Hasegawa 1/72 Manned Submersible Shinkai 6500 Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | April 2013 | Manufacturer | Hasegawa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Manned Submersible Shinkai 6500 | Scale | 1/72 |
| Kit Number | 54003 | Primary Media | Styrene |
| Pros | Unique subject | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (USD) | $35.99 |
First Look
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The Shinkai 6500 is a Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) built and operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. From the time of its first launch in 1990 until 2012, the Shinkai 6500 held the record for the deepest dive at 6500 meters (21,300 feet). The vehicle can accommodate a crew of three inside a pressure sphere with an interior diameter of 2 meters. The vehicle can operate up to 129 hours and has a speed of 2.5 knots.
Hasegawa continues to produce some very interesting subjects and this kit is no exception. We have a 1/72nd scale kit of the Manned Submersible Shinkai 6500 spacecraft depicted in the upgraded thruster configuration. The kit is molded in white styrene and presented on five parts trees plus a single tree of orange parts and a single tree of clear parts.
The kit is a simple build with most of the details focused on the thruster systems and the remote manipulator arms and their supporting sample trays. The kit includes a display stand.
There is lots of detail in this kit which will allow for some good oppportunities to render some eye-catching features from the non-skid walkway topside to the various lighting and thruster systems around the hull. There are good reference photos online to help you through the build as well. Nice!
Here is a list of paints Hasegawa identifies for the colors of this kit and the equivalent colors from other brands:
H001
N001
B125
C125
A014
36104
X02
H002
N002
B125
C125
A012
36107
X01
H008
N008
B003
C003
36190
LP11
X11
H012
N012
B041
C041
XF01
H024
N024
H025
N025
H037
N037
B213
C213
H314
B092
C092
H316
B049
C049
A062
H318
My sincere thanks to Hasegawa USA for this review sample!