Tamiya PBR (x2), not really armor, but close enough for the Navy

Thanks Grubby, glad yo like it.  Good luck with your project.  I'm looking forward to seeing it with the surfboard.  I had thought off doing that version as well.

Hi Gino,

Love your boats! I came across your pics while researching for my own Tamiya PBR Streetgang. It won't be a patch on yours though. I'm doing an early-film version, with surfboard aboard and an intact canopy.

I'll post some pics when I've got something to show.

I agree with you about the Tamiya kit, it just falls together.

see ya.

Grubby.

Thanks Andy.  It is the camera that makes the  weapons look shiny in some of the photos.  They are dead-flat in actuality.  You can see the flatness in the further away, overall photos.  Up next is an early ('73, first batch) IDF Megach 3 (M48A3 w/105 gun) for a customer.  I'll post some pics as it gets going.

WOW!  Loving it... many 's from me.  My favorite part is of course the pin up poster... too bad you didn't it any larger for us to look at it.   My only concern is the M60 and 50 cal guns seemed to be shiny and silvery but could be from the photo flash.  What will you be doing next?

Thanks guys.  They were a fun build. 

Don't worry Mike, the next project will have tracks and a gun tube.  So rest at ease brother. 

Kevin, I am starting to think I may have to take an appetite suppressant on the ATC(H) dio too.  The ATC(H) by itself is a bit large.  We'll see what happens with it.

Geeze... great work Gino! Are you gonna have room for all this when it's complete? Sounds like it's gonna be BIG!

Gino - As always, nice work with the details....the slings on the M16s are a nice touch. The controls look great. 

Always love the M60......the SAW is nice but the 60, was great to have that power!!

Real nice boats.......ok...I said it....boats

I hope the next project goes clank, clank and gets dirty???? At my age I have to watch the stress!!!

Good stuff....Keep your powder dry!!

Rounds Complete!!

They are complete.  I added various stowage from the spares box and the kit.  I also added a couple motivational posters magazines, maps, etc. in the cabin areas as well.

Hope you like them.

Here are some of the details.

Motivational poster (actual 1960s Marilyn Monroe nude from Playboy).

One still has the roof loose so I can add a crew at a later date.

The one with the open engine compartment will eventually go with an ATC(H)and Huey, etc.  The other will probably be in a dio by itself w/the crew searching a Vietnamese Sampan for contraband. 

That's it for a while.  I have a couple other projects to get to.

Thanks for looking and let me know what you think.

Thanks guys.  They have been fun so far.  I'll keep you posted.

Looking good. Nice work on the dashboard....engine need some "oil stains"!!  Needs the yucky Navy look

Overall looking good

Rounds Complete!!

I love Apocalyspe Now, and I love these models!

The pibbers are looking great, Gino.

Its been a while since my last update.  With spring break and Easter, I have had little time to work on them.  Here is the progress so far.  I have painted and installed the big Detroit Diesel Marine engine.  I think it looks pretty good in there.

I have finished the major construction and painting.  I am now working on the weapons and details, then a little weathering will be in order.

As you can see, I applied the kit supplied decals.  I had no issues with them and they snuggled right down.  The canvas tops are about done too.

That's it for now.  By the next update, they should be done.  I'll keep you posted.
Thanks for looking and as always, all comments welcomed.

Thanks for the tip.  I hadn't thought of bicycle spokes.  I'll have to store that away for later use.

HeavyArty,

The Huey lifting the PBR scene would be cool, but it would be difficult to pull off the boat and Huey suspended in the air.  It would be something to think about though.

Bicycle spokes are perfect for that sort of application that requires strength and finesse. Local bike shop can sell you them individually and the ends are threaded with brass fasteners. In fact the strength is overkill and they can be thinned to scale while holding a lot of weight.

It is a little funny that the figure you made to represent Captain Willis looks more like Lawrence Fishburn instead.

I don't really see the resemblance, but OK.

The Huey lifting the PBR scene would be cool, but it would be difficult to pull off the boat and Huey suspended in the air.  It would be something to think about though.

