There aren't a lot of kits of USCG subjects around (the only plastic ones I know of are the Glencoe lifeboat, Lindberg 95' Cape-class, Revell's Campbell and Eastwind, and the Testors/Hawk 1/600 Secretary-class cutter). But I thought a CASF thread might be useful as reference material and information can be hard to find, even for current types.
The USCG's official website has a library of images at
http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=77427 including many high-res, detailed photos of vessels currently in service.
http://www.fredsplace.org is another good source of photos (including archive photos of older cutters)
I started this thread as I'm currently working on a 1/48 radio-controlled model of a 110' Island-class WPB - this is based on a "ready-to-run" commercial model with replacement motors, the model is very basic I'm having to replace most of the fittings with scratchbuilt parts. Photos from the USCG website (link above) have been invaluable for reference material, but I've a couple of questions about the Island-class WPBs :
- There are two boxlike objects on the aft deck which are (in all the photos I've seen) covered with red or blue tarpaulin covers. What are these? I'm guessing that they are storage lockers for the aft .50 MG tripod mounts (the same blue or red covers can be seen on the other gun positions) but this is just a guess. I haven't found any close-up photos of the aft deck area so far.
- Are there any photos available - online or in print - of the bridge area? (Not the enclosed wheelhouse, the open bridge beneath the mast). This area is quite visible on the model so I don't really want to rely on guesswork for the instrument types + locations!