More PT Boats from AirDave...

[John Dell]

That is totally amazing! I wish I had the time I’d love to build one. You have done amazing work on something that must have been very hard on the eyes.

[Tapcho]

Great version Dave. Surely a disturbing working enviroment, think this with with a little nausea on a sunny day. Ouch.

[charleswlkr54]

Actually, every PT boat I've ever seen photos of that had depth charges had them mounted aft of the torpedo tubes. From what little I've seen in print they were dropped off set shallow so as to discurage pursuiting japanaes destroyers, who didn't want to chance one going off righ under their bridge.Wonder if anyone has designed one of the ones late in the war that basicly were madde into gunboats with all those 37mm, 40mm, and 20mm guns ,and even some with rockets, all the better for chewing up Japanese barges/landing craft used to supply the cut-off islands.

[airdave]

Originally Posted by charleswlkr54

Actually, every PT boat I've ever seen photos of that had depth charges had them mounted aft of the torpedo tubes. From what little I've seen in print they were dropped off set shallow so as to discurage pursuiting japanaes destroyers, who didn't want to chance one going off righ under their bridge.Wonder if anyone has designed one of the ones late in the war that basicly were madde into gunboats with all those 37mm, 40mm, and 20mm guns ,and even some with rockets, all the better for chewing up Japanese barges/landing craft used to supply the cut-off islands.

then I'm sorry to say, you haven't seen that many photos of PT Boats!

Depth Charges appeared on different models at different times.
And in different locations on the boat.

For example...on this 103 Class Elco 80ft PT Boat, Depth Charges were added on later models...and they were positioned up front, just ahead of the Torpedo Tubes.
Just ask the crew of PT-109 who accidentally fired a Torpedo in the inboard
locked postion and it hit the starboard Depth Charge canister, blowing a large hole in the Boat!

Remember there were many PT Boat manufactirers and styles.
Boats made by Elco, Vosper, Higgins, Huckins and others, also came in
numerous variants and models over a 10 year span.
They were also equipped differently in different locations and types of service.

[charleswlkr54]

True, I remeber seeing a photo of a quad Bazooka mounting in a book on PT's I used to have. and the first PT's to be used for barge-busting often absconded with a 37mm cannon out of a wrecked P-39 and inprovised a mount to it as the japanese barges were too shallow a draft for a torpedo, too armored for the .50's to do much good, and heavily armed (PLUS what their passengers had!) madse dropping D/C's alongside a bad idea.

[airdave]

UPDATE!

Based on the info passed along to me by dpileggi, I have created the (first?) update part for the PT Boat.





Mounted on top of each Torpedo Tube is a small Cylinder
that delivers the explosive charge which launches the Torpedo from its Tube.

I truly don't know why I didn't notice this part until now?
Now that I am aware, I can see it in every photo! lol
But I think it must blend in fairly well in all the B/W images,
and it just wasn't obvious to me.

To be honest, its going to be a very small part for this Model.
Had I been aware of it during the design, I probably would have omitted it
or found a way to oversimplify it.

For this reason, I am not going to update the entire Kit with this new part.

I am making the part available as an "add-on" part...you can download the PDF parts here
and also through my site (in the free models - downloads area)

AND...the PDF page includes the update Parts for all three versions of my PT Boat.

[airdave]

So, quite a few PT Boat kits have been sold (... thank you!)
but I have yet to hear any issues? complaints?
any builds underway?
any progress reports?

Just curious...I would love to hear from anyone who has begun building one?

...

heres another update:

I got at least one request for a later model PT Boat in a camouflage paint scheme.
And this interested me alot...as long as it was a Class 103 model.

I have since researched camo paint schemes...there are a number of variants.
But I have yet to locate decent photos or information regarding any one particular
Elco 80' PT Boat in a camouflage (multi-colour) paint scheme.

There are three or four directed paint schemes from the Navy.
However I have looked at diagrams also produced by the Navy (?) and these don't seem to match the colour schemes!
I'm confused.

The Navy also tolerated variations and left it up to the individual Boat crews to apply the paint, which resulted in variations and unique patterns.

I have yet to find an actual photo, of an actual 80ft Elco, Pt #103-196,
in a camo paint scheme...where I can see enough of the paint scheme to make an educated guess.
I don't just want to do a pretend camo scheme
and I don't want to apply the wrong paint scheme to a numbered Boat.

So for this reason, I have sidelined the idea of doing a camo PT Boat.

Later Elcos had a forward deck mounted 37mm M4 Cannon.
This is the only thing I didn't have from the earlier model,
so I went ahead an created one in anticipation of producing the camo version.

Not sure what I will do with this gun yet.
Save it in case I make more PT Boats?
or release it as an Add-On?

[Texman]

Well, I am down to one build ahead of it, the splinter camo PT is next in line for me. Should be about the middle of Nov start date.

[haxsawsnavy]

Happy New Year AirDave and Paper Modelers,Can I reqest your or McHales E-mail address? I have not yet learned how to IM someone or post, but DO know how to attach pics of my 73 build (Prior to finding this forum)yall might be intrested in aquick look> I know its more scratchbuild but anyways I'd like your responses.Thankyou all for your new building ideas and techniuqes.......H.X. aka..Tim my E address should be listed when I signed up but dont know how to access it.Still learning computer too!!!please bear w/me.. Thx

[OhioMike]

An add on 37mm gun dave would be great!!!!