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Thanks to Basilsdad 👍 I am now the proud owner of a 1:35 model of an Elco 80foot PT Boat. 😊 She's about to undergo a refit to recreate JFK's boat PT109. At least the crew have arrived! They must have been on board USS Eldridge during the 'Philadelphia Experiment 'cos they arrived in pieces! 😉 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Experiment More soon! Cheers all, Doug 😎
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
D'ya know Douglas, I have exactly the same boat in exactly the same primer, and exactly the same kit of crew to put on it sat in my garage workshop. I'm not doing mine as PT109, as we have 2 of them in our club already. So I'm going to look at another model of the 80ft Elco boats. There was even one done in disruptive camo, which I think looks ace. Good luck with yours matey. Best wishes, Dave W 😀
Thanks Maurice, 👍 I hope I can do her justice. Here's an idea of what she might finally look like😉
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Great minds Dave! 👍 Have also seen the 'Zebra' cammo pattern! Lotta work and makes 'yer eyes go funny' 🤔
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Dave, Welcome back! Thanks. Yep I believe you're right. Originally it was allegedly dark sea grey all over. But by the time of the 'big crunch' with IJN Amagiri in August '43 she was apparently so called MTB Green, a much lighter green! With so many possibilities it's another case of 'yer pays yer money and ......'. The lighter green may be easier to see on the lake! 🤓 Anyway, just bought some from Italeri 😉 Revell also seems to think she was light green. Not so sure about a white lower hull though🤔 Thought they were all so called copperoyd!? More or less red/brown primer colour. At least 'as built'. Of course in the field a lot of 'make do and mend' was going on. One thing she definitely wasn't is Zebra dazzle pattern. Ain't doin' that no which way, too much like 'ard work! Think I'll go for MTB Green and a typical brick red lower hull. (Got lots o' that 😉) Or maybe sky-blue-pink with purple spots😲😉 Cheers Doug 😎 PS on the Revell kit the depth charges are missing!
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Dave_W, I don't have any competition for PT109 out here. When the Germans build a Fast Patrol Boat / MTB or similar most don't think any further than the S100 or (slightly) more modern Weasel class! I've also got both Airfix and Revell versions of the S100 at 1:72 waiting in my Plastic Magic stash! Looking forward to the pics of your version of the Elco! Bon chance mon ami, cheers Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Dave_W, later versions of the Elcos, as depicted on the crew box, seem to have been MTB Green. Here some pics of one of the few preserved and restored Elcos. On the 'bow shot' the diagonal planking and reinforcing plate for the towing eye are clearly visible. Cheers Doug 😎
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Thanks for those pics Douglas. They have proved very informative on layout on the deck. I was wondering what the two black items in top of the box in picture 6 ? I do love the extra silencing on the stern of the craft for stealthy manoeuvring in enemy waters. Best of luck with yours mate. Have the eyes recovered yet ? Best wishes, Dave W 😊
Hi Dave, glad you found the pics useful, that's what we are all here for n'est ce pas? 😉 may have a few more detail pics in the archive, will have a rummage later. The two 'black boxes' are 'ready ammunition' drums for the Browning 50 cal MGs. You can see them again in pic 14. They sit on an equipment box in front of the cabin, cos on this version there is an extra single 50 cal mounted on the port corner of the cabin. See pic 23!! The one after the starboard prop pic. The penultimate pic shows the MG in detail from the rear - Operator's PoV. The silencers (mufflers in American) have a simple butterfly flap valve to deflect the exhaust into the silencer box with an underwater outlet. BTW: the actuators are missing🤔 They were a simple rod mechanism actuated from the stern deck. Still looking for detail pics! Maybe we could figure out a way of coupling them to a motor sound module for 'Whisper Mode'?? Bit small to see when out on the pond though! Cleaning the glasses helped the eyesight a bit😉 straightening out the crossed eyes and retraining the brain took a little longer 🤔 happy building and exciting but safe sailing, cheers Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Marky, yep, makes marking up and building the parts easier 😉 Extending the flat to accommodate it - not so easy 🤔 Any one got 3 spare Packard marine motors???
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Re "It is believed PT-109 was painted a flat, dark green at Noumea, New Caledonia" Just found this- >>The Elco boats came from the factory painted overall "battleship grey." In the Solomons, however, the boats were often moored under or near shoreline trees and vegetation, and the grey color was too conspicuous. No official Pacific camouflage scheme existed at the time I show PT-155, and each crew repainted its own boat during the campaign with whatever materials it could scrounge. To one of PT-155's crewmen, J.M. 'Boats' Newberry, I am obliged for information on the vessel's colors during the campaign for Rendova and New Georgia islands.
