Polar Lights Seaview Submarine (1/350 scale)
The theme for this month's club meeting was Sci-Fi and I decided to do something that I once made when I was 9, the Seaview from the movie and series "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."
I have two Seaviews in my stash, one from Polar Lights which represents the Seaview from the pilot 1961 film and season one (1964-1965). And the Seaview from Moebius, this version represents the Seaview from Seasons 2-4 (1965-1968). So for this build I went with the first Seaview.
When I first built this kit back in 1969, I remembered enjoying it very much. It was on my shelves for years and even got to be placed in my father's fish tank for a while. I think I got rid of it when I was around 19 or 20.
About 4 years ago I picked up both kits. The Polar Lights kit is the exact kit from the one Aurora sold back when I bought my first one in 1969. While building it, the same fit issues were at the same areas that I remembered from my 1969 build; the rear engines, rear fins, windows in the front section and the body that was a little bowed. For the rear engines, I removed the forward alignment pin which allowed me to install it in a much better position, the rear fins needs the alignment pins bent to make the rear viewed of the "V" become more shallow. I pushed the window as far forward and tried to make it flush to the outside skin and lot of masking tape to keep the shape of the body from not bowing outward while gluing both sides together.
All and all not a bad build but it did need some filling, a little filing and sanding.
To paint the seaview, the instructions says "Blue", which one, I took a wild guess. I mixed the paint to match a color that was in my head for many years, I call my version, "Seaview Blue." I mixed together Tamiya paints; White XF-2, Light Blue XF-23, Ocean Gray 2 (RAF) XF-82, Medium Blue XF-18 and to darken it up a little, Sea Blue XF-17...
After painting this Seaview Blue concoction and a gloss coat with Future the whole thing looked pretty boring. So I used Tamiya Panel Line Accent to high light the door hatches, missile area on the deck, and any areas that has lines. I also used this to highlight the windows, to be honest I was not too happy on how they came out but the rest I am okay with.
The front light I added a cut piece of sprue as a mount because the clear lens that came with this kit remained flushed in which I felt did not look right. With the added sprue I filed it down to the amount that I felt that looked right and after the flat coats were applied I glued on a clear diamond from one of my wife's Diamond paint kits. I did the same on the rear fin's lights.
I used stretched sprue for the mast antennas, and the mast navigation lights.
I was done on this build around 6:15 pm and 20 minutes later it was in my car on our way to the model meeting.
After I got home, I was pretty happy with this build, it is definitely no contest winner but I did enjoyed the build, I like the way it looks and it brought back a lot of memories from when I first built it.
Great workmanship , Bob @V1pro , on this unique Submarine . The blue paint looks good.
Thank you Jay @ssgt, I am pretty happy with my Seaview Blue.
Makes me think of WGN Chicago (channel 9) in the late '70s.
Yeah, back in the 70's I think it was channel 9 for us by the NY city area. Back in the 60's it was broadcast on ABC.
Amazing job, Bob! So nice to see old molds built to such a high standard!
Thanks Spiros @fiveten, for an old kit it's a good kit. I am sure that a modeler who specializes in Sci-Fibuilds would probably add lights to spiff this up some more.
You obviously enjoyed this build, Bob, that’s the most important thing.
Thanks Goerge, the joy of the build is the most important for me.
Very nice build, Bob @v1pro
Although Sc-fi, it looks like it could be an existing modern sub.
Thank you John @johnb, yes it does have that modern look.
Very nice! Love to see this posted here. My dad introduced me to Voyage and we have always enjoyed watching it together even to this day. Looks like your Seaview is about to sail into another dimension, underground grotto, or suffer some kind of sinister take over by monsters that Crane, Nelson, Sharky, Kowalski, and Chip will have to fend off! Thanks for posting this and bringing back some good memories!
Thank you David @dbutlr, I am glad this brought back some good memories. While I was building this I got to remember watching most of this program with my brother or when I brought my old Seaview to a Show and Tell in school and one kid brought in the Flying Sub. That was cool.
Nice job David! I did a late issue Aurora kit, I modified the windows to the late style.
Thanks Robert @roofrat, since I have the later version from Moebius in my stash with the Flying sub I left this build as the original setup.
Thanks for posting this, Bob (@v1pro). I think I have watched every episode of Voyage at least twice. The model came out great and brought back a lot of memories. I have the large-scale Flying Sub in my stash that I want to do soon.
Thank you George, I am glad this kit brought back those good memories. I also have the larger flying sub in my stash. Hopefully one day I will get to build it and have it displayed in this site.