That series had planked decks.

Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Revell-Boat-Kits-Plastic-Review/dp/1621650057%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1621650057

Joe,
I have a friend (who recently passed away)who did extensive research on the 109 and 596 boats in prep for building the Italeri 1/35 kits. He corresponded regularly with two of the PT boat associations and spoke with several PT boat veterans. The Elco boats had a wood planked deck but it was covered with a heavily painted canvas as a protection and weatherproofing. I believe there is a photo attached to this forum log which shows one with a deck shot up, exposing the deck under the canvas. Therefore, the deck planking should not be visible at all. There is a White Ensign detail set available for Revell's PT 109, and in the instructions it says to sand off the raised planking as it was covered by the canvas. It's a very detailed set, and I recommend it highly for the 1/72 kit. If you're building the 109, I recommend the National Geographic book "Collision with History", it has some good photos of early Elco Boats. VR, Russ

Russ,

Canvas decking?

Who's your late friend?

TGarth,
His name was Paul Russom, and he passed away on October 20th 2014 of cancer. Paul had been in contact with an east coast based PT boat association, and with a PT boat veterans group. He had received quite a lot of information on the early Elco boats. Paul was 68 when he passed away. He borrowed my Revell kit of the 109, and had purchased several books in anticipation of building the Italeri 596 and 109 (converted to PT 103)boats. He was starting to work on PT 103 when he passed. The discussion of the deck had come up many times since the Revell kit has an engraved deck, and he specifically asked one of the PT veterans why many photos show smooth decking without any trace of seams. The veteran told him the wood decks were overlaid at the factory with heavily painted canvas glued to the deck for weatherproofing and non-skid properties. I believe if you look at the photos Mr. Ross sent there is one of a shot up deck that exposes the underlying wood deck (light colored areas), with small pieces of the dark canvas torn away. Paul went so far as to check on a boat that was converted into a yacht here in our home town of Gig Harbor WA. This boat may have gone to Portland, Oregon and was eventually restored to its wartime appearance. He said the boat yard told him in order to convert the boat to a yacht, the canvas had to be peeled away from the decking to expose the wood, confirming what the veteran had told him. It makes sense the boats were given some sort of deck coating, given the requirement for crews to walk slippery decks while at speed. It's a shame there are not many boats surviving today, they were mostly destroyed on site by the Navy in 1945. I had the opportunity to travel to Gaudalcanal (on a military recovery mission) and Mbanika Island in the Solomon Islands many years ago. Mbanika was established as a PT boat base in 1943, and in the water off the ramp there must be 20 Packard engines and prop shafts lined up where the boats were stripped and sunk along with hundreds of Coke bottles! I had a Navy Petty Officer in my group that pointed out the entire boat ramp (constructed post war by the island residents) was made up of long PT boat prop shafts! VR,Russ

Given what they used to do pre-war, along with veteran statements, I'd go with the canvas glued to the deck.

Quoted Text

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Given what they used to do pre-war, along with veteran statements, I'd go with the canvas glued to the deck.

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The ELCO type section drawings for this group of boats do not show any exterior fabric cover. They do, however, indicate the layer of fabric and glue between the inner and outer layers of decking. The drawings for the plywood decked boats do not show the fabric covering either. The tech specs for the plywood decked boats state: Decks shall be primed, fastening holes filled with Navy formula 62 smoothing cement Navy Dept. Spec. 52C25 and finished with two coats nonskid deck paint, in accordance with latest camouflage instructions


Al Ross