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Lindberg's USAF Rescue Boat


TGarthConnelly

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Hi Guys,


Well, after I have had Stan build me a 1:144 F-14 Tomcat from VF-111, The Sundowners, ... we have moved onto "our" next project. I use "our" to mean that - once a week - I go over to his house and watch him build my models for a few hours. It gets me out of the house ...


"Our" next project is an oldie (but certainly not a goodie) ... it's Lindberg's "1:72" USAF Rescue boat.


USAFR-21-125195ftrescueboatOnDetroitRive


This particular one actually comes from the 1950s. My brother won it for me on EBay back in 2001 or 2002 from a guy in Portugal.


The model was already started and the sprues in the box are missing quite a few pieces - which is fine - Stan is an excellent scratchbuilder ... So, once the F-14 was done, "we" got going on the boat.


Now, as all of you know - the USAF ASRC of the 1950s were painted in what I refer to as "the Clown Colors" - White, Yellow and Day-Glo Orange. Also, the boats (the USAF had two boats of this type built, the 21-R-1251 and the 21-R-1252) were armed with two Maxim quad-50-caliber machine gun mounts.


But, what most people don't know was that, in the early 1960s - these two boats were handed over to the Navy. From 2001 to now, I've corresponded with a researcher named B.G. "Chip" Marshall. That man is one of the best and most thorough researchers I've ever known. And, he's as nice and respectful (to me) as John Lambert was to me. He certainly knows a lot about these two boats ...


He told me that the Navy used the two boats in BEACH JUMPER UNIT 2 (BJU2) as "Beach Jumper boats". In this role, they were repainted Gray (which made me happy in that I HATE "the Clown Colors") and had the two quad-50 mounts replaced by two twin 20mm guns. Chip says this was done because the Maxim mounts weren't in the Navy's inventory but the twin 20mms were.


Chip also theorized/theorizes that Lindberg decided to have the twin 20mm guns included in the kit and not the quad-50s was because they had seen photos (that he cannot find, ... yet) of the boats with these guns ... And, he also theorizes the kit is NOT 1:72 - as it has been considered and thought to be - he believes Lindberg had worked from photos and not plans - and that caused it to be "off-scale" ...


The other day, he mentioned to me that - if it was a "true 1:72" - the model would have been 2 1/2 inches longer than the Revell PT-109 kit. If the hull and deck weren't already glued together when the kit arrived from Portugal ... I would have Stan put a "plug" to add the required 2 1/2 inches.


That said, I bought two twin 20mm guns and a SP-10 radar unit from SHAPEWAYS to be put on the model. Stan will need to make the props and prop shafts and the rudders though. The kit just provides one prop/shaft and rudder - owing to the kit includes a battery-operated electric motor.


But, ... still - it should be a "fun" build ... and guys? YES, I KNOW IT'S INACCURATE and it's a bad kit - but inasmuch the finished model will never be entered in a show and since it'll be only "displayed" in my room - that's OK by me.


Tim

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Yesterday, I went to Stan's and watched him work on my Lindberg USAF ASRB being done as a USN Beach Jumper boat from BJU2. I've seen two guys (one of whom is an excellent modeler) says that the model is shorter (scale-wise) than the 95-foot (94', 11") it's supposed to be. Chip Marshall told me that it's 2 1/2 inches too short. That means if one would put the hull of this kit next to the old, vulnerable and reliable Revell PT-109 kit and lined them up together - the Airfix kit should be 2 1/2 inches longer. Do you know what? They are right. After he sprayed the deck, he left the basement to get something he wanted to show me (and, more on that in a minute). While he was out of the room, I looked the model over. I can actually see where the model is 2 1/2 inches too short.

The engine-room hatch/covering (with that air-scoop) is closer to the cockpit area than it is in photos I've seen of the real boats. It should be more aft than it is. As I've said previously, if the model wasn't partially built when I got it off of EBay 15 years ago, I'd have had Stan insert a plug to lengthen the hull. I'd strongly suggest, that, if any of you who might have this kit (or the re-released kit) you lengthen the hull. I realize that, from me, it might sound weird, knowing that I'm a self-professed non-rivet-counter who feels that if something looks "right" to you - leave it - but when I saw how close that hatch is/was to the cockpit as opposed to what I've seen in photos ... it really "bothered/bothers" me.

Now, onto what Stan wanted to show me .... Currently, he is building a diorama of the PT Boat Training Center which was located at Melville, R.I. for a client --- so far it's incredible to see, the floating Drydock he has scratchbuilt is totally amazing! As part of the diorama - he is doing figures ... he bought a few sets of 1:72 figures of USN sailors from a vendor on Shapeways - done on a 3D printer and he painted some of them ... People, I have to say, when I saw the painted 3D figures - I was just blown away! So much so that, as soon as I got home, I contacted that vendor and asked if I could order just a few of the figures (since I can't afford $50 for a set of 30) and asked if he could make a couple of officer figures and he said he could! So, I would suggest (and strongly so) if you want to put figures on your 1:144, 1:72, 1:48 and 1:35 and 1:20 and 1:24 scale kits? Get 'em on Shapeways, you WILL NOT be disappointed!

