Giant PT Boat Plan, 1:16 Scale

Skill level: Advanced

This giant PT boat plan came about as a result of several people asking questions about how to enlarge the smaller semi scale Elco PT boat plans that have been available on this site for a while. If you like them large, this may be the foundation of your next project.

A Few Notes

PDF files, as I've learned, are a bit quirky when it comes to enlarging, so being stuck between a lack of control and a sense of responsibility I created this plan set.

Before going any further, realize this is the 1:32 scale plan at double the size, so the propeller shaft, rudder, motor etc shown on the plan are not necessary realistic for this size build, so be prepared to engineer a lot of that on your own.

I would also recommend that some thought is put into the motor installation well before the planking goes on. It will take a good amount of power to get this boat moving, so having a solid structure to hang the power plant onto is key both for building and operating.

The Plan

I have broken down the plan into three sheets, each 36 x 72 inches. In doing so, I was able to lay out the "chine shelf" template in full (as opposed to just one half on the smaller plans). I believe this is a great help as the most probable material for this build is plywood, and you now have the option to cut it out in one large piece directly from the template.

Below is a preview of the three sheets. The quality of this tiny image doesn't make it justice, but it should give you a good idea of what is included.

Summing Up the Giant PT Boat Plan

• Skill Level: Advanced. In a short period of time I got a handful requests or questions about how to enlarge the smaller plans. This is a blown up version (double size) of the 1:32 version, only laid out differently to fit the common 36" wide paper common in large format printers. I have made no changes from the smaller plan in regards accommodation for power plant and such. So that's where the builder will have to apply himself (or herself).

• The plan consists of three sheets 36" x 72". Make sure your local print shop is capable of printing this format. It may be problematic in countries where the ISO paper standard is prevalent.

• At this size we're surpassed balsa and basswood. Use good quality plywood and hardwood stringers.

• This boat would do best sealed with epoxy and good quality fiberglass.

• The 1:16 PT boat will measure about 61 inches long by 16 wide (1.5m x 0.4m) and weigh about 24 pounds (11kg).

• I've never built a boat this big, so I can't say exactly what power plant would work best. It's certainly big enough to take on a serious IC engine such as the popular 26cc weed-eater type engines or some monster brushless motors. Whichever you decide, you will most likely have to think ahead and strengthen the hull before it is planked so the motor support is well integrated into the hull. For "Scale speed" the combined power requirement is at least one horse (calculated), but even that sounds like a low estimate given the weight.

• I'm very curious as to the response I will get from this giant plan. If you have comments or questions, I'd like to hear them. Use the contact form (see left column towards the bottom). Thanks.

Building Tips

Before you embark on this project, realize I have not built this boat and can only offer my experience from the much smaller 1:32 Pt boat. Having said that, I see no reason this much bigger PT boat couldn't be built in the same fashion, only with plywood instead of balsa.

So to give you a heads start, feel free to browse the build log of the smaller PT boat here:

Part One: PT 109 RC model - Background & build kick-off.

Part Two: Assemble the Hull structure.

Part Three: Planking the hull.

Part Four: Adding hatch coaming and deck.

Part Six: Building the Deck Houses.

Part Seven: Building the MG turrets.

If you're interested in either of the two smaller versions of this PT boat design you can find more information about the plans here.

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