Soviet Motor Torpedo Boat
by Gil Gonsoulin
The G5 Soviet Motor Torpedo Boat was designed by Andrei Tupolev. It looked like a large float that would be used on a float plane.
The boat was constructed of duralumin which made the boat light. However, duralumin is highly susceptible to galvanic corrosion when used in salt water.
During the summer the boat could only be kept in the water for 5-7 days. In the winter it could be increased to 10-15 days. After that they would have to be removed from the water and the hull would need to be treated with anti-corrosion measures.
The boats were fast with a top speed of 52 MPH. But the minimum speed of 21 mph created a problem when mooring. They carried two torpedoes and a variety of machine guns and/or rocket launchers.
The kit is from Merit. It is well molded with good details. No interior is supplied , which leaves some very large gaping holes looking all the way through to the bottom of the boat.
I could not find any pictures of the interior. So you have to use your imagination and make the interior from your parts box. Since no figures are provided, it’s another trip back to the parts box.
The model was painted with Tamiya and Floquil paints and weathered with Model Master and Ak paints. Water effects were done using various Liquitex products.
Gil’s model won an eagle at Eagle Quest.
Photos by Jeff Junker