PT Boat Model Kits: Revell PT-167 and 1/24 Scale

How big is a PT boat, and what does that mean for a model?

The US Navy’s WWII motor torpedo boats came in a few main types. The most common were the 80 ft Elco and the 78 ft Higgins. Earlier Elco boats, including the 77 ft type, were slightly shorter. Here’s roughly how long a model of an 80 ft Elco comes out at popular scales:

1/72 makes a compact shelf model. 1/35 is a substantial build. 1/24 is roughly a metre long, about the size of many radio-control boats.

Elco or Higgins: pick your boat first

Decide which boat you want to model before you buy a kit. Elco and Higgins boats differ in hull shape, deck layout and cockpit, and kits are generally tooled for one or the other. Within each type, armament changed a lot during the war. Early boats carried four torpedo tubes. Many later boats swapped the tubes for lighter roll-off torpedo racks and added heavier guns such as a 40mm Bofors aft, along with 37mm cannon, rockets and mortars on some boats.

Because of this, “which kit?” often turns into “which boat, and when?” A photo of your chosen boat at a specific date is the most useful reference you can have.

Revell’s 1/72 PT boats, including the PT-167 boxing

Revell’s 1/72 Elco 80 ft kit has been around for decades, most famously boxed as PT-109. Revell has also released the tooling under other boat numbers, including a Torpedo Boat PT-167 boxing, and it has produced late-war Elco subjects. Boxings differ in decals and sometimes in parts, so check the contents of the specific release on a kit database such as Scalemates before buying.

The kit is generally regarded as a good starting point. It builds into a recognizable Elco, the parts count is manageable, and there is a lot of aftermarket support, including photo-etch sets from makers such as White Ensign Models.

Turning the kit into a late-war PT-167

A detailed build write-up on PT Boat World by modeler Alex Johnson shows what’s involved in converting the 1/72 PT-109 kit into PT-167 as it looked in 1945:

• Removing parts that don’t apply. The four torpedo tube bases were cut out and the holes filled, since late boats used roll-off racks instead of tubes.
• Smoothing the deck. The molded plank lines were sanded off. The builder notes that late Elco boats had solid plywood decks, and that on early boats the plank seams wouldn’t be visible at this scale anyway.
• Replacing molded fittings with photo-etch. Grab rails, toe rails, cleats, chocks, the instrument panel and window frames were swapped for etched brass.
• Upgrading the armament. A 40mm gun, 37mm gun, 20mm mount and Mk 13 torpedoes on roll-off racks came from aftermarket sets. The rocket launchers and an 81mm mortar were scratchbuilt from styrene and aluminum tube.
• Detail fixes. Metal propeller shafts replaced the plastic ones, and a scratchbuilt radar dome and mast were added.

You don’t have to go that far. A straight build with careful painting still looks good. But the list shows where the kit is weakest if you want a specific late-war boat.

1/35 PT boat kits

Italeri has produced 1/35 PT boats, including Elco 80 ft subjects such as PT-109 and later configurations. At about 70 cm long, they leave room for interior detail, crew figures and fine weapons. They also share a scale with 1/35 figures and accessories. Builders have converted these large Italeri boats to radio control, though that takes careful work on shafts, rudders and waterproofing.

1/24 scale PT boats: what actually exists

Searches for 1/24 scale model PT boats often end in disappointment. As far as we know, injection-molded plastic PT boat kits are mostly 1/72 and 1/35, and there isn’t a mainstream 1/24 plastic kit. At this size, PT boats are usually one of the following:

• Wooden kits from companies that make plank-on-frame or built-up hulls, sometimes intended for RC
• Radio-control projects built from published plans, often with a fiberglass or wooden hull
• Scratchbuilds by experienced modelers working from drawings and photos
• Commissioned or ready-made display models from specialist builders

If you want a metre-long PT boat, look at RC modeling forums and plan services, not plastic kit shops. You’ll also need a lot of space: at 1/24 the model needs a case of its own. For buying a finished model instead, see where to find ready-made model ships.

Painting and display tips

• Colors: Many boats wore dark green or various Navy camouflage schemes, with antifouling colors below the waterline. Schemes varied by date and theater, so match your references to the boat and period.
• Markings: Hull numbers and nicknames were often hand-painted on the real boats. Dry transfers or custom decals help when kit decals don’t cover your boat.
• Thin coats: Small boats have fine molded detail that thick paint will bury. Several light coats work better.
• Display: PT models suit a simple wooden base and a clear case. The PT-167 build mentioned above was mounted on mahogany, the same wood used in the real boats’ hulls.

Reference sources

Museum boats are the best reference for colors, fittings and scale. We list them in which PT boats still survive. For background that affects how you build and paint, see what engines PT boats used and how PT boat hulls were really built. For PT boats alongside other subjects and scales, see our plastic ship kit scale guide.