PT-155 and other boats of Squadron 7 & 9, including PT-109, were simply sprayed overall with a green paint from some local source, probably USMC. The green became lighter when applied, apparently due to the grey undercoat oxides. Over this, PT-155 was painted in random black patches. No standard pattern was used.
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Must admit, the desruptive camp is too complex to attempt. So, b/ship grey or green camp it is. Or a mix of the two 😉 Thanks for all the info Doug. It seems every time I come on here it's a learning thing. Thanks guys. It's good to belong 😎
Hi Dave, Grey or green? That is the question! 😉 (No I'm not about to dive into the famous soliloquy!) Depends whether you want 'as built', Pacific theatre, or European theatre! Yer pays yer dough and ..... 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Doug The post was "Thanks to Basilsdad 👍 I am now the proud owner of a 1:35 model of an Elco 80foot PT Boat. 😊 She's about to undergo a refit to recreate JFK's boat PT109". I suspect you want the Pacific theatre for your chosen build. Cheers dave
Yes Dave, you're so right! That initial post was mine! I bought Maurice's (Basilsdad) PT boat! Dave-W is considering the options, I just gave him some food for thought, chomp chomp 😁 Cheers Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Hi Dave, I see that my reply crossed with your modification/ correction 😉 Doug 😎 PS Italeri light green paint arrived today and have just found a German stockist for the old WEM ColourCoat paints, so have ordered the actual MTB Green which is somewhat darker, as your tip said. Gives me the option of faded / cammo pattern finish! Now ALL I gotta do is find the 37mm field gun🤔
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
Built an Italeri PT 109 about four years ago. Power is by a brushed 480 running on 2200 mha 7.4 Lipo. Drive is a single prop and it performs nicely at a scale speed but it can not be run flat out for too long as it will overheat and due to the excessive speed it can get slightly out of shape..
I used Humbrol Grass Green acrylic aerosol for the paint job with dull red from the waterline downwards.
I built the model to its earlier spec with a life raft mounted on the bow in place of the later cannon which I believe was used for barge busting.
YooHoo! Found a 37mm kit at right scale, and ordered😉 Now, where can I get some miniature baked-bean tins for the depth charges? 🤔 Gisela's Doll's House perhaps 😉
Hi Boaty, Ta for the info, I'll watch the temperatures! Thinks, must get a temp sensor or two for the telemetry feedback! Oh Woe where does it all end??😲 I bought my PTB from 'DadofBasil' complete with two 20something brushless. I intend to run it on a 2S LiPo 4000mAh. Humbrol paints are as rare as rocking horse droppings out here, but I found a source of the original WEM ColourCoat US26 MTB Green😊 Also have a paler version, like in the photos above, from Italeri (arrived today) so can (hopefully) achieve suitable sun-fading / weathering effects. 'Standard' anti fouling (matt brick red!) for lower hull like you! I want to build as it was when she got crunched by Amagiri, as far as possible considering all the partly conflicting versions and reports! For instance; Still trying to decide whether to leave the mast off completely or just fold it down! Cheers Doug 😎
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Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
see you are getting on with the rebuild found the elusive gun I see. found the stand yesterday that I forgot to include presume you don't want it?. looking forward to seeing the finished build glad your keeping the motors in think they are about right for it if not a little fast for my old reflexes 😁😁 regards
Hi Maurice, no don't worry about the stand. I'm going to make an 'Allen_A tissue box special for it' 😉 Separate blog to follow shortly 😁 Yep the 37mm should arrive tomorrow, which is fantastic service considering I only found and ordered it this morning😊 Yep I'll leave the motors and ESCs as they are for now - see how it goes and if I can keep up😉 Pale green paint and clear matt lacquer arrived from Italeri today and ColourCoat MTB Green is on order. I think the first thing I'll do is gut her (don't wince) and seal the hull inside with EzeKote. "Hey ho, hey ho it's off to work we go"😁 Cheers Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
PS: afraid the shark's teeth will have to go🤔 They belong to a later boat #596 I believe. Cheers Doug 😎
Young at heart - slightly older in other places 😉 cheers Doug Grant me the Serenity to accept things I can't change, the Courage to change things that I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference!
23rd Sep 2017 15:56
