By Richard Sliwka
1/350 USS Erie PG-50 Gunboat (Iron Shipwright)
Iron Shipwright's USS Charleston kit was the starting point for this USS Erie model. The ISW kit represents the Charleston in its mid-war configuration; but, I preferred the Erie in its prewar-war, 1940, configuration. My references were Floating Drydock's 1/96 scale plans reduced to 1/350 scale, two 11" x 14" US Naval Institute photos, and Friedman's U.S. Cruisers photos.
Major modifications were the mid-ship aircraft/boat deck, the aft superstructure, and the masts. The entire aircraft/boat was replaced with one constructed for .015" sheet plastic and .010" x .018" brass bar. The deck side supports were the most difficult aspect since they actually support the deck and had to still appear realistic. I used .010" plastic with brass bar for extra strength. The tall aft structure (actually a storage "hanger" for a disassembled float plane) was fabricated from scrap resin with the handling booms/pulleys scratch-built from brass rods and plastic. The masts with their various out-rigging supports were scratch-built from brass rods/tubing/flat bar and misc. spare photo-etch shapes. Rigging was .002" dia. (halyards), .003" dia. (radio) and .004" dia. (support) nylon fishing line. The 6" 47cal. guns/shields were kit parts with Steve Nuttall brass barrels. Yankee Model Works 1.1" quad mounts/26' launches, WEM's Seagull float plane, and L'Arsenal's 26' whaleboats were also used. The 36' personnel boat was an ISW 40' boat with about 1/8" removed. Other scratch-built items were the saluting guns. 6" practice loading gun, forward leadman platform, signal lamps, etc. All kit splinter shielding was replaced with L'Arsenal railing. Model Master Acyrl #5 Standard Gray and Poly Scale Deck Tan paints were used. Construction time was approx. 225 hours.
