This Disney Nautilus replica was built by Theo Wilhelm. This page provides information on building a Disney Nautilus replica and to showcase my customized Nautilus built from a readily available kit. When I say "custom Disney Nautilus" I only mean that much effort and many new parts were created because in fact, the basic model is from a kit which was manufactured by Totalimmersion LLC, the most detailed kit you can buy. Totalimmersion is in fact, a resin Nautilus garage kit. Scroll down to view the detailed pictures of my custom Nautilus!
Close up of the Speed Screw and Ballast Discharge Vents. The vents are see through on this model. Other kits just have a solid panel with ribbing to suggest a vent. Note the excellent relief with the raised rivets. These were molded from separately applied rivets on the master mold, not just spots of glue which is a techniques used by other artists.
The Dorsal Fin Hatch is equipped with a movable retaining latch to hold the hatch in the open position. Actual brass rings are used for the 2 mooring rings which straddle the hatch cover. This feature is sometimes just molded in to indicate rings on other kits. In this photo you may notice that each hull plate over laps the next instead of just a scribed line to suggest this effect.
The Breather Vents are in the raised position as depicted in the scenes that the Nautilus was surfaced. This was customized on this model. You can also see that the scupper vents have an interior so you can see deep up inside the superstructure. The large Dorsal Fin rises at the left.
This shot shows a close up of the Condenser Unit complete with angled inlet piping and long a long descending discharge pipe, plus other details. A large curved upper exhaust pipe was also modeled using the Nautilus blueprints as a reference. Speed Screw is at the far left.
We see the descending gangway because the hatch is in the pushed back position. There are 8 steps leading down and at the bottom is a landing with a tall screened wall and hallway turning right. A hard shot to capture with my camera - sorry. The rear window has fitted glass. The top Camera Obscura Hatch has a custom fine detail release wheel. The grab irons seen on the left side of the wheelhouse are the correctly sized H.O. scale variety. The grab irons are almost always modeled far too large.
Close up of the wheelhouse interior with the domed windows off. A brass etched floor was installed as well as a finely detailed brass helm. The vertical Depth Position Tube indicator has a bubble molded in the middle to suggest the current position. The entire wheelhouse interior is custom painted to bring out the supporting trusses, ribbing and gauges. But who can see that stuff? Check out the perfectly sized grab irons.
Another close up of the wheelhouse.
The Prop has rivet detail on each blade and lots of custom rivets all around the Prop Guard and housing assemblies. Lots of detail in this area including rudder mounting plates with large bolts attached. Hard astern sir!
The bottom hatch with aft keel detail.
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