Description
- 83 pieces molded in dark green
- Includes four torpedo tubes, two twin 50 caliber machine guns, a 20mm cannon, a life raft
- Contains clear assembly instructions with a detailed synopsis of Kennedy’s exciting and dangerous voyage
- Includes a display stand
- Waterslide decals are included
- Four crew figures, and three rudders, propellers and shafts are all included
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J M P WARBURTON –
Lots of flash
Shae Lynn MaLayley –
I’ve done a few Revell kits now, and considering the price and the age of the model this one wasn’t bad. The hull was nice and straight, but fitting the deck to it just right is a bit of a challenge. Use a block of wood and some rubber bands until the glue is completely dry and it makes it easier. Still, it’s going to require some putty to get the gaps sealed. Also, the instructions call for a main color of flat grey, but it really should be olive drab, with flat gull gray on the lower part of the hull. If you look at the pictures on the box, and do a little research online you will see what I mean. Not much to be done in the way of weathering if that’s the sort of thing that interests you. A nice thin wash around the main details and the deck and you’re pretty much done. I do like the recessed lines for planking in the deck, they look quite good when finished.
IMO this is a pretty decent kit for a beginner, because you will get to learn some fundamentals with putty, removing flash, straightening pieces, etc. I don’t think this would be a good starter kit for a kid though, just because of the size and fragility of some of the finer pieces.
Christopher S. Cornette –
I just put this model to together. Its a good and simple model to put together so dont worry if you think it is too hard. There are two things that they could improve on this model. The first is the numbers on the pieces which are really hard to see because they are all the same color. The second is the decals really need work. I had to cut them out because there seemed to be no way to peel them. All in all this model is a good model for anybody.
OrdinaryGuy –
We bought this as a gift for our 10 year old boy. He loves playing with various plastic ships, and he wanted another one. Instead of buying him a regular toy ship, we decided to have him build it himself. He had built the types of models that snap together, but this was his first model that required glue. He needed a little help with some of the more difficult parts, but he was able to do most of it himself. It is durable enough that he can play with it with his army men. A couple of the small pieces on the bottom have fallen off, but that’s to be expected when you play with it on the floor. He doesn’t mind at all. I strongly suggest this item for a child of this age who wants to get started building models, and especially if he/she wants to play with the model afterward.
Nicola Hawkings –
Ottimo venditore, il kit è un po’ datato 1963, le istruzioni non sono chiare sulla colorazione dello scafo. I particolari sono pochi, c’è da lavorare molto, e bisogna documentarsi per renderlo accettabile. Comunque per il basso costo, e sicuramente un kit interessante date le dimensioni.
Amazon Customer –
Very fast delivery from order to receipt. no paint colour codes included for authenticity of model. Easy to make, liked having the crew included in the model.
OrdinaryGuy –
I got back into model building recently after many years of absence. The Asian manufactuers who make their own models put out fantastic but hard to build (at least for a senior like me) replicas. This Revell kit was relatively easy to assemble but you still should have some experience in plastic model building.
As far as the molded in green color I went for eye appeal vs. historical reproduction. My deck is painted flat tan. The deck structures and upper hull were left the molded in green. And the lower hull is painted a flat rust/red color. Looks good. Historical facts show the real PT 109 didn’t have large letters/numbers (PT 109) on the sides of the hull but using the included decals “kicks up” the finished product.
GreggG –
I’m an overgrown kid who put this model together for the second time in 45 years. Nowdays I put models together to aid with a neurological condition I have developed. The skill level for this model is perfect for me.
The fit of the parts were quite good and only required a little scraping and sanding here and there.
If you buy this kit make sure you have PLENTY of gray paint. When I opened the box I was surprised to see the model molded entirely in dark green. That meant there was a lot of cover up painting involved and you can’t rely on the painting instructions that came with the model to be very accurate. Just use the pictures on the box and you’ll be able to figure out what color to use. TIP: As I learned when I checked onto my first US Navy ship: If it’s on the ship and it doesn’t breathe…paint it! (99.9% of the times, you’ll be using gray)
All in all it was a good kit that was fun to put together.
Edit: I forgot to add something that has been mentioned in other reviews. The decals! The only decal I put on her was the 109 which went admidships by the helm as shown in the directions. I didn’t want that big PT109 on her hull which wouldn’t be there in wartime.
PK –
This kit has stood the test of time by being simple, fun to build and not least, part of a great heroic story.
I built this with my son, who has a growing interest in boats and history. He learns the engineering and terminology of these machines at the same time as he gets introduced to historical figures like JFK.
I’d suggest as companions to this purchase, the movie PT109 with Cliff Robertson and also the National Geographic special on investigating the wreck site. Amazon also can offer you several reference books on PT boats that are both affordable and excellent reference material.
I took the advice of another reviewer and bought the Hasegawa 1/72 US jeep and 37mm anti tank gun kit so that we could configure the 109 as she appeared on her final mission.
The definitive PT kit has yet to be made but in the meantime this kit has been introducing kids to history for 50 years. Not bad.
Mark Twain “Molder” –
What a carpy middle, so much flash it’s hard to tell where some parts start or end. Not hard to build but not great looking.
Brian Stults –
There aren’t really any other options for kit building PT-109 at this scale. Even the update retool of this kit is still very bad. The fit is atrocious, the engineering is bad. The detail is poor. There are MANY extractor pin marks, lots of flashing, and a fair amount of warped spots.
All that said, if you are either not too interested in accuracy, OR, you are an experienced scale modeler looking for a true challenge, this kit will get you across the finish line. A passable representation is possible with a lot of work, though personally, I’d recommend either getting the updated version, which is ever so slightly better (don’t expect too much), or invest in the Altieri if the larger scale is ok and you’d prefer a less frustrating build process.
postage –
Old kit but buildable. Newer 2018 kit now available.