competing Robot | Report | Distance | |
1 | SAT’arn | SAT'arn seemed to have a lot of manoeuvrability and got around Sergeant Bash, but not a lot of control as it drove first into the side wall and then into a pyramid. Despite this it slipped around Matilda and crossed the finish line.
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Completed | |
2 | Cunning Plan | Cunning Plan darted straight into the maze. Its zero degree turning circle was advantageous and helped it to clear the maze. To avoid Matilda it took on the corkscrew lances but Matilda caught up with it and actually thrust it towards the end zone. After briefly coming to a halt due to the spikes, Cunning Plan completed the gauntlet; Matilda had driven onto a grille and was unable to stop it. Cunning Plan almost ploughed through the side walls and out of the arena.
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Completed | |
3 | The Demolisher | The smallest robot in the competition slipped through the House Robots' defence and across the finish line. On the program, Demolisher only appeared to take nine seconds to complete the course but the statistics showed SAT'arn and Cunning Plan completed it in faster times. Jeremy Clarkson does point out that Demolisher was flipped in the gauntlet, not seen on TV, and this could be why Demolisher was placed third.
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Completed | |
4 | Krayzee Tokyo | The GCSE students drove straight into one of the gates on the maze which dislodged part of their robot's back panel. It had rather more difficulty with the maze than Cunning Plan and eventually got stuck on one of the springs. Matilda attempted an attack but also got stuck and began billowing copious amounts of smoke.
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12.65m | |
5 | Bugs | After an initial period where Bugs seemed to have a problem deciding which course to take it went for the route guarded by the House Robots. Matilda hit into its side, which seemed to give it control problems and it was unable to get past the House Robot.
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11.45m | |
6 | Vector of Armageddon | This was based on a successful design from America but unfortunately it didn't get to show off its brute strength. After skilfully conquering the first ramp, the robot's low ground clearance meant it couldn't get up and over the second ramp.
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8.55m | |
Eliminated: Vector of Armageddon |
Trial (Stock Car)
- "And the robot that comes last, or covers the least distance, is out. Unless of course, they were wise enough to give the government a million pounds"
- — Jeremy Clarkson on the format
Krayzee Tokyo controversially got off to a false start due to a frequency problem. Cunning Plan, SAT'arn and Demolisher all piled into the side wall where Demolisher was flipped over. In escaping, Cunning Plan pushed Demolisher back onto its wheels. Despite this, Demolisher's maximum speed of 40MPH helped it claim the first lap and overtake all competition to complete its second lap with the others all trailing. Cunning Plan and SAT'arn completed their first lap and Demolisher had flipped itself over on a collision with the wall on the plinth Seregant Bash occupied. Cunning Plan managed a second lap with Bugs making slow progress and Krayzee Tokyo completely immobilised. SAT'arn clocked up a second lap just as Bugs crossed the line to get its first. Cunning Plan had attempted to flip Demolisher back onto its wheels but it was Cunning Plan that completed its third lap and took the chequered flag, operated by Shunt.
1. Cunning Plan - 3 Laps
2. The Demolisher - 2 Laps
3. SAT'arn - 2 Laps
4. Bugs - 1 Lap
5. Krayzee Tokyo - 0 Laps
- Jeremy Clarkson: "Oh dear, oh dear! The one that looks like a dustbin is out. And you jumped the start!"
- Kevin Church: "It wasn't my fault!"
- Jeremy Clarkson: "Then whose fault is it? Father Christmas'?"
- Kevin Church: "Its whoever has their controller on the same frequency."
- Jeremy Clarkson: "That's the worst excuse I've ever heard in my entire life."
- — Krayzee Tokyo is eliminated
Eliminated: Krayzee Tokyo
Arena
Semi-Finals
Cunning Plan vs Bugs
Cunning Plan rocketed across the arena, but missed Bugs. It dawdled, trying to line up an attack, and then rushed again, slipping its front wedge beneath Bugs and dropping it on the ground. Cunning Plan withdrew, but Bugs who was turning uncontrollably had driven onto the grilles, and was unable to escape.
- "You will not escape from there, Bugs! I didn't think it had the manoeuvrability it had earlier...that's Dead Metal. Those pincers could crush the life out of the bug..."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Dead Metal battered Bugs, and although it looked like it would free Bugs from the grille, it did not and cease was called. Cunning Plan, meanwhile celebrated its win by bumping the side of Sergeant Bash a couple of times.
It was later revealed that the change in castor wheel had cost Bugs the battle as it decreased Bugs' manoeuvrability.
Winner: Cunning Plan
The Demolisher vs SAT'arn
- "SAT'arn, like a bull, rushes at the Demolisher."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Both robots got off to quick starts. SAT'arn charged forward, but missed the quick Demolisher. It charged again, and tussled the minuscule Demolisher with its charge. It tried to shunt it into a CPZ, but Demolisher escaped. SAT’arn reversed away and suddenly burnt out completely, and the house robots then closed in to attack SAT’arn. After avoiding from being tipped over by Shunt's scoop, Demolisher bashed into SAT'arn, and subsequently got itself sandwiched between its prey and Matilda's back end. Matilda sliced through SAT’arn, but Demolisher’s tough armour prevented Matilda’s chainsaw from going through it – and because of its position, SAT’arn. However, the other house robots ganged up, and SAT’arn was defeated.
- "There was a connection that came off...we had problems with it yesterday."
- — SAT’arn’s crestfallen team explain
Winner: Demolisher
Final
Cunning Plan vs The Demolisher
- "In the Stock Car, Cunning Plan actually tried to rescue Demolisher. That’s not going to be happening in the final!"
- — Jeremy Clarkson
Cunning Plan moved forward, and Demolisher back-pedalled. The duo moved tentatively together, and then rushed towards each other. Cunning Plan’s low clearance and wedge-shape won out, and Demolisher tumbled onto its back. Cease was immediately called.
- "Demolisher, at the top of your picture, is the quicker, but Cunning Plan is the heavier of these two featherweights. Demolisher will be trying to keep out of trouble, with young Sam at the wheels- Oh, but the wheels have come off! The Demolisher is beaten by the Cunning Plan of Oliver Steeples. I'm not too sure whether the crowd wanted young Sam Rudgard to go through, but he had no chance with power like that."
- — Jonathan Pearce
Heat Winner: Cunning Plan
Trivia
- While the other five heats of the series featured robots of various weight categories, Heat D only featured featherweight competitors, although Jeremy Clarkson stated incorrectly that it featured lightweight robots.
- The victory of Cunning Plan in this episode made it the highest placing featherweight of Series 1.
- Cunning Plan's defeat of Demolisher in the Heat Final broke the Shortest Battle Record. Currently, it is ranked 5th in Shortest Battles in UK Robot Wars.
- Both Cunning Plan and Demolisher came very close to going out of the arena - Demolisher entered the arena for the first time and almost shot out through the wall. Cunning Plan's burst of speed to finish the Gauntlet almost caused the same thing.
- Also included in this episode were video clips from the final of the 1995 UK Open Competition in London, between American robots The Master and Thor, as well as from the final rumble of the 1996 American Robot Wars, won by La Machine.
- Jonathan Pearce introduced Cunning Plan by stating that Oliver Steeples, builder of the robot, was a Star Wars fan. Steeples would later build a robot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015.
- This was the first time children appeared on Robot Wars. It was also the first time a child drove a robot.
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