Shinkai 6500 Hasegawa 1/72 Finished

[Barry]

Ahoy mates! Haven't done anything maritime in a coon's age so maybe I can slip in here with this little bit of esoterica. It's labeled as the first (SW 01) of a "Science World" series. There's no indication of what any follow-on subjects will be, but this one's a gem.




Not very many parts actually, but very finely molded.

[smethwick]

Certainly an odd looking beast...

[JohnRatzenberger]

Hi Barry,
Great choice !!
I always like the shots of sea life taken from those things ... off to see the Marianas Trench !!!

[bobblelink]

Looks really interesting, all credit to Hasegawa for choosing this as a subject

[fenman]

Interesting subject, never seen this one before.

[Beowulf Shaeffer]

this looks an interesting one, look forward to seeing how it goes together

[Barry]

Well, the bulk of it goes together pretty quick. The "seam" between the top and bottom halves is irregular, following panel lines, as you can see. Since the fit is superb, there is no need for the usual 'seam sanding'. I forgot to take a pic , but there are two interior bulkheads. The forward one has the attachment points for the front pieces of the vehicle and the middle one supports the vertical thrusters. At the rear, the horizontal fins support a rear bulkhead.





Here, the three-piece front is on (upper,middle, and lower). This kit is designed to be assembled without cement, but I'm gluing it up just like a regular model.





The rear black/silver bulkhead is a single molded piece which attaches to the horizontal fin piece. The motor, propeller, and prop guard assembly are made up from just four pieces.




Next will come the 'conning tower' at the front and a vertical fin at the rear.

[fenman]

Wow, great progress Barry. I really like the look of this.

[MerlinJones]

Quality stuff! All those complex curves!
I know there's a range of 1/144 pre-built models, but this one's new to me.

Regards,
Bruce

[Barry]

Right...have another look at the blades on the rear thruster. Correctly shaped and so very thin.

[Molly-new]

Now that is a nice piece of kit. Another one to add to my list of wants.

I particularly like the display stand, sets it off very nicely.

[Barry]

Blackened the numerous 'openings' in the hull



I used this paper ring to complete the well leading down to the hatch, but discovered that the 'sail' really is open like the piece shows, so I had to take it back out and clean up the mess I made.


This bit of filler means I'll have to prime with flat white before I can paint it orange.



The Science Institutes logo goes here. Remember the old days when all insignia and lettering was marked by raised lines? (Does not apply to those who were not yet born in the old days)

[Barry]

Installed cameras and lights

[Barry]

These are the bins into which the robotic arms place items retrieved from the ocean bottom




All of my modeling today was spent making them look like this:

[Viking]

that looks really good; i love the cameras and baskets