Aurora’s Seaview reissue from Polar Lights review by Brian Ludden
Review from 2002
Parts: 19 White, 2 clear
Decals: None
Scale: Hard to tell; the scale appeared to have changed during the TV show run. I’m calling it 1/350 to keep in scale with a popular submarine and ship modeling scale, although this would make it a bit small actually. It’s probably closer to 1/500 or something like that.
When I was in 5th grade, the only things I wanted for Christmas were models. As boxes started to appear under the tree, I noticed with glee that just about all of the ones with my name on them put forth a satisfying plastic rattle when shook. I could not wait until Christmas morning, and after days of unbearable anticipation, the evil side of my split personality took over and carefully undid the tape on one of the boxes – days before Christmas. Did my parents really understand what I wanted? A look at the exposed box side answered totally in the affirmative – an Aurora Seaview!
Oh and yes I got caught. My parents would not let me at any of the models for weeks after the holiday.
Over the years, collectors and builders alike, as a way to relive childhood memories, have sought the old Aurora kits out. An old friend of mine has an entire room of his house dedicated (and separately insured) to his fantastic collection of Aurora models, all MIB. Polar Lights has capitalized on this nostalgia by providing these subjects to all of us model geeks at an affordable price.
One of their latest offerings is the aforementioned Seaview, from the 1960’s movie and TV show, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. I bought the last one available at the Cult table set up for Wonderfest 2002. Steve told me it was a special edition version. Why, you may ask? Photo-etch? Alternate Luftwaffe 1946 markings? No, it was because it was molded in white plastic instead of black. I can see the inflated opening bid and bold type description on Ebay 20 years from now already….
OK, on to the kit. I paid sixteen or seventeen bucks for it. The box art is a period style painting of the Seaview skimming the ocean floor. In the box, I got 19 parts molded in that rare white plastic, along with 2 clear parts, a 2 sided instruction sheet, and a nice color catalog of Polar Lights’ kit lineup.
As I studied the parts inside, I was reminded of the incredible advances in the art of model kit production over the last thirty or so years. This kit is definitely of the “toy” variety, with a minimum of parts and detail. The plastic is quite thick, which may help explain the bowing out of the main hull halves. Upon test fitting these parts, it appears that with proper gluing and clamping, the parts will fit together reasonably well. The hull bottom piece fit OK between them as well.
The clear pieces, in particular the main window at the front of the sub, appear to be molded quite well. I did not take the clear parts from their individual wrapper (at least one tip of the cap to modern modelology!) so I could not check the fit. The window is molded as it appeared in the feature film, as well as Year 1 of the TV show. As a former submariner, any windows seem wrong to me!
In terms of details, the modeler wishing to produce a pleasing representation of the Seaview will need to view this kit as one would a basic vacuform type. Things like periscope and antenna masts should be pretty easy to replicate. I could not find any good pictures of the missile hatch area (incorrectly identified as the reactor cover in the kit instructions) but this part is one I’d consider ripe for replacement. .
The free flood holes scream to be drilled and routed out, and perhaps backed up by some sheet representing the pressure hull (aka the “people tank”). This one modification will probably have a dramatic effect on the presentation of the finished model. Sanding and rescribing of the sail hatches might be a good idea as well
I understand that a resin detail set is available for this kit from Rebellion Creations. It includes a new front end accurate with the later TV seasons, Flying Sub bay, and the Flying sub itself! It’s available here at Cult’s Hobby shop.
All in all, this kit is a great way to relive the traumatic days of your childhood, but for modelers wishing to build an eye pleasing replica of the Seaview, the MIM kit, although a bit expensive, would probably be a more satisfying solution from what I’ve seen. Although it would have killed a lot of the nostalgia value, and probably any chance at PL making a profit, I would have liked to see a new mold created for this kit, to help continue the injection sci-fi renaissance started by PL with their C57D, as well as Fine Molds. I hope this kit sells well enough to allow Polar Lights to continue their great work on new tools of classic sci-fi subjects.
