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Vietnam Swift Boat

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  • Member since
    January 2017
Vietnam Swift Boat
Posted by cadman on Sunday, September 1, 2019 3:19 PM

Hello, I am working on the Revell Swift boat and was hoping some of you guys would know the accurate colors for this boats hull, deck , below water line? I mostly use Tamiya acrylics.

Thanks in advance, George

  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Sunday, September 1, 2019 3:39 PM

George;

 The few I saw were a darkgrey/green including Decks and Deckhouse with Roof. The Bottoms when seen appeared to be either a wine red( Medium dark) or a brighter orangy/red. Some I saw had Black Bottoms . This is like the R.A.G boat, also by Revellogram, a very versatile platform for kitbashing. I used to lengthen them Ten scale feet and turn them into Oil Rig Support Crew Taxis. The RAG Models were good for older yachts where the top mattered more than what's underwater.

 I had one RAG and one Swift that were conversions as listed. Both won I.P.M.S. Gold years ago. I think back in 77. I had a photo for a long time from MERCENARY magazine that was all a Marine Green . I only kept the photo because someone gave it to me. I was on the boat looking right at the camera. I don't remember any Photographers in the Jungles though.

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Sunday, September 1, 2019 9:09 PM

Early on, they were Haze gray (verticals) and Deck gray horizontals, with either black or red bottoms.  The red bottoms faded to a brownish red during the transport over the ocean.

Typically, the came over with 45-48" black-shaded white ID numbers

The offshore elements often retained the gray scheme as it was good agaisnt the horizon. 

The inshore and riverine boats quickly gained an overall green.  Which green came down to what could be kumshawed by the port and mothership crewes.  Hull numbers and ID were paineted over and replaced (mostly) with 12-18" white unshaded numerals.  Green color granged from a medium green to an USMC dark green.  That later standardized to the same dark green the PBR were in.  Some were the same color as Army Hueys. 

So, really, your best bet is to pick a reference photo of a particular boat and suss out what matches the references.

Bottoms were either black or red, depending on what the support facility had on hand.

Note, the cabin windows behind the pilothouse were universally replaced with plywood, typically painted to match the hull.

Life rings were a pale gray, not red.

Guns were typically covered under tarps about the same color as the boat.

Swifts were aluminum, so they are not going to show much rust.  Gray oxidation, and lots of river slime were pretty common.  If they had been used to insert/extract troops, the decks will have red mud in almost all crvices on the main deck.

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Sunday, September 1, 2019 9:41 PM

I built that kit several years ago. I found a site like the one that I linked here and went with a dark gray based if the photos that I found of dark gray boats. I chose USN Helo Gray since I figured that would be an easy color for them to get their hands on in country.

http://swiftboatsailorsmemorial.com/exhibits/show/pcf/pcfsinvietnamwar

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

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