Thanks to Larry over at Pegasus, I have a production kit of their new Greg deSantis Nautilus kit to review and build. An original design based on Jules Vernes' "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", this version of the Nautilus retains the overall "sea monster" look as well as the "ironclad" details that were a distinct feature of U.S. Civil War naval vessels of the period.
So here's the first bit - a quick in-box review of the parts -
The box art artist is not credited, but it features quite a nice painting of the Nautilus in the clutches of the giant squid (which will make up the display base for the kit):
Inside, the box is crammed full of Victorian submarine goodness:
You get a total of 8 gray sprues of styrene plastic (one sprue is doubled up for parts), a sprue of clear styrene, a base and a baggie of vinyl parts for the squid.
Also included are a set of die-cut maskes for the salon windows......
.....and a fret of photo-etch brass for parts like the steps, railings, and support rods:
As I mentioned in my sneak peek of the test shot parts, the detail on this kit is nothing short of phenomenal. I was impressed with Pegasus's 2005 Martian War Machine, but this kit kicks it up about three notches. These shots should speak for themselves -
The detail is crisp and sharp, and the mold seam lines are virtually non-existant. The sprue attach points are very small, which should make clipping them and cleaning them up a simple process.
Part of the reason for this is the fact that Trumpeter did the tooling and production on this kit. Yes, that Trumpeter. Larry was very excited when he first told me that they had agreed to take on the task. Larry has had a long relationship with the Trumpeter engineers and management, and due to the intricate detail in Greg deSantis' design, Larry felt he needed Trumpter to do the tooling for this kit to make sure all that detail made it into your hands. (Trumpeter doesn't usually take on outside work - so don't get used to this.....)
This kit has been meticulously thought out. There's a full salon inside the sub, complete with books and a desk and a globe and an organ. And, it looks like you will actually be able to see in there because the clear parts are actually clear. (For all the guys trying to figure out the wheelhouse - there isn't an interior for you to see. While you can stick a light in there, there's nothing actually in there. Hmmm.....Paulbo....?)
I've been looking forward to this kit for a while now and will be doing a quick build up here in the next couple of weeks. (I haven't decided whether I will light this first one, but I will have some LED's on hand to check clearances.)
Stay tuned. This is a weatherers dream.......
Gene
So here's the first bit - a quick in-box review of the parts -
The box art artist is not credited, but it features quite a nice painting of the Nautilus in the clutches of the giant squid (which will make up the display base for the kit):
Inside, the box is crammed full of Victorian submarine goodness:
You get a total of 8 gray sprues of styrene plastic (one sprue is doubled up for parts), a sprue of clear styrene, a base and a baggie of vinyl parts for the squid.
Also included are a set of die-cut maskes for the salon windows......
.....and a fret of photo-etch brass for parts like the steps, railings, and support rods:
As I mentioned in my sneak peek of the test shot parts, the detail on this kit is nothing short of phenomenal. I was impressed with Pegasus's 2005 Martian War Machine, but this kit kicks it up about three notches. These shots should speak for themselves -
The detail is crisp and sharp, and the mold seam lines are virtually non-existant. The sprue attach points are very small, which should make clipping them and cleaning them up a simple process.
Part of the reason for this is the fact that Trumpeter did the tooling and production on this kit. Yes, that Trumpeter. Larry was very excited when he first told me that they had agreed to take on the task. Larry has had a long relationship with the Trumpeter engineers and management, and due to the intricate detail in Greg deSantis' design, Larry felt he needed Trumpter to do the tooling for this kit to make sure all that detail made it into your hands. (Trumpeter doesn't usually take on outside work - so don't get used to this.....)
This kit has been meticulously thought out. There's a full salon inside the sub, complete with books and a desk and a globe and an organ. And, it looks like you will actually be able to see in there because the clear parts are actually clear. (For all the guys trying to figure out the wheelhouse - there isn't an interior for you to see. While you can stick a light in there, there's nothing actually in there. Hmmm.....Paulbo....?)
I've been looking forward to this kit for a while now and will be doing a quick build up here in the next couple of weeks. (I haven't decided whether I will light this first one, but I will have some LED's on hand to check clearances.)
Stay tuned. This is a weatherers dream.......
Gene