Arjan Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 (edited) I made some new shaft struts from brass (I used brass from a howitzer shell casing ) . I started work on the pilot (chart) house which requires most alterations. I used the pe window frames from the PT 109 kit which also has an option for closed window frames (windows were usually painted in the Pacific to keep out the sun). The Channel boats had rectangular antenna housings so I cut away the round original one . I also removed some other undesirable detail . Regards, Arjan Edited January 11, 2019 by Arjan 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Good to see this underway 🙂 Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 35 minutes ago, longshanks said: Good to see this underway 🙂 Kev Ditto! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Nice start looking forward to this beefy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share Posted January 16, 2019 Small update, it is tempting to use some parts from the PT 109 kit such as navigation lights, search light mount etc but I'm afraid I will have to make them myself 🙂. Arjan 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted February 9, 2019 Author Share Posted February 9, 2019 Time for an update on my progress. Unfortunately the windows of the chart house and day room are too big and the raised edge around the window should be removed. The side windows of the chart house are also sitting much too high. I bought some 3d running lights at Shapeways because I wanted to put some leds inside. The printing material is transluscent which is good enough for this purpose : The control panel and bridge door of Italer's late kit also have to be back dated : Arjan 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) I first built the 3d airfoil wind deflector from Shapeways but I felt the various parts were either too small (wing and wing chocks) or the wrong shape (stanchions). So I scratch built my own parts. The deflector together with the navigation horn are probably the most challenging parts to build from scratch. I think I have finished the most time consuming modifications now so progress should be a bit easier. Arjan Edited February 27, 2019 by Arjan 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Well worth the effort 😊 Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 Thanks Kev. There is still a lot to be done but I just wanted to see what the Jeep would look like on the boat : The Jeep probably belonged to commanding officer Barnes and it was transported to his new command post. The boat in question was probably the executive commander's boat PT 516 rather than PT 515 (difficult to make out the last digit in the pic). Regards, Arjan 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 That Jeep looks the part Arjan. Nice work on the wind deflector & horn, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Looks surreal seeing a jeep parked on a PT boat, just as well you've got proof 😉 Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 Hi gentlemen, the Jeep does look out of place, especially with the vegetation of our front yard in the background 🙂. One of the tasks the Channel PT boats performed was to sink long-burning floating flares dropped by the Luftwaffe to illuminate night bombing attacks on allied shipping in the assault area. I wonder if any of you knows what these flares looked like ? Apparently the flares were sunk by using submachine guns. Regards, Arjan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 Some progress pics : Engine room hatch is quite different from the PT 596 one : Arjan 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 Coming together nicely Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 Thanks Kev. A fellow countryman has just pointed out that the 4cm ready locker should be wider than the engine room hatch housing, whereas mine (and Italeri's) are of equal width. He is quite right so I will have to alter a few things. I will probably have to reduce the width of the hatch housing and make the ready locker wider. Pics show that on late Elco boats the hatch housing and locker were indeed the same width so Italer's PT 596 kit seems to be correct in this respect. Regards, Arjan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 15 minutes ago, Arjan said: ... Pics show that on late Elco boats the hatch housing and locker were indeed the same width so Italer's PT 596 kit seems to be correct in this respect. ... I have to agree Arjan. The photos & line drawings I have of the later boats show the housing & locker the same width. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 Thanks John. This pic clearly shows that on the Channel boats the housing was much narrower than the ready locker : It's a pity that the only PT drawings available are of either very early or late boats. Of course there are original Elco construction drawings but these are practically illegible, at least for me. Still, I can't complain there are lots of pics of the Channel PT boats and most share the same features. Regards, Arjan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted March 14, 2019 Share Posted March 14, 2019 (edited) Arjan, do you have any overhead photos of the channel boats with the wider locker than the housing? In the above photo, the housing is definitely narrower, or maybe even offset to port. The locker looks the same size as the later boats, based on the space between the locker & the vent. I'm continually surprised about how many different build configurations the Elco's had over the war years. Thanks, John Oops, my mistake. I see you've included an overhead photo at the start of your thread - https://i.imgur.com/jqbAU9l.jpg John Edited March 14, 2019 by JohnWS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 14, 2019 Author Share Posted March 14, 2019 (edited) Here are two more that clearly show the difference in width : I think I'm first going to make the 4cm ammo boxes that should go on each side of the engine room hatch. Dry fitting these should give me a good idea by how much I should reduce the width of the hatch housing. Regards, Arjan Edited March 14, 2019 by Arjan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 In the mean time I have rectified my mistake. I reduced the width of the hatch housing and increased that of the ready locker : Arjan 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Your usual high standards maintained . . . How did you manage the canvas effect on what I guess is the 40mm ready use locker Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 18, 2019 Author Share Posted March 18, 2019 Thanks Kevin but I can't take any credit for the canvas look it's an example of ready made Italeri magic 🙂. Indeed it's certainly not bad and some highlighting could bring it to life. Today I discovered some PT boats had socalled Stokes stretchers on board : Seems to prove that a rescue role was envisaged for the Channel (Ron 34?) PT boats. Regards, Arjan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 I've built the Bofors loader's platform railing that is quite different from the kit's one : Original kit platform railing : Scratch built one : on Still have to add the ready ammo clips to the rear of the railing at a later stage. Arjan 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnWS Posted March 28, 2019 Share Posted March 28, 2019 Looks great Arjan. I luv the detail a 1/35 scale. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 28, 2019 Author Share Posted March 28, 2019 Thanks John, I really think you should also try a 1/35 build. Perhaps the 1/35 Italeri Higgins boat (when it finally materializes ....) ? The back rests of the two seats were actually also different but I didn't bother to reproduce these. By the way, there were also various types of Bofors gun mount bases, the Channel Elcos had the octagonal bases without lightening holes : Regards, Arjan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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