RFindley

Thanks for the encouragement. Basic work done and primed but I am now on hold. I've ordered the 2-man rider set from U-Models and will have to wait until they get here so I can do the final fitting then it will be paint time.

This is my 1/35 scale Maiale , Italeri kit No. 5605. It is turning into quite a fun build. First thing I did was remove the molded on plumbing and replaced most of it with styrene rod plus a bit of brass wire and hypo tubing the control cables aft. I chose to get rid of the ribbing and window on the forward shield per photos. Just looks cleaner to me. I also decided to scratch build the extra tank rack to add a little interest. I plan to finish this with Vallejo’s #866 Grey Green which according to cross references is very close to Marrone Verdastoro an Italian color used for submarines.

The thread “Merit X-Craft Build” in the Maritime Discussion forum sparked my interest in this model and I decided to have a go at it. There is a lot of good information in that thread and I am incorporating some of the suggestions in my build. Please be patient if my posts are somewhat infrequent because I have to grab modeling time as best I can. As mentioned in several reviews and the discussion thread, the kit’s propeller is woefully lacking so I replaced it with a G-Factor U-Boat screw as suggested. It did however require a lot of rework to get an acceptable fit. Since I will have the forward hatch open, I decided to add a rudimentary interior based on pictures of a museum cut-away model I found on the internet. I also read somewhere that the X-Craft had no entry way ladders. I reconfigured the deck hatch on the stern to represent an early boat based on photos. I also added scupper covers, reshaped the large opening in the hull and drilled all the flooring holes. One kit error I noticed concerns the hydroplane control linkage. Merit included control linkages for both port and starboard but photos clearly show the linkage on the starboard side only. So parts D8, D9, 2x D2 and C27 are not used. Just fill in the mounting holes. The rudder however does have port and starboard control linkages. I still need to replace some weld seams as will as add a few more and finish flood holes before I close it up. To be continued....

I guess I can put up some info on WIP. I would think there is some interest since it is a nice kit and there was an earlier X-Craft WIP which actually inspired me to get the kit. Look for something in the next couple of days.....I am slow on completing kits since my modeling time comes in short bursts. Rick in Virginia A quick check back and I see that it was YOUR X-Craft thread in the WWII discussion forum that got me started

Hey Kev; Your PBR is coming along nicely. I will follow your lead on the ammo feeds as they are an improvement over the kits. Maybe I can get around to breaking my PBR out of the stack and start working on it. I do have a couple of things in the works right now including Merit's X-Craft. BTW I finished my 1/48 Monogram Command Junk and posted some pictures in the completed/ready fro review forum. Later Rick in Virginia

This is my representative version of a VNN motorized Yabuta Command Junk, c.1966. It is an extensive modification of the venerable 1/48th Monogram Vietnam Command Junk, kit# PB181. This is also my first model posting to Britmodeller. Command junks normally mounted one .30 cal and one .50 cal machine guns along with a 60mm mortar. All my mods and color scheme are based on photos of wartime Yabutas found on the internet. Most of the work was completed some time ago but I had to shelve the project until I found a decent photo of the screw, rudder and keel. Last item added was the 60mm mortar which I scratch built because I couldn’t find one in 1/48th scale. I was going place sand-bags around it but decided to let it go as is. The only aftermarket parts used were the .30 & .50 cals from Hauler and an M.V. Products lenses for the spotlight.

Please bear with me Chris Is this more in line with what you see? Dark Grey vertical surfaces and lower half with black horizontal surfaces?

Chris How does this compare with the photo? Is it the red or yellow line? Also, Black over Admiralty Dark Grey is quite dark.....do you think it could be Admiralty Dark Grey uppers over Admiralty Medium Grey? Having a lot of fun with the Merit kit....but making a few changes. Rick in Virginia

Inspired by the Merit X-Craft in-progress chat here, I had to get one for myself. So far it has been a fun build and I want to finish it in the early submarine scheme of black decks/upper surfaces and grey vertical surfaces. Can any one provide a suggestion for the grey? Thanks Rick in Virginia

"With regards to your "loaded for bear" remark: the VC must have been chucking a lot of heavy metal at these crews as well to warrant this kind of fire power." B-40 rockets and .51 Cal Chicom machine guns can ruin your day. No to mention the small arms and mines.

Looking Good Kev; Been a while since I was able to get back and check your progress. The gunner's seat (strap) came out very nice. I think tis is the first build I've seen that got it right.

Kev; Standard M26 or M61 frag grenade. One of the US Vietnam DML figure kits (Seals, LRRPs, Marines, etc) should have plenty for what you need. If you have trouble finding a set, let me know. I can send you a couple of grenades from my DML stash.

