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Potential 1/48 Higgins PT kit

A

alross2

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Mar 11, 2021
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I know most of you folks are "stick and string" enthusiasts but am curious if anyone is interested in more modern vessels. Rather than watch TV in the evenings I've been slowly working on a potential 1/48 kit of a WW2 Higgins 78' PT boat. Structurally, it will be like most of the later kits I've done for BlueJacket - laser-cut planked hull built with the Hahn method, resin and britannia parts, etc. It will be an early boat with tubes and can be built as either a Mediterranean or Pacific boat.

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I am interested in building a PT one day. My grandfather was CO for a squadron in WWII RON-23. His boat (PT-283) was sunk by friendly fire. Would love to build PT-283 some day in his memory to go along with some things I have of his.
 
alross2 said:
I know most of you folks are "stick and string" enthusiasts but am curious if anyone is interested in more modern vessels. Rather than watch TV in the evenings I've been slowly working on a potential 1/48 kit of a WW2 Higgins 78' PT boat. Structurally, it will be like most of the later kits I've done for BlueJacket - laser-cut planked hull built with the Hahn method, resin and britannia parts, etc. It will be an early boat with tubes and can be built as either a Mediterranean or Pacific boat.

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I would find it most interesting, especially since the choice of 1/48 scale allows for great detailing while keeping the overall size to a reasonable level for a cased interior display set-up or warerline conversion vignette. Might you give any consideration to a follow on 1/48 model depicting a Higgins-based "barge buster," like Woodpecker's 1/16 model (or perhaps a conversion kit containing the appropriate ordnance)?
 
alross2 said:
I know most of you folks are "stick and string" enthusiasts but am curious if anyone is interested in more modern vessels. Rather than watch TV in the evenings I've been slowly working on a potential 1/48 kit of a WW2 Higgins 78' PT boat. Structurally, it will be like most of the later kits I've done for BlueJacket - laser-cut planked hull built with the Hahn method, resin and britannia parts, etc. It will be an early boat with tubes and can be built as either a Mediterranean or Pacific boat.

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There is a real life version of the higgins pt (the only one left) you can find the video on YouTube. It will give you up close pics of the real one.
 
alross2 said:
I know most of you folks are "stick and string" enthusiasts but am curious if anyone is interested in more modern vessels. Rather than watch TV in the evenings I've been slowly working on a potential 1/48 kit of a WW2 Higgins 78' PT boat. Structurally, it will be like most of the later kits I've done for BlueJacket - laser-cut planked hull built with the Hahn method, resin and britannia parts, etc. It will be an early boat with tubes and can be built as either a Mediterranean or Pacific boat.

View attachment 526304

View attachment 526305
Click to expand...
There is a real life version of the higgins pt (the only one left) you can find the video on YouTube. It will give you up close pics of the real one.
Kurt Konrath said:
Which kit of the PT are you building, I have the Dumas RC version, I plan to build as static on day.
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Mine are scratch builds 60inch long. And the elco boats. Dumas makes both elco and higgins.
 
Woodpecker said:
There is a real life version of the higgins pt (the only one left) you can find the video on YouTube. It will give you up close pics of the real one.
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No, there are three - PT658 in Seattle, PT305 in New Orleans, and PT309 in Texas. At one point, 658 and 305 were operating, but now only 658 is afloat. 305 and 309 are static displays.
 
I had read about some of the different restorations of PTs, the NO one was a major rebuild after half the stern had been cut off for a conversion it went thru.

Sad they are only now static displays.

I think it was the Seattle PT that they had video of rebuild when first put in water, and the ship was "as designed" taking on water till the wood swelled up and they had pumps running for a few days to keep it afloat till the hull sealed itself.
 
I have two John Lambert related books about PT’s and Vospers and am working up towards building one in 1/48 or even 1/16 scale. But still busy with my destroyer. Hmmm .. perhaps I could start the one and still struggle with the other.
 
Keep in mind that Higgins was only one of three PT Boat builders. The others were Elco and Hutchins. Unlike the “Higgins Boat” landing craft each of the PT boat builders built their boats to a completely different design. It is, therefore, possible that of the several existing boats, only one was designed and built by Higgins. I believe that the boat at Fall River, MA is an Elco.

I have seen photos of the New Orleans Boat under power on the Mississippi River so after being restored it was seaworthy.

Roger
 
Roger Pellett said:
Keep in mind that Higgins was only one of three PT Boat builders. The others were Elco and Hutchins. Unlike the “Higgins Boat” landing craft each of the PT boat builders built their boats to a completely different design. It is, therefore, possible that of the several existing boats, only one was designed and built by Higgins. I believe that the boat at Fall River, MA is an Elco.

I have seen photos of the New Orleans Boat under power on the Mississippi River so after being restored it was seaworthy.

Roger
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Nope. PTs 658, 305, and 309 are all Higgins. PT 796 at Fall River is a Higgins while PT617 also at Fall River is an 80' Elco. There are a number of deteriorating Higgins and Elco hulls on the hard in NY and a few converted hulls of both types still around. As far as I know, there are no surviving Huckins PTs .
 
Marquinius said:
I have two John Lambert related books about PT’s and Vospers and am working up towards building one in 1/48 or even 1/16 scale. But still busy with my destroyer. Hmmm .. perhaps I could start the one and still struggle with the other.
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John and I did the ALLIED COASTAL FORCES OF WWII books in the early 1990s. They were reprinted a few years back.
 
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