Revell Commander Series USS Burleigh

With the exception of the guns, and maybe a few other parts, they're the same kit.  In this case that's appropriate; the U.S.S. Burleigh was renamed S.S. Hawaiian Pilot when she entered civilian life after the war.

The Hawaiian Pilot was one of Revell's first ship kits, originally released in 1956.  (Source:  Dr. Thomas Graham's fine book Remembering Revell Model Kits.) It was re-issued in 1962 with the name Dr. Lykes, and in military guise as the Burleigh in 1964.  The Hawaiian Pilot you've got is probably the reissue in Revell's "Special Subjects Program," from just a few years ago.

Dr. Graham lists it as being on 1/400 scale.  That's mighty close to 1:380; in 1956 people didn't worry much about such things.  (They also don't seem to have noticed that the hull is cut off at the waterline - and looks pretty ridiculous sitting on the "trestles" that Revell provided for a base.) The "Commander Series" was just a label Revell put on some of its ship kits for a while; they were all on different scales. (This was, after all, the age of the "box scale.")

If you do a Forum search on "Hawaiian Pilot" you'll find quite a bit of information about it.  It obviously doesn't meet today's standards of accuracy or detail, but it's the only classic C-3 freighter in plastic kit form. To Olde Phogies like me it brings back lots of nice memories.

According to wikipedia the USS Burleigh became the SS Hawaiian Trader not the Hawaiian Pilot after the war. Does that make a difference? Who knows, I haven't taken time to compare photographs.

BTW If the hull was formed the same way as the USS Montrose hull it is not a true waterline hull but something halfway in between a full hull and a waterline hull.

Amphib

Jtilly...Thanks, sounds like a great little book you have there.  Did you get that from Fine Scale Mod. or ???  Something every smart modeler should have.  KM

Apparently Revell got it wrong when it named the model.  Nice research, I read further to find that a lot of the C-3 hulls were converted to Escort Carriers, while under construction, during WWII.  Thanks for the waterline tidbit, I thought it looked funny different....KM

I do have that ship and her civilian counterpart  .By the way , Hawaiian Trader IS correct . I worked for MATSON NAVIGATION some time Before British Petroleum and remember seeing her once in the Islands . . They operated ships like her for many years after the NAVY would've given up on them  . Like the Destroyers built Late War . They were built almost to well . That says something about AMERICAN labor and manufacturing pride Doesn't it ?

We'll, Wikipedia says the Burleigh became the Hawaiian Trader and Navsource says Hawaiian Pilot. I don't know which is right.

In any case, in naval service she was an APA - an attack transport. The photos in both sources show her loaded up with landing craft - and a big deckhouse (radio/radar shack?) on top of the bridge. Turning the old Revell kit into an accurate model of the Burleigh would be quite a project.

I got my copy of Dr. Graham's book from Barnes and Noble. A later edition of it is still in print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remembering-revell-model-kits-thomas-graham/1118095517?ean=9780764329920 .

Dr. Graham has also published books on the history of Aurora ( http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aurora-model-kits-thomas-graham/1006288236?ean=9780764325182 ) and Monogram (  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monogram-models-thomas-graham/1007856888?ean=9780764344244 ), and one on the history of plastic aircraft kit box art ( http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/box-top-air-power-thomas-graham/1112947296?ean=9780764329647 ).  All highly recommended.

The hulls of the Revell Hawaiian Pilot and Montrose (originally Randall) are sliced off about at the "unloaded" waterline, as though the ships are completely empty. (In both cases a little bit of the rudder shows. To make either of them look "operational" you'd have to slice off a bit more.

Wikipedia states that the Burleigh was configured to be a squadron flagship. As such the extra deckhouse above the bridge was probably the flag communications and command center. Wikipedia states that the ship carried an additional 43 officers and 108 men for the flag staff above and beyond the ships crew and embarked marines. Since this class of ships did not have the raised boat deck with living quarters under it that was provided on the later Haskell class I am moved to wonder where all these additional personnel were quartered.

As for the hull there is another option. The drawings for the Haskell class are available from Marad. If the Bayfield class drawings are also available, you can get the lines drawing and add the missing portion of the hull.

The uss burleigh photo hangs in the stairwell of my fathers house.He was wounded on the rear gun. He is 89 now and not doing well. He also has pictures of his group.If interested I can take a photo and e-mail to you. 

Hey Lefty,  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You and Yours.  And a Big Get Well to your Dad.  Thanks to him also for his service.  We're saddened to hear he's not doing well, and our prayers are with him, please pass on a huge hug from us also. 

     I'd love to see an email (metchankm@gmail.com) with that photo attached,  Thank You,  KM

Yes Lefty, best wishes. It's come to that now for a lot of us.

Just to straighten up the earlier posts:

HAWAIIAN TRADER, 7606 ton freighter, built Portland, Ore., 1945 as BILLINGS VICTORY (ed. VC2-S-AP3). Became Pacific-Atlantic SS Co.'s WASHINGTON 1950. Matson bought 1955 (ed. Hawaiian Trader), sold 1961 to Rachel V SS Corp.. New York. Renamed RACHEL V, then KATHY, and again RACHEL V in 1964.

- American Merchant Marine at War, www.usmm.org

USS Burleigh (APA-95): Laid down, 6 July 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull...Sold by the Maritime Commission for commercial service, 26 June 1947, Matson Navigation Co., renamed SS Hawaiian Pilot

-http://www.navsource.org

Which is interesting; Revell sort of had two APA models: the Randall/ Montrose VC-2 hull, and the Burleigh C-3 hull. I do wish they'd sold a civilian Victory.

Yes, some of the Bogue class CVE's and their British cousins were either C-3 hulls, or later derived from them.

There were a group of Revell trestle/ flat bottoms, including but probably not limited to the T2, C-3 Bayfield class Burleigh/ Hawaian Pilot, VC2 Haskell class Randall/ Montrose (Hawaiian Trader but as noted above never boxed), the Pine island/ Currituck seaplane tender, several aircraft carriers and battleships. I've only ever bothered to modify the T2 by cutting it down to be full- when empty they rode way down at the stern, so much so that I've seen photos where the bow is out of the water. I suppose a model of one with the bow gone would be a good project, to follow the new movie "The Finest Hours".

Renwal's Sarasota and Seminole are said to be fine kits, but I've never built one and they are pricey now.

Hi "G"

    Happy New year ! and yes , I do wish someone had done at least one Victory of a decent size . I served , Before officer level on the S.S. Ocala Victory owned by Olympic Steamship of Seattle .That was one neat ship .

  What amazed me was her condition ! Like new and smelled that way too ! I don't think there was any rust anywhere !Up until that time I didn't realize any had survived the war . Pleasant surprise that one .          T.B.