Les Mystères du Nautilus

[Norrington]

Hey gang. I, despite being an ardent fan of Disney and Jules Verne, during my period away from these boards, I found a new interest: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Disney released the best movie adaptation ever in 1954, and has had numerous rides based on it. Now, I need some help figuring out how to build a waterline up version of Harper Goff's bad-a$$ Nautilus design.

I'm not sure as to how to build a few things:

1. The Wheelhouse (the structure with the "crocodile eyes")

2. The Deck scuppers (the structure on which the wheelhouse sits)

3. The Spikes on the ramming spur

Blueprints(sorry they're so big, but any smaller and they are hard to make oute):

A few of the many models made of this sub:

A movie shot with natives for scale:

And from the extinct WDW ride:

I love that fog.

[Mister Phes]

Norrington you old bugger! Where have you been? You haven't been sailing in these waters for quite some time!

So you're going to attempt to build a Nautilus from LEGO?

[Norrington]

Norrington you old bugger! Where have you been? You haven't been sailing in these waters for quite some time!

No, I haven't. But it's fun to be back. My posting may still be infrequent.

So you're going to attempt to build a Nautilus from LEGO?

Yes, but only from the waterline up, for right now. The many curves and angles do not really lend themselves to Lego.

[Mister Phes]

How big do you reckon your Nautilus will be? You going for something mini, mini-figure scale or you really going to lash out and create a huge scale version?

[Norrington]

Minifig scale and set on blue base plates. Thanks to recent sets I have the perfect torso for Prof. Arronax and I have something I think would be good for Nemo.

[Mister Phes]

It's been a goodly amount of time, so I be wondering Mr Norrington, have you commenced work on this vessel yet?

[Black beard]

Hi Norrington wow what a great idea good luck with it, also the model replica you have is stunning I would love one of those!!

I remember going on the ride at Disney world in Florida man many years ago hehe

Steve

[The Rancor]

Use sizing to compare with the squid from Aquabase Invasion, if you still have it.

This may help for an oversized squid but unfortunately that one is BLUE!

[Norrington]

It's been a goodly amount of time, so I be wondering Mr Norrington, have you commenced work on this vessel yet?

No, I'm afraid that she's currently on hold.

Hi Norrington wow what a great idea good luck with it, also the model replica you have is stunning I would love one of those!!

I remember going on the ride at Disney world in Florida man many years ago hehe

Steve

Yes, it was a great ride. It's model Nautilii (pl?), not so much

Not really long enough (even in scale) and gray, not rusty all over.

Also, it was only the Nautilus above the waterline.

Use sizing to compare with the squid from Aquabase Invasion, if you still have it.

This may help for an oversized squid but unfortunately that one is BLUE!

The move squid was blue! Or, it looked like it, since it was t night and in a storm. I watched the deleted version of the squid fight, which took lace at sunset. It actually appeared to be red, as the squid on the ride was. But that one appeared green in the over chlorinated lagoon. And of course, the footage of them building the movie squid is black and white.

But that's not the problem. The real thing was 174 ft., I believe, and it's going to be a waterline up model. I know what size to make it because of shots from the move (the dorsal fin is a little taller than a LEGO fig, etc.The problem is, I'm not sure how to construct the deck scuppers on which the wheel house rests, the wheelhouse itself, and the ramming spurs for the front and the dorsal fin.

The wheel house eyes, I'm planning to use the trans-blue eye like peices from the diver's base back in the late 90's. Which was the 2nd LEGO set I ever received.

Edited July 10, 2008 by Norrington

[Fat Tony]

I wish you success in this endeavor. I too have wanted to build a minifig scale Nautilus but have never gotten around to it. I did make a smaller version that probably won't be much help but you can see it here:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=209033

(shameless self-promotion)

The best one I've seen so far is here:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=27834

I've also toyed around with the idea of using an upside down ship hull for a waterline model. I'll see if I can get a picture of it to share as the wheelhouse may be of help to you.

[Norrington]

I wish you success in this endeavor. I too have wanted to build a minifig scale Nautilus but have never gotten around to it. I did make a smaller version that probably won't be much help but you can see it here:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=209033

(shameless self-promotion)

The best one I've seen so far is here:

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=27834

I've also toyed around with the idea of using an upside down ship hull for a waterline model. I'll see if I can get a picture of it to share as the wheelhouse may be of help to you.

Yeah, I've seeb those too. I have seen a sub made with upside down hull plates. But, according to the novel (and faily well represented in Harper Goff's Nautilus, 9/10s should be under water, and that method would make it too high in my opinion. From Tokyo's lagoon:

The things above waterline: The wheel house, the dorsal fin, the scupppers, the skiff, and the tip of rear fin.

[Opproperaar]

Funny, I never would have imagined the sub looking like that when I read the book. Must be part of a book's general appeal, you can all read the same book yet form many different images in your mind of how the environment, vehicles etc. actually look like.

I wish you the best of success in this noble undertaking - Jules Verne definitely ought to be honored through a lego work based on one of his tales.

[Norrington]

Funny, I never would have imagined the sub looking like that when I read the book. Must be part of a book's general appeal, you can all read the same book yet form many different images in your mind of how the environment, vehicles etc. actually look like.

I wish you the best of success in this noble undertaking - Jules Verne definitely ought to be honored through a lego work based on one of his tales.

Agreed. WHen I read the book, I allways imagined the Nautilus as a floating cigar with a spiked triangle on front (the hole in the Scotia is described as triangular), and some rams. Then two little cages with glass in them up top for the helmsman and the floodlights.