This kit has been around since 1998, and is quite nice for most enthusiasts looking for a ready to build out of the box kit that resembles the classic movie Nautilus.

Our only wish, right from the start, was for more clarification in the instructions, which assumes that you have some previous R/C kit building experience. Aside from that, what information is given is very straightforward. Most notable are the 3 large blueprint sized schematics that illustrate all the assembly dimensions in both German and English, all of which are in metric values.

Start-up construction stages, right out of the box.

I chose to have noted Nautilus craftsman Scott Brodeen build-up the kit, with the technical assistance of renowned Nautilus historian, Richard Allsmiller. Richard probably knows this boat better than anyone, and was a personal longtime associate of legendary Tom Scherman.

Our first revision, or rather adaptation to the kit was to enlarge the top inner baffle plate opening. There was barely enough room to get one's hands into the watertight compartment, let alone be able to remove any of the tanks, electronics, or servo-mechanical assemblies.

Next, we added another bushing to between the rear of the motor and the output shaft to the prop. This minimized a lot of vibration, and kept the shaft running very smoothly. Incidentally, the motor provided by Engel for this kit seems quite durable and rugged. Our only suggestion here is to really carefully evaluate the gearbox as it is handmade, and not a machined factory made component. Nonetheless, it ran well through out all initial testing.

First and second water tests conducted at nearby friend's pool.

Our client decided to purchase the deluxe version of this kit, which provides for a ballast operated diving system to aid the dive planes, or standardized 'dynamic' diving method. In actuality, it's a combination of both.

The kit also comes with an optional lighting unit, which again our client opted for, and is a set of yellow LEDs encapsulated in resin. The units mount directly behind the salon windows, as well as the twin mounted alligator eyes in the wheelhouse.

We decided to test the theory of placing the iris casting we made for our 66" Nautilus onto the LED unit, directly behind the salon window dome. To our surprise the iris fit in perfectly, and really adds a lot to this area, which would otherwise be bare, with no detail. The 6 tiny lights around the salon window light up as well. 

In 4 weeks, we have completed almost all of the exterior detailing ( except for the outer hatches, cleats, and bollards ), and are busily installing the inner servos, linkages, and circuit board mounts. We go next into sealing the inner water-tight compartment, then onto our first of several 'dunk test' to see of the fiberglass hull has been sealed up properly.

The 1st and 2nd water tests proved a bit harsh to our egos, in that we had to completely rethink our watertight seal atop the clear Lexan plate. The solution was to replace the hard "o"-ring seal with a custom cut sheet of soft neoprene, which held out the water. My advice, if possible, replace all the seals with soft neoprene, silicone, and "o"-rings wherever possible. The kit instructs that you follow their guides, but inevitably, you will best served with as modern technology as can be found. Wet suit and diving technologies serve these purposes well.

Our final test will determine the "hydrodynamics" of this kit, and the design of the movie Nautilus was well.

The 4th and 5th water test proved to be successful. The images below show the gamut of good clean fun had by all that day.

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