RV Calypso by dancooper - FINISHED - Revell - PLASTIC

[dancooper]

Hello ladies and gentlemen, as a first modelling project for 2022 I have started Revell's old Calypso kit, last issued under the generic name "Ocean Exploration Vessel".

 

The boxart :

 

 

Contents of the box :

 

To the left ; the decals supplied in this issue, to the right, original ones donated by a fellow modeller from another Belgian forum :

 

 

First parts have been glued together :

 

 

And have received a first layer of (Vallejo)paints :

 

 

And a little bit of weathering :

 

 

And its current state... waiting till some further tlc tomorrow :

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dancooper]

Well, here we are again with a little update... actually it's a couple of little updates later now...

 

The next step was introducing the bridge to the upper deck, wich went with no considerable problems, at that time I also added the inflatable rafts and a winch :

 

 

 

 

 

The next step was the helicopter, now a Hughes 300 isn't a very big bird in real life and that doesn't get any better when you want to build one at 1/125... well, to be honest ; it went better than I had expected, the only thing that didn't work out as per instructions were the short supports for the tailboom, so I kind of scratched these from leftover parts :

 

 

 

With some paint on it :

 

 

And all parts so far in dry-fit (decals have been added to the helicopter as well now) :

 

 

 

 

 

[S.A.A.]

Wow!! Great kit!

Where did you get it?))

I've been searching it for at lest 5 or 6 years...(

Looks good!

[dancooper]

18 hours ago, S.A.A. said:

Wow!! Great kit!

Where did you get it?))

I've been searching it for at lest 5 or 6 years...(

Looks good!

Thank you for your reaction, I found this kit in my stash right between an Academy Titanic and a Revell Viking ship, where it has been laying dorment for at least 5 years (ever since we moved to this house) 😄

The fact that I started this kit was purely because it was one of the few kits I could start without going out for colours. (I have about 50 different colours and variations but for every other kit in my stash I was about a dozen of colours short).

[dancooper]

Well, Calypso is nearing completion, this weekend I managed to install the two main masts with the antennas to some degree of satisfaction.  This job wasn't probably the easiest of things to do when the molds were brand new and the plastic parts were actually fitting... but now it's something really have to accept that I can't do it better than what it is, not without scratchbuilding (something I don't have the materials for now).

A few other things (searchlight, compass ...) were also added to the upper deck.

 

 

[dancooper]

Well, almost there gentlemen.

When I started this kit I was kind of planning to make one of those underwater dioramas where she's "floating" on resin while divers are exploring beneath.  I already had it planned, even including the vague remains of a wreck... till I discovered the price for resin... well, that plan went south real quick.

So, just a ship on its stand... however, since Revell doesn't have the license anymore to sell this vessel as the Calypso, they had to blank out the stand... no more pretty lady swimming, no more "Calypso" on the stand, just a boring thing.

Now that the "diorama" was out of the question, I still wanted to do something with at least one of the sharks and divers that are included in the kit, so I started fidling with those, and the stand... and some sand from the beach...

 

 

 

 

Next session should be the final part, I think, there is just a wee flagpole, some tread and Denise to add... oh, and the props of course, almost forgot those

 

Cheers...

Edited January 23, 2022 by dancooper

[dancooper]

Well, I'll call this project finished (maybe I'll add Denise later to the stand, I'm not sure yet).

 

But for now these are the final pictures :

 

 

 

 

[yvesvidal]

Beautiful model. Congratulations.

 

Yves