discussion Tamiya 1/35 US Navy PBR 31 Mk.II Patrol Boat 'Pibber'

[davecov]

I always intended this build to be a quick one and it has caught me by surprise a bit as it is close to being finished already, even though I only started it a week ago. However, I have taken plenty of photos so you can see what I have been playing about at!

The box artwork which is similar to how I will be painting it although I won't be giving it a red hull nor a red lifebelt:
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Every part was been cleaned up and some parts glued together and PE fitted as appropriate. Here a lot of the major parts have been dry-fitted:
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Painting is now underway. I sprayed the gunwhales with dull aluminium and these will be overpainted later with Olive Drab and sanded back to reveal the aluminium underneath:
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The stand was painted with Alclad 2 Dull Aluminium and then out came the H66 Matt Olive Drab:
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The "tub" for the forward twin .50 Cal M2HB machine guns:
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Some of the other components including the aft single M2HB (the gun itself will be painted H53 Gunmetal later), ammo boxes, oil drums, canopy, bulkhead, mast:
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The wheelhouse had some photo-etch added and was then painted:
View attachment 370377

Two M16 rifles were mounted on the dividing bulkhead. Slings were Eduard PE jobs:
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Ammo boxes, drums and ammo boxes were Kleared and then decals. Most importantly, three bottles of beer were painted and labelled too:
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The crew figures have been cleaned up and will be handpainted later:
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I started glueing some of the stores around the boat. Here I have put the oil drums in place. They still need a coat of matt varnish but all varnishing will be left until later:
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The navigation lights of the mast have been painted and the mast fitted in place as was the radar housing:
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Pump-jets were glued in place:
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Ammo boxes, grenade launcher and various containers glued in place:
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Hot/cold food and drink containers in place. Note the cassette player and a couple of beer bottles:
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Forward gun tub. I can't fit the guns until the gunner has been glued inside. Just in shot are four cassettes that require painting:
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Canopy has been dry-fitted. Anchor and rope has been glued:
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Thread was tied around the six tyres:
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Tyres were tied in place and the whole build was sprayed with matt varnish. The "rope" was painted a very pale khaki:
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View from above:
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That is all for now

Dave

 

[Jason Crausby]

Looking good Dave... I saw one of these for sale at a model show yesterday and seriously thought about adding it to the stash... Looking at what you’ve done... I wish I had done!
jason

 

[Steve Brodie]

looking good

 

[minitnkr]

"...never git out of the boat..." Just lovely. PBR Streetgang comes immediately to mind, although I think they used a slightly earlier version in the movie. PaulE

 

[colin m]

Beer, a kit that provides you with beer (ok - scale beer) brilliant.

 

[Ian M]

An interesting project but not to sure that the hull was metal, I thought they were plastic.
Boring fact but did you know that the water jets were built by jacuzzi! And could stop the boat in 10 meters from full speed!!!

 

[davecov]

The hull was made of fibreglass but the gunwales were aluminium.

Yes, I knew about the Jacuzzi water-jets.

Dave

 

[boatman]

HI Dave that was a quick build an I liked the bottles of bozze on board must have been a very happy boat for the crew (HIC) lol
an some nice detail on her
were these boats used in veitnam ?
chris

 

[Ian M]

The hull was made of fibreglass but the gunwales were aluminium.

LOL I have just checked that before reading your reply. The earlier boats where indeed Glassfiber, the MkII had Aluminium Gunwales added to improve wear and tear. My mistake Dave.

 

[scottie3158]

Looking good.

 

[skinflint]

Super build. Out of interest, Model Boats magazine have a detailed item about a build of this kit (Tamiya 'Pibber') in their current February 2020 edition.

https://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article/model-boats-february-2020/27162

 

[scottie3158]

Super build. Out of interest, Model Boats magazine have a detailed item about a build of this kit (Tamiya 'Pibber') in their current February 2020 edition.

https://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article/model-boats-february-2020/27162

Built by a friend of mine Gary Radford

 

[davecov]

Thanks everybody.

I added a couple of Sixties Playboy Lisa Baker posters to the Wheelhouse. First one is shown here. BTW, I removed the M79 Grenade Launcher from the starboard bulkhead behind and gave it to a crew member instead:
View attachment 370545

Second Lisa Baker poster.
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The crew are being painted:
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Chief QM in his "office":
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Gunner in place. I had made the mistake of glueing both arms on before fitting so I had to amputate him in order to get the hands in the right place:
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The sitting crew member was given the M79 Grenade Launcher and glued in place:
View attachment 370550

Overall view. Note the armless guy in the forward "tub":
View attachment 370551

Not a lot to do now. Forward gunner needs his arms and a pair of guns. I also want to do a little bit more light weathering before adding the rigging and finally fitting the canopy.

That is all for now

Dave

 

[davecov]

Final update now.

I glued a spare box of ammo on the quarterdeck and flooded the tops of the drums with Klear in an attempt to remove some of the silvering of the decals:


A final touch was adding a noticeboard to the bulkhead:


There was only a tiny bit of rigging to do:


The canopy was glued in place and the forward handrails fitted:


The forward gunner received his arms and the MGs glued in place:


Finished!


You can see more pictures here.

That is all.

Dave

 

[scottie3158]

Dave,
That is a cracking result.

 

[davecov]

Thanks Paul :thumb2:

Dave

 

[boatman]

Lovely job Dave
CHRIS

 

[davecov]

Thanks, Chris :thumb2:

Dave

 

[minitnkr]

Well done sir. Love the bottles. Ms. Baker is remembered well. It's the little touches that bring models to life. PaulE

 

[davecov]

Thanks Paul :thumb2:

Dave