Updated: November 30, 2023

A 1/8 scale "Cab 3" submarine miniature, along with drafting plans, decals, and various miniature components, from James Cameron’s science fiction film The Abyss ( 20th Century Fox, 1989 ).

The miniature is made from a variety of materials including resin, fiberglass, acrylic, brass, Plexiglas, and die-cast elements, and has been hand-painted with yellow acrylic lacquer. Black and red decals on the front and two sides of the miniature identify the model as "CAB 3." Multiple adjustable mini-floodlights adorn the model, as well as a posable "robotic" claw arm at the front. Electrical components, including wiring, are present throughout; all are untested. Some small areas have been restored and repainted by the original model maker.

Filming of the submersible miniatures occurred at Dream Quest Images in Culver City, California and were supervised by President Hoyt Yeatman. While Cameron shot the underwater sequences of the film with the actors and full-sized submersibles in tanks at Gaffney Studios in South Carolina, Yeatman and his team used multiple filming techniques to match the full-sized footage with miniatures. These techniques included shooting dry-for-wet, meaning filling the sound stage with smoke to create the appearance of the miniatures being underwater, and a combination of a Gantry suspension system ( or "Krzanowski rig" ), where the miniatures are hung overhead by wires, and the first ever usage of multiple-motion-control filming.

The 1/8 scale was determined to be the smallest possible size for the models as the interiors had to hold miniature 35mm back-projectors that would project pre-filmed footage of the actors in the submarine cockpits onto the front domes from the inside in order to create the illusion of the characters being inside the models. Yeatman, Dennis Muren, Dennis Skotak, and John Bruno would receive an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1990 for their work on The Abyss.

Also present are various model components and paperwork, including three production-copied design schematics of the submarine miniature model, dated June 5, 1988; two sheets of decals for "CAB" and "13"; and unpainted model-miniature components, including an access hatch, vent hatches, a propeller, a fin, and mini-floodlight components.

Prop Measures: 28 x 14 x 12 inches.

Value: $25,000.