It is a little funny that the figure you made to represent Captain Willis looks more like Lawrence Fishburn instead. LOL

Have you thought of doing a dio of the scene where the PBR is being lifted by the Huey.

Thanks Mike.  I knew you had a few boats in the stash too.  You try to keep your powder dry up there in the land of Noah's Ark right now as well.

BTW I think it was Marlon Brando as Col. Kurts I didn't remember Dennis Hopper being in the movie.  And you forgot to add Martin Sheen's charachter to the boat LOL.

Mikeym_us:  Dennis Hopper was the crazy photographer who greeted them as the reached the end of the river and Kurtz.  He was all whacked out on drugs and pretty crazy.  Not a far fetch for Dennis Hopper to play.

CPT Willard (Sheen's character) is the one up on top of the former radar mast.  By this point in the movie, they are down to him, Lance on the forward .50s, and Chef at the helm.

HeavyArty

One day I would like to build the scene from 'Apocalypse now' when...

Gotta love "Apocalypse Now."  I have already built "PBR Streetgang" from the movie.  I eventually want to do the scene when they reach COL Kurts' lair with Dennis Hopper on the steps greeting them.  Here is the boat.

More pics here.

The forward .50s will be a build on their own!

The forward .50 cals, just like the rest of the kit, are a pretty easy assembly to build.  They're not hard at all and they are very detailed.

The kit comes with a 4-man crew in battle poses on the guns and a coxswain gunning the throttles.  They are pretty descent and can be painted up nicely.  You can see them in the pics below.

As you can tell, I really like the Tamiya PBR kit.

Got this kit meself now I probably want to get another one as well. My cousin was a sailor on destroyers for a few years during Nam back in the 1960's then went into the Riverine force later on on PBR's and Swiftboats.

BTW I think it was Marlon Brando as Col. Kurts I didn't remember Dennis Hopper being in the movie.  And you forgot to add Martin Sheen's charachter to the boat LOL.

Gino's building boats......

The horror.....the horror!!

Sorry....I could not resist

Nice pics of the PBR. The old dios look cool......

OK...I will stop picking on you....I have two landing craft on the shelf myself

Keep it coming...and with all that water, keep your powder dry!!

Rounds Complete!!

Sounds good.  Maybe I'll put Kilgore's surfboard on the skids of the Huey that will be sitting on the ATC(H) to tie it all together.

Or on "PBR Streetgang"

I liked the French Platation scenes (minus the whole gushy love scene) in the Redux version.  I thought the plantation made the backward time stream flow better.  French IndoChina was a missing link in the original theatrical version of the movie.

Hinsky,

The plantation scene was included in the extended version or director's cut. Also the longer beach scene showing Killgore ramble on about the war. I prefer the theater release cut that was a shorter version of the movie, excluding both those boring scenes.

'the Roach' was the black hippy soldier sporting the M-79 40mm explosive launcher. It had a maximum range of around 400 yards, the projectile had to rotate 79 times to arm as its bore was rifled for spin stability. Basically a shortened break action 12 gauge shotgun on steroids.

Jimmy Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' was playing on the radio during the scene, the Roach turned it off to calculate the position of the taunting Vietcong. 

Apocalypse Now GB?

'Why'

'Because Charlie don't surf!'

*Play 'Ride of the Valkyries' by Wagner for inspiration...LOUD! 

and...

'I love the smell of napalm in the morning!'

SuppressionFire

HeavyArty,

Awesome! Lance and Chef look very good. You captured the scene so well it doen't require explanation.

'Lance what is all over your face?' Asks the captain.

'Camouflage sir...'

'What?'

'So they can't see me... they are everywhere!' Replies Lance

'Man those 50's and get off the dope, stay alert up there... you have a job to do!' Barks the captain.

I know the quotes are a bit early before your scene pulling up to Kurt's encampment, yet interesting dialog regarding Lance's state of mind and face paint.

..................let alone dropping ACID and walking into that trench!

Willard "Hey soldier, do you know who's in command here?"

