20,000 Leagues Under the Sea large-scale Nautilus submarine. ...

Description

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea large-scale Nautilus submarine. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea large-scale Nautilus submarine. (Disney, 1954)  This 9-foot, 7-inch Nautilus submarine was hand-built over a five-year period as a labor of love by retired aeronautical engineer Larry Joplin. Joplin, inspired by what he called "the most exciting scientific movie I'd ever seen," began the project to build an exact model of Captain Nemo's fabled submarine in 1997. Larry requested and received from Disney Studios copies of the blue prints from the actual Nautilus the studio had created for the film (these copies accompany the lot). The hull is constructed of fiberglass cast from Joplin's own custom molds. The over 2,000 rivets are actually tiny allen head bolts. Other components are crafted of metal and plastic, including the brass screw propeller. Both the salon and the wheelhouse are wired to illuminate with 12-volt LEDs (accompanying adapter plugs into a standard wall socket). Larry had ambitiously planned for the Nautilus to be a fully radio-controlled submarine, yet he passed away before his dream was realized. Without doubt, it would be cost prohibitive if one were to commission a model to such exacting standards. A beautiful and impressive display piece. Special shipping arrangements will apply.

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