Elco to Higgins PT Boat Conversion?

If you don't have a copy of the Squadron book "PT Boats in action" you might consider it. In the mean time let me go scrounge through mine and see what I can come up with

A quick thumb through on the book and I'd say your "close" as far as a starting point and scratchbuiling a hull sucks, I did it once. You have the length difference of 2 feet but you would be removing it from the Elco kit rather than adding so that's easy, but there are some rake's and angles that will need tweaking from looking at the drawings. And the deck arrangment is quite different ie the wheel house section. There is also quite a bit of difference in the aft hull angle. But again it looks like it is a good starting point. Better drawings certainly would be advisable.

Thanks. I took a look at the same Squadron book. I think the hull bow profile is too different to make the conversion. The hull is the hard part. The deck etc. item have fairly straight lines to scratch build without too much trouble.

Naval Institute Press has a book on PT Boats, Gunboats, and Small

interlibrary

Not sure if this is the book you are referencing, but this one is an excellent book...

"Allied Coastal Forces of WWII, Vol II: Vosper MTB's & U.S. Elcos" by John Lambert and Al Ross, (c)1993, ISBN 1 55750 035 5 Naval Institute Press/Conway Maritime Press

I think there's just too much difference in the hull for a conversion. The parts from the Elco might help for detail and not much else. You might want to look for the old Revell 1/96 Higgins. The outline is correct, but the fittings are often overscale.