Black Soldier (after blowing up the screaming NVA guy with the bloop gun) "Yeah".

Just a perfect film-I wish they hadn't included that awful 'love' scene at the French plantation though-awful.

How about an Apocalypse Now GB?!

How great would that be?

I see surfers behind PBR's & crazy colonels galore!

ATVB

Ben

HeavyArty,

Awesome! Lance and Chef look very good. You captured the scene so well it doen't require explanation.

'Lance what is all over your face?' Asks the captain.

'Camouflage sir...'

'What?'

'So they can't see me... they are everywhere!' Replies Lance

'Man those 50's and get off the dope, stay alert up there... you have a job to do!' Barks the captain.

I know the quotes are a bit early before your scene pulling up to Kurt's encampment, yet interesting dialog regarding Lance's state of mind and face paint.

One day I would like to build the scene from 'Apocalypse now' when...

Gotta love "Apocalypse Now."  I have already built "PBR Streetgang" from the movie.  I eventually want to do the scene when they reach COL Kurts' lair with Dennis Hopper on the steps greeting them.  Here is the boat.

More pics here.

The forward .50s will be a build on their own!

The forward .50 cals, just like the rest of the kit, are a pretty easy assembly to build.  They're not hard at all and they are very detailed.

The kit comes with a 4-man crew in battle poses on the guns and a coxswain gunning the throttles.  They are pretty descent and can be painted up nicely.  You can see them in the pics below.

As you can tell, I really like the Tamiya PBR kit.

Hinsky, great minds think alike!

'Sniper's in Vietnam' is a soft cover book I read, it told of one sharpshooter who picked a Vietcong rifleman who was plinking at their boat out of a tree from a swaying PBR at over 900 yards! The rest of the crew couldn't even see where the VC was untill he fell from his hide. As their creed it was '1 shot 1 kill'

FYI ~ After the conflict it was determined the average M16 fired 50 000 rounds per enemy KIA, sniper's in Vietnam had a impressive average of 1.5 bullets per enemy KIA!

SuppressionFire

Excellent scratch built power plants! Nothing says diesel power like 'Detroit'

One day I would like to build the scene from 'Apocalypse now' when Lance was water skiing behind the PBR. That sort of R+R actually happened, just further out in the ocean away from the sight of higher ranks. Not accurate but a wakeboard would be cooler to me. Possibly mid air? Dare to dream!

SF,

That is exactly what I was just going to type! Another idea could be where the PBR takes fire from the bank and Clean get's shot. You could have have them all laying on supressing fire to the treeline while Chief tries to pull Willard's head into a spear - great dio! 

The forward .50s will be a build on their own!

Keep us posted buddy,

ATVB

Ben

Excellent scratch built power plants! Nothing says diesel power like 'Detroit'

One day I would like to build the scene from 'Apocalypse now' when Lance was water skiing behind the PBR. That sort of R+R actually happened, just further out in the ocean away from the sight of higher ranks. Not accurate but a wakeboard would be cooler to me. Possibly mid air? Dare to dream!

Thanks Guys.  I have done water before and had good luck with plain old fiberglass resin, tinted with acrylic paint.  That is probably what I will use again.

Here are a couple examples of the fiberglass resin water. (sorry for the bad pics, I had a crappy digicam back then).

This one is on a sheet of glass with a thin layer of resin over top for some surface texture. Yes, the diver's are "in the water" or under the glass.

Mike, just taking a little hiatus from tracks.  I have plans and drawings for the Arty Barges too.  One is on the to-do list as well...eventually.  I had to dust off the old vac-former since it had been so long since I used it.  I can pull a few tricks out when I need to though.  Thanks for looking in on me. 

OK....boats.....first an aircraft carrier....now PBRs......well I hope they eventually will tow this

Now that's a boat....a nice artillery barge

Vac-u-form...wow, ancient arts...we are pulling out all the stops. Nice work. I like the engine. Keep it coming (Hummm...and I thought I was the strange one around here!!)

Rounds Complete!!