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Topic: Sort of review of Merit PT Boat in 1/48 |
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David Waples
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jun 11, 2014 - 7:21pm
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Finescale Modeler did a video review this week of the Merit 1/48 late war PT Boat. Notice that they backed off from the 596 boat number that Italeri made. Looking at the review I would say that they probably had an Italeri kit they referenced as the design of many parts are similar, but they did make it their own in many ways. For example unlike the Italeri kit the chines are molded into the hull. I can't tell if they molded in the characteristic curves in the top of the hull. The torpedoes don't seem to have the plates in the warhead. I thought the parts were molded a little softly. The chines don't look very sharp. cables on cabins and straps for the smoke generator are examples However as the reviewers pointed out the guns are quite good. Although there's something really strange going on at the end of the .50 cal barrels. Something they did that I liked was providing a large assortment of individual hull numbers.
Tracy, I know you have one. Would love to see some feedback from you as well. Anyway, give it a look at the following link or go to Finescale Modeler web site and the latest video review from their video menu.
It's not for me but I'm not seeing anything that would cause me to tell people to run away. Give it a look.
Dave
http://finescale.com/en/Videos/New%20Product%20Rundown/2014/06/NPRD%20Ep%2040.aspx
David Waples |
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alross2
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 Posted on: Jun 11, 2014 - 7:24pm
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I made a few observations on the kit on SteelNavy.
Al Ross
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Dick
Moderator
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Posted on: Jun 12, 2014 - 11:30am
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Here is a direct link to Al's comments on the Merit 80' kit, the link also has an additional link to photos Al has posted on his Photobucket page showing some nice shots of PT 588.
http://members.boardhost.com/Warship/msg/1402536581.html
Dick . . .
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Michael Vorrasi
New Member
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Posted on: Jun 12, 2014 - 12:22pm
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I got the Merit kit. Not a direct pantograph of Italieri's 1/35 kit, but there is no doubt that Italieri's kit was the main, if not the only, research vehicle for producing it. All the little issues with Italieri's kit are present in exacting duplication. Still a nice kit, and a more manageable size. Big enough to go crazy but not so big that putting it somewhere becomes a major issue. I fully agree with Al's observations in his review. I think putting some S curve in the sheer line might be easier in this scale than in 1/35th.
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David Waples
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jun 12, 2014 - 8:15pm
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Michael,
Be sure to share your work with us. Have fun with it!
Dave
David Waples |
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Tracy White
New Member
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Posted on: Jun 13, 2014 - 11:43am
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It's been a busy couple of weeks, and I didn't truly have the kit until this last weekend - I parked it at the local hobby shop before that for others to look over.
So far engineering and fit has been pretty good. Couple of minor gripes (.50 cal gun tubs have locating pins at the top of the structure where they're easier to see even with the guns in place).
Deck doesn't have the gentle S to it as has been noted, but I think it has more camber to it than the Italeri kit.
Also, Al, since Steelnavy posts aren't permanent, would you mind if we re-posted your review here?
Tracy White
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alross2
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Jun 13, 2014 - 1:54pm
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Meaningless descriptions such as “Late Type” aside, it appears that the Merit kit is supposed to depict a 565-624 series 80’ ELCO. Overall, the kit compares reasonably well to the original ELCO drawings, but contains a number of rather curious errors that could be addressed to make it a more accurate model.
Some of the more obvious problems include:
a.) The kit hull has a straight sheer; the real boat had a subtle S curve.
b.) The kit deck has a raised lip simulating the margin plank around its perimeter; on the real boat the margin plank‚s top was flush with the top of the decking.
c.) The side windows on the chart house are too far above the deck.
d.) The day cabin roof has a non-existent cable run along its centerline. This does not appear on the ELCO drawings nor photos of boats in the series. In the accompanying photo of the 588 boat, it‚s clear this is just a line laying on top of the roof.
e.) On the kit, the antenna trunk on the port side of the cockpit is round; on the real boat, it is rectangular.
f.) The fins on the kit torpedoes are angular at both ends; on the actual MK13s. they are radiused on the leading edge.
g.) The box top art is full of errors and has no value as a reference.
h.) The kit‚s painting guide supposedly shows Measure 31/20L, but the colors are wrong. The real pattern used two greens (Green 2, Green 3) and black on vertical surfaces, Deck Green (20-G) on horizontal surfaces.
For what it‚s worth, errors a through e are also on the 1/35 Italeri PT 596 kit.
Photographs of the 588 boat at the ELCO plant prior to being placed in service that illustrate some of these observations can be found here:
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/alross2/library/PT588?sort=3&page=1
If Merit produces a Higgins or 77‚ ELCO at this level of detail and relative accuracy, I‚d certainly get one.
Al Ross
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alross2
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Posted on: Jun 13, 2014 - 2:03pm
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Dick, what happened to the rest of my post??
Al
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Dick
Moderator
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Posted on: Jun 14, 2014 - 9:38am
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Al . . .
It has been repaired. The web doesn't understand most word-processing formatting. HTML coding doesn’t understand the “tab” commands and just deletes everything after the first tab - and that is what happened. Anyone coping text from word processor should NOT use the tab command, replace it with a space in its place. Some web boards will simply replace the tab with a space, unfortunately this one doesn’t.
Dick . . .
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alross2
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Posted on: Jun 14, 2014 - 10:26am
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Roger, that. Thanks.
Al
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