Comparison Guide
Theo Wilhelm
No other 30 inch style Nautilus kit approaches the level of detail found in the current Totalimmersion Disney style submarine. This is a low production replica produced in resin which requires extra fitting and trimming, otherwise known as a garage kit.
The kit has matured over the last few years and the artist, Lee Seiler has steadily made improvements and reworked the kit. I have personally seen a number of the kits first hand as changes were introduced. These changes occurred after the artist was inspired with new detail ideas and devised better ways of assembling the model. This required massive reworking of the master mold or associated details and I refer to them “generations” to describe the uniquely different phases that this kit has gone through. Specifically, Gen1, Gen2 and the current release as Gen3.
Please understand that this is my terminology to more easily describe the evolution of improvements on this kit. If you contact Lee and starting referring to specific generations, he’s going to ask you what the heck you are talking about. He does not refer to his kit differences in any specific way. But the Nautilus modeling community does need some easy way to describe which kit they have.
As people discuss the Totalimmersion kit, two issues will be more clearly understood if we all can refer to what generation of kit we are talking about. In the case where a kit has been purchased a few years ago, one might wonder why their kit does not have certain advanced details or assembly issues. This may be because the kit is a Gen1. The other main issues I see is complaints of fitting the deck. This is due to the Gen2 release. The Gen3 deck fitting is much easier and has additional level of detail not found on any other release. All this will be more clear by referring to the chart below.
Lastly, I would like to offer my personal advice on which kit to buy if you see one for sale and also what to do if you own an un-built kit. If you own a Gen1, I submit to you that it is unwise to attempt to build it. The level of detail on subsequent generations are dramatically greater and you will have invested the approximate same amount of construction time but yield a far less interesting example of the Nautilus. Better to sell it to a kit collector for what you paid for it or possibly even more than you paid as these kits are hard to find.
If you own a Gen2 you will be extremely satisfied with the detail level but the fitting of the upper deck is very difficult. This has been made far easier with the Gen3 current release. If you have considerable experience a craftsman style kit model builder, than I recommend you build the kit. If you are just starting out with resin kits and insist on building a resin Nautilus AND you own a Gen2 un-built kit, sell it. You will be far better off in building a Gen3 current release if you do not possess advanced modeling skills.
My final thought in regards to purchasing a 30 inch (30.5, 31 or 32) resin Nautilus kit is to obtain the most detailed one you can find. This means a Gen2 or Gen3 Totalimmersion kit. Offerings from Comet Miniatures, CS Hobbies and knock offs from others will result in a sub that looks just like a Totalimmersion Gen1 kit. And although they all look nice, why go to the trouble of building a kit with a comparatively low level of detail when ALL resin kits require a tremendous amount of time and effort to construct. The only reason one might choose to purchase a Disney style submarine other than the highly detailed Totalimmersion kit is that there is controversy in the Nautilus community regarding the origins of Lee’s kit. But that is for others to decide.
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Detail location |
Gen1 |
Gen2 |
Gen3 |
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Rivets on master mold were applied with drops of glue, small relief |
x |
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Deck scuppers are recessed dents not holes |
x |
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Deck is molded onto hull and not a separate piece |
x |
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Salon lights are clear round balls that must be sanded in half to fit |
x |
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Wheelhouse windows are solid balls which must be cut and hollowed |
x |
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Deck is separately applied, must sand top of hull to fit (complicated) |
|
x |
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Forward and aft dive planes are molded into hull |
x |
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x |
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All dive planes are separate details and are placed into hull housing |
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x |
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Wheelhouse windows are hollow domes but still must be trimmed |
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x |
x |
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Salon lights are round balls that fit into round recesses in salon housing |
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x |
x |
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Real rivets individually applied to master mold, excellent relief |
|
x |
x |
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Deck scuppers are hollow chambers that you can look up inside |
|
x |
x |
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Hull has over-lapping plates instead of scribed lines (excellent detail) |
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x |
x |
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Deck is separately applied to open hull top – no sanding to fit |
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x |
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Salon housing has rounded edges as in the movie |
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x |
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Condenser is separate detail. You apply main housing and piping |
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x |
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Phosphoric Atomizer is entirely separately applied, raised off of hull |
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x |
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Extra rivets applied into scupper chamber and around tail and prop |
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x |
