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Figure 2: A marketing photo of the Lunar Models Seaview kit, including the TV conversion modifications (which include the one-piece flying sub shown). Courtesy of Lunar Models. |
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Figure 1: A close-up of the observation nose of the 85ft studio model of the Seaview. This piece has been removed from the hull and is the only known surviving section of the 8ft studio model. The rest of the model was used to promote Irwin Allen's TV series The Return of Captain Nemo. This photo, and others on this site, are courtesy of Phil Broad and his Modeler Builder's Reference Vault website. |
No other aspect of the Seaview's appearance is as critical as the look of the observation nose. For this reason, I - with my nearly complete lack of modeling expertise - decided to tackle it first. So, I guess modelers can be like Presidents: we are not always controlled by our brains!
At any rate, what follows is a description of how I built this part of the model ... two, maybe three times. From a personal point of view, this is interesting because it also describes the changes in my own skills and techniques.
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Figure 2: A marketing photo of the Lunar Models Seaview kit, including the TV conversion modifications (which include the one-piece flying sub shown). Courtesy of Lunar Models. |
Figure 2 (above), shows that the basic shape of the Lunar Model's Seaview nose is a good starting point from which a decent Seaview can be built. However, since the kit is designed to build both the movie and TV versions of the sub, certain enhancements in the kit are necessary to achieve the most desirable result.
In working with the kit, I believe that the nose needs to be a little more angular or swept-back (from the fins, up) and less flat in the front. Also, note the imperfection in the side of the nose, just under the sonar housing. In this area, the hull is slightly flattened. Having seen several photos of completed Seaviews from this kit, I consistently find that this detracts from the look of the model.
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Figure 3: (7/98) This photo shows my earliest version of the nose and observation windows. The fin's leading edges were also re-shaped. Note that the upper deck section has been separated, and is being constructed as its own assembly. |
The photo in Figure 3 shows my first modification of the nose. The creamy areas (especially noticeable on the leading-edge of the fins) is where Milliput and Squadron putty was applied. Here, the fins have a more gentle curve down and back than in the basic model. They are also more pronounced under the observation windows. The green swirls are areas where Squadron green putty was used, and sanded smooth. I also used Milliput to sculpt the sonar housings, since the pieces that came with the model were too wide and flat, and fit poorly.
The vertical ridge (too pronounced in this version) was made from card plastic, with putty applied as filet.
The most obvious difference between my version and the two Seaviews above is the size of the nose light relative to the windows. In this case, I chose to use the proportions in the 17 ft. studio model, since I liked the look of it better.
But the windows are all wrong. They are too large, too rounded, the frames are too thick; they are ugly! Okay, so Industrial Light and Magic won't be calling me soon. But I'm determined to get this right.
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Figure 4: (1/99) |
Figure 5: (1/99) |
Figure 6: (1/99) |
After watching the only tape I have of a Voyage episode using the converted Seaview (over and over again - the guy in the green rubber suit attacking the submarine got tiresome after a while!), I decided to modify my model's windows and fins. First (Figures 4 and 5) I removed the old windows and established guide-lines using a pencil secured to a stand to insure that the lines would be consistent and level. Next (Figure 6), I built new window frames with stock and card plastic. These frames are not the external detail that appears around the windows, but the internal structure that will eventually hold the clear window pane - much like the window in a house. In this photo, these extrude from the surface quite a bit, but once they were secured, I filed them down to be even with the surface.
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Figure 7: (1/99) |
Figure 8: (2/99) |
Figure 9: (2/99) |
Figures 7 and 8 show the finished windows, with the exterior frame added to the starboard side only. I also changed the shape of the fins, pulling them back just a bit. I choose to leave a larger forward protrusion of the fins (in the area of the nose-light). They are larger than is accurate, but I think this look helps compensates for the model's flatness of the nose. Figure 9 is the finished product after a coat of white primer has been applied.
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Figure 10: (2/99) The revised Seaview nose. While an improvement over my first attempt, I tend to think that the nose is still too flat. |
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