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I went to Stan's today and watched him work on my LINDBERG USAF Rescue Boat which I am having him build as the boat as it looked after it was handed over to the Navy to be used by BJU2 in the 1960s:


8MpvVWT.jpg


The deck and all horizontal surfaces were painted Deck Gray, as per John Snyder and Chip Marshall.


kJo1908.jpg


The cockpit is rather spartan. All it has is a steering wheel. I might have Stan put a compass and a throttle quadrant and a hatch leading to the charthouse.



ShIncLA.jpg


Stan hand painted the molded-on coiled rope. Which blew me away watching him.


Tim

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I'm just back from Stan's. The 3-D printed guys arrived 5 minutes before I left. He has them now. He made the two twin 20mms from Shapeways. I, and he like them. He added more detail to the cockpit (all it had was the steering wheel) ... he used basswood and plastic strips to do the hatchway and 3 storage bin hatches and an instrument panel. Gotta say, it looks better than what LINDBERG molded into the kit (nothing). Those 3-D printed 20mm guns are amazing.

 

But Stan pointed out something that I never thought of; Shapeways doesn't supply instructions of how to make the guns ... so, I guess that means anyone who orders things like 20mms, 40mms and the like from Shapeways should have photos, drawings and such on hand to make them.

 

I am really impressed with the 3-D printed guns ... I'm sorry - I forgot to bring my camera today. My mind was dealing with serious back and neck pain - I wasn't focused on what to bring to Stan's ... And, now, I am gonna have a good stiff bourbon, climb into bed and watch the NASCAR twin qualifying races for Sunday's Daytona 500.

 

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Just got back from Stan's; here are some photos I took, gee - I'm getting good at it.


First coat of light gray on hull - test fitting cockpit and the Shapeways guns... Man! Is that an ugly boat or what? The rudders, props and shaft will come from a Revell PT-109 kit.


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The Shapeways twin 20mms and radar, unpainted. I am very impressed with the Shapeways stuff I've got, the guns, the radar and the guys. The guys will be painted next week.


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Stan repairing the radar with thin brass wire.


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The result of the repair job.


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You know how everyone says they have had problems painting the frosted Shapeways plastic? I watched Stan paint the gun mounts & shields and the radar, the paint went on with no problems.


sQKI963.jpg


The guns will be painted "gun metal".


Tim

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I went to Stan's today. He glued the cockpit onto the boat.


duz8lBG.jpg


He used automotive pin-striping tape for the waterline. He also dryfitted the two 20mm guns and figures. He also painted the guns "gun-metal".


EIC7Wc8.jpg


Tim

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Nice! Am intrigued by this, the subject and the use of the Shapeways stuff. Certainly these boats weren't ugly to the guys that they pulled out of the water!

 

QUESTION: What is the adhesive he's using to repair the radar?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Went to Stan's today.

 

He puttied over a hole in the centerline prop'housing' and the hole for the motorized version's one rudder and scratch-built the mast for the radar and dryfitted the radar ...

6tKl76n.jpg

F5aopoi.jpg

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Request some close-ups of the Shapeways figures, whenever they get primed or painted. Am a bit concerned about the layering effect of 3-D printing in the wee scale, given the cost of the SW figure sets. Ulterior motive is to get a set of the 'dungaree' sailors for the Revell PT Boat, down the road.

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Bob,

 

Hi.

 

Well, I'll tell y'all. I went over on Thursday. And there was a mix up. Stan forgot to call to cancel. He had the oilburner guy over to repair his oilburner. Where the oilburner is - is right where I sit in my wheelchair at Stan's worktable ... Oh well.

 

Next week, I hope the figures are painted ...

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Went to Stan's today. He put the railings on, using black nylon thread, he glued the radar on, and the guns, but needs to paint the sights. He put three shafts, props and rudders on - using three each from a Revell PT-109 kit ... He put the flag (from AMP) on ... he painted the figures. Once everything is glued, touched up and all that - he'll Dullcote it and it should be done next week.


lindbergboat26.jpg



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Tim

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Ya know, Guys?

 

I've got to tell you.

 

Each time I go over to Stan's to watch him build this model, I can't believe how inaccurate this kit actually is ...

 

I mean, the hull is too short. I'm kicking myself now that I didn't have him insert plugs into the hull and deck to get the model to the correct length.

 

The kit guns were jokes ... there was nothing in the cockpit and even though the scratch-built details in the cockpit are not exactly "historically accurate" or remotely accurate, it did/does "improve" it greatly.

 

Tim

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Inaccurate or not; that is an impressive looking little boat. I wouldn't mind having one in my collection at all. I would only hope that mine would come out half as good as Stan's boat. That there is a boat I would proudly display.

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Stan finished my Lindberg 95-foot USAF ASRB as an USN Beach Jumper boat from the 1960s. Chip Marshall, who is an excellent researcher, and a good friend helped me with the info on the one former USAF boat which the navy used as a Beach Jumper boat.


The two twin-20mms, the radar and the figures are all from SHAPEWAYS. The flag is from AMP (Accurate Model Parts). The props, struts, shafts and rudders came from a Revell PT-109 kit.


The kit is old, un-detailed and extremely inaccurate - but - thanks to Stan's unbelievable modeling skills, it came out better than I thought it would.


lindbergboat31.jpg


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Tim

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