Scott Beckmann’s Nautilus

It is not too often anymore that a kit is announced that really builds as much anticipation as the Pegasus Nautilus. I drooled at the images posted on line and could not wait to get my hands on one. When Cult TV Man announced he would have these at Wonderfest I knew I had to get my hands on one. (Not like I needed an excuse to visit with Steve) Not only did I get the kit from Steve but I also picked up the interior detail photo etched parts as well. When I got this kit home I did not open it for a few weeks, waiting to find the right battery powered lights, paint and crew for it. With the details in the Salon and the side mounted flood lights, this kit screams for aftermarket lighting. I had talked for weeks to my wife about finding the right lights for it and much to my surprise she found me a 12 led string of lights at Michael’s for under $10. Also,I also picked up a set of Preiser, “N” Scale Ship Boat Crew Men to add detail to the interior. A few things about this kit that was ground breaking for me, lighting and photo etched parts. I like to pride myself in my ability to paint and detail a kit, but I have never taken the time to add lights, a procedure that frankly scared me due to the amount of money I had already sank into this kit. After a month of work, the kit was complete.

I painted the kit with Testor’s One Coat Lacquer “Brass” color match paint. I detailed it with freak flex black and green tint. I also used freak flex to tint three of the lights to give them different shades to add contrast. Green for the wheel house and red for the lower intake vent. The kit is a breeze to assemble, but some reverse engineering for the light installation was necessary. I had some light bleed surrounding the Salon from the ceiling that I rectified by stuffing the interior with cotton balls. By adding the cotton, the light was more directed to the interior and also his and cracks in the seams I may have had. Don’t know if that has been done before, but worked well for what I wanted. As for the details, I had hoped the interior would be easier to view when illuminated since the amount of detail painting I did. Peering through the windows you can make out the details, not the same story for the wheelhouse. But I did open the rear window of the wheelhouse and you can see some of the details to include the crewman I have looking out the window.

All in all, this kit is an extreme amount of work, but VERY rewarding when completed. If you are into Jules Verne, this kit is a must. This kit looks awesome on the mantle. I highly recommend it.

Scott Beckmann