Proposed new Revell PT boat model - your thoughts?

Dave,

I don't think we'll see a BIG plastic kit manufacturer do another PT kit.  The sales on the 596 kit are stale.  Plus, the aftermarket goodies for that kit cost as much if not more than the kit retails for, so how could anyone afford to build it.

Stale sales will lead a manufacturer to not introduce any new kits in that genre.  Sorry, but that is a business fact.

I'd love to see a 77 footer or a Higgins in plastic and in 1:72 but I also realistically understand that it won't happen.

Garth 

I would love to see Italeri, Trumpeter, or Bluejacket do a PT-59 as JFK commanded her.  There are so many opportunities with the 77' Elco as a starting point.  Sadly I think it is unlikely.  But stranger things have happened!

Dave 

Unfortunately Drew ...

NONE of the big model companies out there, save for Italeri, think that PT kits would be both marketable and profitable.  I KNOW that from years and years of personal experience.  I think it is safe for me to mention this since NOTHING ever came of it.

A few years ago, I did a project for Trumpeter.  I acquired blueprints, drawings and photos of the Higgins PT-71 Class PT boat for them and sent them over to them via a contact at Stevens International. 

My contact said that it would be up to eighteen months after I sent the material before a kit would even be put anywhere near production.  Two years later, Italeri came out with their PT-596 kit.  Trumpeter, in my opinion, missed a perfect opportunity to strike first or even to counter-strike with a Higgins.

Garth 

As a gunboat, the 59 would have looked like this.  Would certainly make an interesting model.

Al Ross

speakng of PT Boats, if anyone's looking for a book...

Garth from PT Consulting has a few copies of his out-of-print books for sale. Check out at his website: ptboatworld.com

Lindberg has come a long way since the 60s. I've also always had a rather poor opinion of their products, but I've learned much of their reputation comes from kits they bought the rights too from defunct companies (Pyro, and Palmer mostly).

We will have to wait and see how their two japanese subs are received but I know their car kits from the late 90s to the present compare very well with the latest car kits from Revell and AMT.

Since they at least seem to be showing an interest in ships, its worth a shot.

tankerbuilder wrote:

Aaronw - Hi - I am one of the complainers. I do have to agree with you though. REVELL, right now has some of the best model cars out there,and, they are listening to the car modelers! Have you seen the new FORD five window coupe? What a box of plastic! It,s very well done,and it,s full of the kind of parts everyone has asked for.The reason I,ve complained so loudly and long is that the same is not true of REVELL- U.S.A. or R.oG. about ships .(they are on the right track .Just ain,t got there yet). Their planes are some of the best too.I would like to see them do the HIGGINS P.T.boat in a larger scale. Then they would be the only company with a HIGGINS and an ELCO!    tankerbuilder

Nothing wrong with complaining, but some seem to think Revell is just sitting around cranking out re-issued kits from the 60s. I just wanted to point out that Revell has been busy, just not busy where some would like to see them busy. My primary interest is fire apparatus models, not a lot out there so I can definately understand the frustration. I would have prefered to see some new fire apparatus or at least trucks I could convert instead of another '57 Chevy or hot rod kit. However they have done good work on the kits they have done, even if they are not my particular interest.

There was a movie with Dudley Moore in the 60s where the devil is granting his wishes, but they never quite work out as he saw them, always some twist to mess it up. Sometimes I feel that way with model companies. A few years ago the complaint was the people running the companies were only interested in the bottom line. Now we have modelers at the helm of all three major US model companies, but they are "the wrong kind of modelers".

I would also enjoy seeing  some new PT's out there, just the one's you mentioned too!  Not to mention the 77`s that carried McArthur too? There's plenty of noteworthy 77's! and I would also like to see some higgins boat's too! They are all very interesting subjects, as it was previously written, maybe we'll see some 1/35th efforts? but in any case 72nd or 1/35th, I would welcome them too!

I appreciate you taking the time to write them, maybe more of us should? :)

Think big Drew.  I would like to see a 1/35 78' Elco or Higgins boat.  I would think the most likely suspects would be Italeri or Trumpeter.  At least Italeri already has a subject in this scale. 

Dave

I see a lot of complaining about Revell particularly in the ships section. Revell (US) has been fairly active bringing out new tooled car kits in recent years, so the company is not just sitting back and counting money from kits tooled in the 70s.

Up until a few years ago the complaint was that many model companies were being run by buisnessmen with no interest in the hobby. Now Lindberg, Revell and AMT/Ertl are being run by modelers, however as modelers they have their own particular interests. Unfortunately for the ship guys, Revells modelers are car guys and most of Round 2 (the company leasing the AMT / Ertl, Polar Lights molds) are mostly sci-fi guys. Lindberg / Hawk is a little broader with a couple of new car kits and the 2 new Japanese sub kits.

Perhaps you shold be sending a letter about the PT boat to Lindberg. The subs are not out yet, but Lindbergs 2006 Dodge Charger has received good reviews as have several of their car kits from the 90s. Lindberg seems to be working on changing its reputation for toy like, bad fitting kits. They are taking the chance on 2 new large scale subs so have shown more interest than the other US model makers, if the subs do ok, maybe they will consider a PT boat.

Anyone know how Italeri's 1/35 PT boat is doing in sales?

Tracy is absolutely correct about the need for us to do something to attract America's youth to our hobby. As a history teacher in an urban high school, I run a model club after school. It attracts between 25-40 students every year . We have a private organization that supports us with model kits, Kalmbach books, and any supplies we need.  The kids love it!

As for making recommendations to the manufacturers, I am a firm believer in writing, writing again, and writing often!  I also try to get others to write in a concerted effort at lobbying the manufacturers. Eventually, they might get the point and produce your idea.

Bill Morrison

Vagabond_Astronomer wrote:

Call me cynical, but as I said last night at a model club meeting, we're a dying breed here.

So, you guys doing anything to change that or just lamenting? We do outreach to kids and families at my local clubs... we might not hold their attention when they hit puberty but the hope is they'll come back when they settle down. Seems to work... we have a fairly steady flow of new people in their 20s and 30s.

I'm sure that somebody will come onboard here and correct me, but it takes years to engineer a kit. I suspect that the new Revell Gato was actually tooled by Revell Germany and took some time to be rolled out, and this was prior to the company's acquisition by its current owners, who basically took the ball at that point. The new owners are pushing a lot of non-plastic kit products out under the Revell label; little RC helicopters, some diecast. It's not a case of money, as the current owners seem to have deep pockets. It may very well come down to a case of interest.

If it did happen, I see it proceeding like this - 

A Chinese manufacturer prepares to release the kit.

Industry insiders work out an import deal.

Revell releases a new Elco PT boat.

Call me cynical, but as I said last night at a model club meeting, we're a dying breed here.