From the release of Italeri's 1/35 PT-109 modelers have been clambering for a proper crew. A few days ago I received Italeri's new PT-109 crew set in 1/35 scale. For purposes of full disclosure I was one of several who provided reference materials to Italeri, however we did not know what they were going to do with the material. We suggested both crews at rest or in combat. Italeri chose to do the former. We also suggested that the crew members be thin and casually dressed. Italeri gave us a variety of sailers from officers in Khaki to crew figures in dungarees, to shirtless and t-shirts. There are 7 figures total including two officers and five enlisted men.
Here's an example of a typical Pacific theatre crew. This is one of the photos we sent to Italeri and I think was inspiration to the sculptor they contracted to do the figures.
Here's another picture depicting the crew of PT-109
If you are looking for a dead ringer for Lt. Kennedy I don't think you're going to find it with this set. Lt. Kennedy liked many officers in the field liked to wear a fatigue cap. Fortunately Italeri included these in the kit however the officer figures heads don't include all that hair flowing out the front of his cap.
What I do like about this set is that it does give you a set of Pacific theatre PT sailors at work and rest that can translate easily to other hull numbers. While I haven't assembled the figures yet it also appears that with little work you can swap some of the parts around to get different poses. Another thing I like about this set are the separate pieces such as holsters, canteens, field glasses, etc. that can be attached to the figures creating a more realistic look than if they were molded into the figure. They can also be placed around the PT Boat.
Okay, let's take a look at what is provided in the kit.
First here's the box art front and back. Italeri suggest colors from their line of acrylic paints to use.
Instruction sheet
The complete set is molded on one piece of sprue. Here is a front and back view of the sprue.
Let's look around at the different sections of the sprue and see what we have...
This section shows some of the accessories and figures. The broom handle is too thick. I would either sand it down or scratch build your own. You may also choose to scratch build a mop head as well. Also included are gun holsters, canteens, binoculars with case, and various body parts. A single kapoc jacket is provided which I think is a bit softly molded for my taste.
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Here's the backside of that same section
This next section shows various body parts such as a crewman's arm holding a paint brush and water bucket. Also note the shirtless torso. There's even a helmet if you want to use that instead of a hat.
Here's the backside of that section.
Here's the 3rd section. More crew body parts
and backside of the 3rd section. Note the nice detail in the sailor's white hat.
And the last section. I think part A1 is supposed to represent JFK. I'm not quite sold but with some work on the sunglasses you might pull it together. Note the two officer's wheel caps.
And the backside of this sprue section
Conclusion: The original PT Boat figure set released by Italeri was a bit over dressed for the South Pacific. Crewmen on those boats were mostly half dressed and at best threw on a kapok jacket and helmet in combat. They were in forward operating areas in the worst of conditions. This is a welcome set for anyone making either the Italeri PT-596 or 109 boats not in action. The parts might be a little softly molded but are actually quite good for the price point. The separate accessories are a nice touch as well. I would recommend carefully working with caps so that they have a natural fit.
There are very few options on the market that can provide you with a crew that has the right look. Thank you Italeri for giving us a crew set that we can work with for any 1/35 Pacific based PT Boat.
Dave
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