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 Author  Topic: Italeri PT-109 Test Shots
David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Nov 1, 2012 - 9:31pm
Greetings,
My friends at Italeri sent me some test shot pictures earlier this week. I just got back from vacation and this is my first opportunity to share them with you. Italeri has also posted some additional pictures of their sprue shots and decals on their web site. Give it a look.

The only significant issue that I see with this kit is the armor on the port side of the help interior. I've made Italeri aware of the issue so we'll see if they were able to correct it.

You're going to see some amazing details that they picked up on in this kit thanks to Jeff and Dick. The booklet included is excellent thanks to input from Frank, Gene, and others. I've pointed out some construction errors but keep in mind that this build was just to see if all the parts fit together correctly. For now enjoy the pictures and if you have any feedback please let me know.

Dave










David Waples

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PeterTareBuilder

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of PeterTareBuilder  Posted on: Nov 1, 2012 - 9:42pm
I love the detail on the torpedo tubes. The opened end on the one is a nice touch. Are the torpedo tube transversing cranks on the day cabin roof separate pieces?

I can think of a lot of interesting dioramas showing crews at work on these boats.

Cheers

"Give me a faster PT boat for I'd like to get out of harm's way!"

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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Nov 1, 2012 - 9:55pm
Yes, they are separate parts. If you go to Italeri's web site you can see close up pictures of all the sprue, photo etch, decals, etc. Even if we're too late to get a fix on the port side cockpit armor, that's an easy fix.
Dave

David Waples

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Nov 1, 2012 - 10:39pm
All in All a beautiful kit. In looking at the photo's I could not take issue with anything they have done. I think my only comment would be a bit better detail on the searchlight, but it is no big deal. I love the detail on the torpedoes, and the gun turret's are wonderful. The 20mm gun is spot on. I did not see a life-raft with the kit, in case anyone wished to build her as she left the factory. I am very impressed.


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ducati650

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of ducati650   Send Email To ducati650 Posted on: Nov 2, 2012 - 4:41am
Wow. Great looking kit. It looks like all the tubes have covers for the torpedoes. Am I seeing that correctly? Looking at it on a very small screen and a little hard to see detail.


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ducati650

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of ducati650   Send Email To ducati650 Posted on: Nov 2, 2012 - 4:44am
Arg. The flag on the decal sheet.


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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Nov 2, 2012 - 5:17am
Here's a list of the issues I saw. The biggest item was the armor plate on the port side of the cockpit interior. Jeff was kind enough to make a new drawing with details that I sent to Italeri. I hope they get it in time to correct the issue but if not it's an easy fix.

1. Armor plate on port side of cockpit. If they are unable to fix this in time it's an easy fix with some thin sheet styrene. Would love to see this as one brass piece though. We'll see.
2. The handles on the .50 caliber machine guns are on backwards. I suggested they check their instructions.
3. No mount for the bow flagstaff.
4. There should be a wire that runs from the bow light a short distance along the port side of the deck. Same for the stern light. I'm not expecting to see this correction but keep it in mind for your build.
5. There should be wires running from the combustion chambers on the rear of the torpedo tubes to the deck. They run along side the torpedo and then down to the deck near the pivot point. I'm not expecting to see this correction but another reference note.
6. The wing nuts on the torpedo tube breach should be attached to the tube part of the breach and not the door itself. I suggested they check their instructions
7. I'm not sure about the round marks on the corners of the stern of the deck? I believe these are attach points for the deck to the hull. Another easy correction for the modeler.


If you look at the parts you can see that they really paid attention to the drawings provided by Jeff and Dick. So many little details like the mount for the search light on the port side of the helm, the throttle lock on the throttle controls. The frame work on the starboard side of the cockpit. Actually they got it right on the port side but didn't understand how the armor worked (neither did I for that matter. Jeff was very helpful clearing this up). The hinged breach plate was totally unexpected. The ready service lockers have extra 20mm magazines. By the way they've provided two options for the business end of the torpedo tubes. You can go with covers or the wire and triangular plate that we see in some of the photographs. So many details were included. When I get my kit I will do a full review for our site as well as model warships.com.

I didn't expect them to completely redo this kit from the 596 but they did. Again they have more parts that they are working on so maybe a raft will be included. I'm not seeing any stanchions but those could easily be scratch built. Same with the flagstaff mount.

David Waples

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David Waples

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of David Waples  Posted on: Nov 2, 2012 - 5:30am
Oh no! I just had a good look at the decal sheet. It's not good.
1. You're right, they have a modern flag on there. I'll point this out right away.
2. The numbers should not have the black shadow (or whatever that is called). They should be just plane white numbers. They should be smaller on the sides and 20mm than on the chart house too.

Okay, need to get an email off to them right away!

On the up side I did notice a couple of other things. They engraved the planking in the deck which is very cool. They also provide two cockpit bulkheads, one containing a door into the chart house with a window and one a later model without. Very nice option!

Dave

David Waples

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ducati650

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of ducati650   Send Email To ducati650 Posted on: Nov 2, 2012 - 6:00am
Good detail list Dave. Nice work.


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  Drew Cook

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Drew Cook  Posted on: Nov 2, 2012 - 6:45am
Great info, Dave -- thanks, and thanks for all the work you, Al, Jeff, and everyone else has put into this to assist Italeri.

This is a great-looking kit. Remember several years ago, when a lot of us were dreaming, after Italeri put out the 596 kit, that maybe one day they'd put out a 103-class boat?

The detail on the kit is fantastic. Most of the questions I'd have on parts, you've already covered, but here are a few more observations:

-- depth charges are too far forward for the 109, but this is apparently a lost point and cause (of mine)...

-- I don't quite get the need for the photo-etched charthouse-face ports...

-- I don't mind the shaded decal numbers, as we really don't have any (clear) vintage photgraphic evidence of what they looked like on the 109 under JFK. They look like somewhat rounded and unshaded re-paints in the heavily re-touched "JFK & crew on the foredeck" as well as in the "PT 109 on a mission off Guadalcanal" photos, but..? I just hope they're correctly sized for the charthouse/starboard turret/port outboard cockpit/20mm pedestal. And, I wish Italeri would've provided several sets of zero-through-nine numbers, for alternate builds.

-- Kind of wish they'd made (full) torpedo parts for the kit, since the warheads and vanes/propellers will be visible in the fronts and rears of opened tubes...

Still, a beautiful and incredibly detailed kit. I shocked the wife yesterday when I told her I was considering getting a full squadron of the kits..."How many is a squadron?" she asked. After I told her six, I had to pick her up off the floor and tell her I was just kidding...


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