This is the Testors re-release of the old Hawk PT-Boat of the 1960s, advertised as 1/200 scale, but really something around 1/187. It’s a delightful kit, quite well-detailed for its age–and the fact that they were intended as essentially bathtub toys (limited parts count and no holes in the hull for things like rudders or screws, all of which had to be scratchbuilt). I thinned the bulkheads a bit and scratchbuilt the .50 cals and the aft 20mm, and added stanchions and assorted detail from wire and stretched sprue. Decals and flags from the spares box.
Hawk released these simplified “box scale” kits in the mid-late ‘60s, including a World War II Destroyer (Fletcher class, 1/668), a Coast Guard cutter (Treasury class, 1/603), LST Landing ship (1/606) and the PT-Boat. All had the characteristic exciting box-art of the era, disguising the fact that each had just a few parts and was only around 5 inches in length. They generally had a full, 1-piece hull (without props, rudders or other fittings), pretty nicely-molded deck detail, but highly simplified superstructure, slab-sided gun enclosures and featureless main weapons. Smaller guns and fittings were either non-existent or of the “shapeless blob” variety.
Testors re-released the four in the early 2000s as part of their “Easy Builder” series, basically the same kits (with much less interesting box art) and bare-minimum decals (and even retaining the old molded-on Hawk copyright markings), but in a semi-translucent white plastic instead of the original gray. I remember having seen reviews at the time, from older duffers like myself, hailing the re-release, but they must not have sold well since they seem to have gone pretty quickly into discount bins and clearance sales (where, I freely admit, I got mine).
I never bought the LST or the Fletcher, but I snapped up this PT out of curiosity, and about six of the CG Cutters for various planned projects. Unfortunately the latter require considerable reworking to correct aft deckhouse issues. Still, I hope to have Pearl Harbor survivor Roger B Taney done sometime this year, in her mid-war rig as a convoy escort sporting (4) 5” guns, the only ship of that well-used class to have that particular fitting.
I built one of the originals back in the late 60’s - early 70’s sometimes - still have the old box and parts.
I bought one of the Testor’s Easy Builders off of ebay a couple of months ago. I was surprised to see that it still had the Hawk logo inside the hull. Unfortunately it was missing the .50’s so I’ll have to scratch them as you did.
I have the old Hawk Fletcher of this series also. It’s not a very detailed kit but I just bought for ‘old times sake’ I guess.
BTW, beware of these PT’s on ebay. I saw one recently and it was the Testors kit (opaque plastic instead of the original gray plastic) in an old Hawk Box selling for nearly 50.00. Shameful really.
Again, great job and thanks for sharing. I really liked those old Hawk PT’s.
I must have built at least a dozen of those things over the years. Along with a like number of the other Hawk ship kits. Nice work! Maybe one of those PTs will work for my dream project of the “They Were Expendable” boats.
I was going to ask where you got it . I picked up a whole bunch of the Lindberg Air Force rescue boats and The little D.E in a discount bin in San Antonio . I wound up with four of the AFR boats and six of the D.E. kits along with three of the small River Towboat .That one came in two sizes at one time . Whole bunch wasn’t but - $ 9.00 !
Seems to me I remember those Hawk Kits with props and rudders the first time around .That may be wrong , but I think so . Time fogs many things and an accurate memory is one of them .
