# PT Boat Info



## Nova Mike (Apr 26, 2009)

Please forgive the uneducated questions, but I remember in my youth a model of PT73 from the McHale's Navy tv show, I think from Revell. Do not believe it is still available but my question is, was it based on a British design and what modifications made it different from the More recognized PT design such as 109 or 72
I would like to build one from a stock kit if it can be done. My thanks to anyone who can help.

Mike


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

from imdb



> The vessel used for shots of the PT-73 under way was a 72-foot type II Vosper MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat), a British design built under license in the U.S. for export to Russia. The war ended in August 1945 before the boat, the real number of which was PT-694, could be sent to the Soviet Union. The boat was then purchased by Howard Hughes and used as a chase boat for the one and only flight of his Spruce Goose aircraft. The boat was then sold to the studio - as there were few other real PT boats left in existence at the time - and some liberties were taken in reconfiguring it to look like a PT Boat. Vosper PT's did not have machine gun turrets on either side of the pilot house (though ironically the real PT-73, a Higgins design did) as the PT-73 in the show did. Other irregularities are the main mast aft and a small mast right in front of the cockpit. Shots of the crew aboard the PT-73 were filmed on a full-scale mock-up in a soundstage. "PT-73" was later sold to the mayor of Hawthorne, California, and was converted to a sport fishing boat. It was later destroyed when it broke loose of its mooring near Santa Barbara and washed up on the beach during a storm. The real PT-73 was a 78-foot Higgins boat assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 13, which saw service in the Aleutians and in the Southwest Pacific theater. On 15 January, 1945 it ran aground, and was destroyed to prevent it falling into enemy hands.


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## Nova Mike (Apr 26, 2009)

Thanks Steve, this is great:wave:


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

s'ok. Both McHale's Navy and PT109 fascinate me.

edit: as does the Spruce Goose. Seems plywood airplanes and boats have an affinity for each other.

IMDB has links to the episodes on hulu. pretty cool. Just watched the premiere of McHale's Navy...


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

It's a bit ironoic because some one else has a thread about pt boats over on SSM and I posted this very same link over there. www.savetheptboatinc.com
Hope that helps.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Isn't it true that the PT-73 used in filming McHale's Navy was a half-scale working model built for the show? I'd heard that decades ago. And she sure don't look 72 feet long in the dock scenes on the show!


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

On a PT note, the reason they all made that rumbling sound is because their exaust was under the water.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Revell made the McHales Navy boat... and you are in luck, they still sell the kit!

The TV show boat was actually a Vosper boat, and Revell sells the kit today as the Vosper. It still has the Ernest Bornine figure inside!... The mold was altered slightly (radar or something) but its essentially the same kit.

http://www.ptboatworld.com/VosperMTB/BritishVosperMTB-1.jpg


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## Nova Mike (Apr 26, 2009)

djnick66 said:


> Revell made the McHales Navy boat... and you are in luck, they still sell the kit!
> 
> Great news thanks for the tip and link:thumbsup:. I am ordering it tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who commented, I tried the Hulu site for the episode clips but they do not work outside the States, just wanted to see the modifications they made for the show. Again many thanks.:wave:
> 
> Mike


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## GForceSS (Feb 2, 2009)

John P said:


> Isn't it true that the PT-73 used in filming McHale's Navy was a half-scale working model built for the show? I'd heard that decades ago. And she sure don't look 72 feet long in the dock scenes on the show!


I went to Universal Studios as a kid and toured McHales Island. The boat looked full size huge to me as it took up the entire lagoon. The boat was always shown from one side at the time because on the other side they had it painted as a camo'ed German E boat for God knows what. I have photos of it I took somewhere but I'm sure there crap as I was probably 10 or 11 at the time.


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## Nova Mike (Apr 26, 2009)

djnick66 said:


> Revell made the McHales Navy boat... and you are in luck, they still sell the kit!
> 
> Darn, checked with my local model shop and Revell has discontinued it. looks like the hunt is on to find any old stock left. Thanks for all the info.:wave:


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## Antimatter (Feb 16, 2008)

Here are some on Ebay:

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=vosper+revell&_sacat=See-All-Categories


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## Nova Mike (Apr 26, 2009)

Antimatter said:


> Here are some on Ebay:
> 
> 
> Thanks so much for your help, I have placed an order and hope for the best.:wave:


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## iamweasel (Aug 14, 2000)

I just picked up the Vosper kit and sure enough there is ole Mchale on the sprues. I never actually figured PT 73 was anything other then a Hollywood prop.
Thanks for the info on this kit.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

I remeber seeing an image of this particular "prop" sitting in the back of a studio lot a few years ago.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Mike; if you don't have any luck, I have last year's re-isue of PT212 it's a "Higgins" boat, but it would "get you in the water"...lol

Steve


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## Nova Mike (Apr 26, 2009)

steve123 said:


> Mike; if you don't have any luck, I have last year's re-isue of PT212 it's a "Higgins" boat, but it would "get you in the water"...lol
> 
> Thanks Steve, I have ordered one through ebay should be here next week, if not, I will contact you about yours. many thanks:wave:
> 
> Mike


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