Your radios are looking nice Kev. Glad I could help a bit with your build. The link you posted was interesting in how he weathered his PBR.....sometimes the boats did get pretty nasty and he did a bang-up job on his. I won't go as heavy on mine with the weathering....going to do a few things different than his. BTW you can go a little bluer on the radar set than seen in the picture. Color police shouldn't be able to touch you on that. Don't foget to add your shelf and a strip below the radios themselves to represent their mounting plates. Rick in Virginia

Actually working on the old Monogram Vietnamese Command Junk (converting it to later motorized version), have the PCF-Swift Boat in the queue and will eventually do the RAG Boat as well. All 1/48 scale. Swift Boat requiring a lot of work because there is no interior. I even have the Tamiya PBR on the shelf and another Command Junk. Will probably do the other junk as an early sail powered version based on the prototype. When I finished the Junk I'll post pics. Rick in Virginia

Kev; We always used handsets. Photo attached. As to the flares we just referred to them as "pop flares" used mostly for illumination. I think they were M126A1 and M127A1. Photo and spec sheet attached. I think that drawing should read 10.16 inches not 10 16 inches.

these may be some help...

Kev & Julian; Most of my personal pictures are still on 35mm color slides I have yet to have digitized. Here are a couple of ohter shots that might help. Disregard the pyrotechnics...an experiment with C4 I believe. Anyway you can see the radios a bit better and the corner of the Raytheon 1900 radar. For whatever reason this boat has removed part of their cockpit armor. The two shots of the gun tub were taken at the Washington Navy Yard as part of their PBR restoration. #11 empty shell tubs seen and the item marked with the yellow arrow is the actual gunners seat (sling). It is still attached at one end and hanging down but would normally be hooked up forming a "U" shaped perch for the gunner. Overhead pic shows how the guns were fed from ammon cans between the guns. And no Julian....there were no army manned PBR's.....all navy crews. However we did insert some 9th Division LRRP's on occasion as well as our SEALs. Provided fire support to a couple of Green Beret A-Teams in our patrol area at times. Funny, the army guys didn't want our job and we definitley didn't want theirs. We did wear army issue clothing if that counts. (when you are in the navy and they issue you green clothing you know something is up!!!)

Hi Kev; AN/VRC-46 Radio Set used an RT-524 on the boats. Here's a couple of pics:

I hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks and will post some pics. It is a considerable conversion of the old Monogram sailing junk to a later motorized junk. Not a lot of info out there about them but finally managed to get everything together for the build. Eventually I will do the PCF Swift Boat also in 1/48 scale. It needs a complete interior build-out. Monogram/Revell left the entire cabin empty of any interior.....bridge as well. Rick in Virginia

Here ya go Kev, A picture from my younger and perhaps more foolish days. You can see how far off Tamiya placed the radar which makes it pretty hard to fit two radios beneath. Note our improvised grenade and flare "locker"....an empty ammo can. This is RivDiv 532, Sa Dec RVN. Check out the canopy too.

Hi Kev; I really didn't mean to rain on your parade with my comments and am glad you decided to carry on. I have the same diagram as you posted and as it is sometimes said "looks good on paper, but things just didn't work out that way" You are absolutely right about restored PBR's; most of the ones I've seen do have anti-slip. Probably the same can be said for those few boats the Navy kept in reserve units after Vietnam. In Vietnam the fiberglass decks were VERY slippery!!!!! Our solution was to wear jungle boots with a much better grip than the leather soled boots. BTW the ballistic cloth was also used for the canopy and tended to be a dark olive green with a satin finish. A lot of the Tamiya PBR builders want to put a bleached out canvas top on the boat. Keep on modelling......I am trying to finish my old Monogram 1/48 Command Junk

Hi Kev First let me say that your modeling skills are top notch and what you have done so far really looks good. But there are some issues with your model and I am only offering the following comments in the way of constructive criticism based on my time with PBR River Divisions 532 & 573 in Sa Dec RVN, 1968-69. I would not say "never" but the PBR's I worked on generally didn't have anti-slip anywhere and while your bow area looks great it probably didn't exist. The two radios were located directly below the radar one above the other with the front panels accessable to the coxswain. There were no radios located where you placed yours and no duck-boards. No one rode in that space on patrol and no stool. The radar is actually too low in the kit to accommodate the radios. There were only four members of a normal boat crew: coxswain (boat captail), forward gunner, rear gunner and a seaman on the engine covers between the shields which usally mounted an M-60 and a hand-cranked Honeywell grenade launcher. The water jets & deflectors were rectangular in shape not round The "door" you removed was actually a ballistic cloth door with a zippered closure The black beret worn by the crew "flops" to the left and the "pushed up" side is on the right with the TF-116 patch. Your crewman has the "floppy" part on the left. Forward gun tub: Ammo cans were located between the guns front to back. The semi-circular tubs (#11 on your drawing) were to catch the spent brass. BTW the gunners seat was a canvas strap not a solid, fixed seat. The boats only had one crew and made 12 hour patrols, either the day or night patrol. When the crew and boat were in it was refueled, repaired, rearmed, etc., etc. Not used 24/7. The raised section amidships are not ammo lockers. They are engine covers. The two deck hatches at the rear of the boat gave access to the water jets that clogged frequently with water plants. I hope this helps