PT Boats

PT boats were made famous by JFK and PT 109. Find out where to find information for quality kits and plans for building RC or static Higgins or Elco model Patrol Torpedo boats.

PT boats stands for patrol torpedo boats – Why the US Navy didn’t adhere to the internationally recognized term "Motor Torpedo Boat" is a mystery. They are after all in all functionality the same thing.

The Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs)

Motor Torpedo Boats were developed in the dawn of the 20th century. The great navies of the world were wrapped up in an arms race building bigger and faster capital ships with ever more and heavier guns, and with thicker armor protection.

An example of the 80ft Elco PT boats.
Painting by Otto Kuhni.

All navies, big and small were looking for ways to upset the stalemate. The submarine and the Motor Torpedo Boats were developed as powerful weapons to challenge even a vastly superior battle fleet.

Patrol Torpedo Boats - an Overview

There were three principal manufacturers that have their names associated with US navy PTs of WW2. Follow the link above to learn more about them.

P.T. Boat Plans

Locating plans is not always easy. I’ve been able to locate a handful of varying quality. Some show model building construction, most however do not. Follow the link above for more.

Static P.T. Boat Model Kits

Here is a list of static model kits. The list include plastic, resin, wood and paper (card) kits.

Most of these kits are still in production, while some are not. For instance, the Lindberg 1:32 PT-109 is OOP, but is a very important kit in this context. It comes up on Ebay every once in a while. Not surprising, most kits are of PT-109 and other Elco 80 ft PTs.

RC PT Boats

This list and review includes models that are either directly intended for RC or of plastic model kits large enough to be considered for an RC conversion.

The list is as a result of looking high and low for a low cost alternative. I had no luck finding anything that suited my budget, so I decided to scratch build my own.

Scratch Building an RC PT 109

This is a write-up on how to build a simplified semi scale PT 109 or any other PT-103-class Elco 80-footer. This article series also serves as a how-to to go along with the PT-109 plan that I sell.

Part One: PT 109 RC model - Background & build kick-off.

Part Two: Assemble RC P.T. boat hull structure.

Part Three: Planking the Elco PT-boat hull.

Part Four: Adding hatch coaming and deck to the PT-109 model.

Part Five: Sealing the hull with Tissue and Dope.

Part Six: Building the PT-109 Deck Houses.

Part Seven: PT-109 MG Turrets.

PT Boat Books

Below is a sampling of books if you want to learn more about the Patrol Torpedo Boats from World War Two. If you'd like to review a book on this subject, or would like to recommend a different book, use the form below.

Questions or Comments About PT Boats?

Please use this form for:

Questions

I'll take any questions you may have related to PT boats. I may not be able to answer all of them, but I'll promise I'll take a sincere stab at it. If I'm stumped, other visitors may have the answer.

This is also the perfect place for questions about my PT 109 project and plan that I sell.

Comments

If there is anything you want to add, such as: YOUR model boats, anything related to PT boats really, stories about family members who served in the Mosquito Fleet etc.

Pictures

Who doesn't like pictures! Any pictures you want to share related to PT boats: models, the real deal, interior shots, old WW2 pictures, artifacts, sketches, etc.

For questions about this form or report broken links: Please use the contact me form. Thanks!

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