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ť Forum Category: PT Boats of WWII
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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: Early SO Radar Detail
http://www.ptboatforum.com/cgi-bin/MB2/netboardr.cgi?cid=101&fid=102&tid=855

Greetings all,
I've been talking to a company that builds after market resin modeling parts and who has already made a few items for the 1/35 Italeri boat. They do wonderful work. They are interested in doing an early SO radar for this kit and possibly a few other things as well. I know from photographic evidence that there are two dome shapes. One is a little fatter than the other with a flatter bottom. The other is more rounded on the bottom and might even be a little more narrow. If you look at a lot of pictures you'll pick up on what I'm talking about.

Thanks everyone
Dave

Does anyone have any good drawings and dimensions, or know where I can get my hands on a good set that we can send to him so that he can creates these for this kit?

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Jun 26, 2008 - 5:58am
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Dave,

This is a picture of PT-154 in about August 1943. The box indicating an early radar is on the mast. The exact same box is pictured in the drawing below. Both Pat and my father, Hamlin, remember early radar on the boat prior to November 1943. If there is anything you see in the photo about the radar I'd be interested.
[image]http://www.valinet.com/~natsmith/PT/PT154-McLaughlin-and-Smith.jpg[/image]
I found this image on the net.
http://www.floatingdrydock.com/PT.jpg
[image]http://www.valinet.com/~natsmith/PT/PT-masts.jpg[/image]

natsmith

Posted By: Nathaniel Smith | Posted on: Jun 26, 2008 - 2:05pm
Total Posts: 211 | Joined: Jan 19, 2008 - 6:55am

Dave,

Don't forget the early SCR-517A "beehive" radar, which I believe pre-dated the SO radars, and isn't represented in those drawings...

Hopefully, the resin parts company will make one of these, too.

I know I would welcome one of them in 1/72nd scale...an early-radar Solomons/New Guinea PT could then be easliy made from the Revell kit, with very little "bashing."

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Jun 26, 2008 - 6:15pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

Hi Drew,
Great idea especially if Italeri comes out with the 103 class PT. That would be a great subject piece. It would be good to see some more detail drawings on the inner workings. Do you have any or know where to find them?
Dave

David Waples

Posted By: David Waples | Posted on: Jun 26, 2008 - 6:36pm
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined: Jan 2, 2007 - 9:55pm

Dave,

No, I don't believe I've ever seen a line drawing or drawings of the SCR-517A beehive radar setup, just period photographs and film footage -- but always of the outer canvas cover and support legs, never anything revealing the inner workings or mechanism.

Posted By: Drew Cook | Posted on: Jun 26, 2008 - 8:14pm
Total Posts: 1306 | Joined: Oct 19, 2006 - 10:44am

Hi David just a small glimmer in the back of my mind when you asked about the internal workings of the radar, have a look at newsnerds99 photos from Battleship Cove at the end of the packard engine on the floor is a radar top section without its dome cover.Don't know if its an SO or Beehive type but it would only take an email to find out.
Yours D.B.

D.buck

Posted By: David Buck | Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 - 4:50am
Total Posts: 332 | Joined: May 4, 2008 - 2:59am

Here is an enlargement, maybe Jim can enlarge the image from his actual photo.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/026-01.jpg[/image]

Dick . . . .

Posted By: Dick | Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 - 6:47am
Total Posts: 1417 | Joined: Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm

There is a good article on PT radar in the December 1945 issue of CIC magazine found here: [url]http://www.hnsa.org/doc/cic/index.htm[/url]

There are also some nice pics of the chart house installation and a few others.

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jul 30, 2008 - 5:30am
Total Posts: 2200 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am

Dick...good job on the enlargement...here is a cropped version of my original photo, which isn't much better! It was dark, so there is a lot of noise in the image.

[IMaGe]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e362/newsnerd99/0608154.jpg[/IMaGe]

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

Posted By: newsnerd99 | Posted on: Jul 30, 2008 - 7:05am
Total Posts: | Joined: Unregistered