Some basic details - most raised lines but still workable. The windows will be modified so some are drilled out and replaced with clear but with curtains/blinds drawn behind them.
Some basic details - most raised lines but still workable. The windows will be modified so some are drilled out and replaced with clear but with curtains/blinds drawn behind them.
Portholes will be drilled out and replaced with clear, as will the windows on the observation chamber on the keel. Some of the solid railing here are chains on the real vessel, so these will be removed and replaced.
Some basic details - most raised lines but still workable. The windows will be modified so some are drilled out and replaced with clear but with curtains/blinds drawn behind them.
RV Calypso was a wooden deck vessel (most of the construction was wood). First steps in laying down the colour and some weathering. All Tamiya acrylics, airbrushed.
First sets of colour onto the hull. White upper with a red lower which will be separated by a black band around the middle. The red is a lot darker than the lighting on this photo will have you believe!
Experimenting with weathering on the hull - WIP - 👍
Comments
7 10 February 2021, 10:54
Tim Hello, good to see another build in progress of this, will be interested to see how you get on. Its a fun kit but taking me ages to do! here is the kit link so it does not come up as scratch built and others can find it. Ocean Exploration Vessel (Revell 05101, 1:125)
10 February 2021, 11:13
Rob Henderson @Tim - Thanks! It's surprising just how much is packed into this kit, even though the majority of the construction is quite basic. Hopefully I've edited the project/album correctly so it's not listing as scratch-built anymore!! Will be keeping an eye on your progress with this one too 👍
10 February 2021, 11:46
Ben M Watching -- watched "Jacques Cousteau's Voyage to the Edge of the World" the other night. I loved building this kit when I was a kid as well... if I come across one, I'll pick it up.
11 February 2021, 15:25
Rob Henderson @ Ben - as a kit it's showing it's age, but the scope for detailing and/or dioramas is huge. Definitely worth a go if you find one!
12 February 2021, 19:49
Łukasz Gliński Another Calypso fan reporting his attendance😉 Seems like I was lucky to find one below 25 quid 🙂
12 February 2021, 21:03
Rob Henderson @ Łukasz - you got a bargain there I think! Great find! 👍
Originally released as the RV Calypso used by Jacques Cousteau, this 2010 re-box is essentially the same kit as released by Revell in 1976 but no longer carrying the Cousteau/Calypso markings.
I had the original kit back in the late 1970's as a Christmas gift. Back then (I was 7 or 8 years old), I did a fair mix of paint/no paint builds. Calypso was a no-paint project, but it was built and played with nonetheless! It went through numerous repair sessions, but sadly didn't survive the test of time.
I started collecting replacements for the various builds I did as a child, and after searching for an original Calypso I went for the re-box as a much cheaper alternative!
This is being built in memory of a work colleague and crew-mate in the Ambulance Service who was also a keen model maker (armour and figures). He was instrumental in getting me back into the hobby during the summer of 2020 as when not treating patients and driving from A to B, we chatted a lot about model making, military history etc.
He was always very keen to see this one built, and frequently asked "You started that boat yet?" when I saw him or was on duty with him.
Sadly, he won't get to see it complete as he died due to Covid in January 2021....but wherever he may be now, I can at least say "Actually mate, yes I have started it..!"
One thing in particular I've found in researching RV Calypso is that it went through countless refits and modifications during it's working life, making it difficult to pin down exact colour and detail for any one year of service or expedition. Also, the close-up shots show that as a working vessel, the ship is well worn in places - repairs and modifications are very agricultural in their finesse!
As a result, the colour scheme for details are going to be a 'close-enough' representation. She's not going to be pristine, that's for sure!
The build will be essentially out-the-box, with a few minor scratch add-ons (such as winch cables, rope lines). I will also be attempting to make my own decals to represent the RV Calypso. If that fails, I'll hand paint the markings.
Tim
Rob Henderson
Ben M
Łukasz Gliński
