PT Dockyards and the Straits of Hormuz

Side view of Iranian Thondar class missile boat. 

I have a lot of resin coastal vessels from PT Dockyards.  David Gregory runs a fine niche business.  Though PT Dockyards vessels take some work (and I don't work hard enough on them) I like them better than the metals from Skytrex.  Though they have the virtue of being metal, and the detail is sometimes a bit finer, the Skytrex WWII coastals and moderns seem just a little too large and solid.  And when they have flaws they really stick out.  I generally feel PT's flaws can be massaged a bit and hidden.  I do kind of wish David would go with photo-etched guns and fiddly bits which would raise the price considerably, but they would be a bit tidier than digging them out of the resin "wafer."

Daveshoe and I are working on our piles of Iranian vessels for our Straits of Hormuz game at Enfilade.  The game allows the Iranian player to select from a large number of vessel types.  Small vessels to be sure, from the speedy Boghammers armed with multiple rocket launchers, RPG's and automatic weapons, to the nasty Thondar missile boats with Chinese anti ship missiles and automatic cannon.

Nearly completed Thondar class.  My little kits didn't have complete auto-cannon, so comparison with picture may be weird. Mounted on 2 1/2 inch bases.

Boghammer fast patrol boats with China Cat missile boats in background.  Mounted on one inch square bases.

Tir stealthy torpedo boats on 1 1/2 inch bases.  Minis are done, but bases aren't finished.

I'm always at a loss when it comes to painting these little ships.  Though there are lots of photographs and even some nice color line drawings of the Iranian Navy and Revolutionary Guard Navy (the most likely early combatants in the Strait,) getting a workable paint scheme going can be a challenge.  I started with a simple spray coat of Testor's USN light gray-available at Michaels.  Then I dug deep into my paint drawers and managed to pull out some Floquil Polly S paints that still had legs.  This was great stuff, and that it is no longer available is a crime against hobbyists every where.  (Hear that Testors-fascist paint monopolists!!) I grabbed a Dark Ghost Gray and IJN Light gray.  Combined with Vallejo Neutral Gray for the decks, I had colors for my Iranian fleet. 

As you can see the vessels are all assembled and most are in various stages of painting.  I'm hoping to have them finished by the weekend and will update this post.  As I said, this is for Enfilade, and when they are done, I'll have only two large American vessels to complete for the convention.