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ť Forum Name: PT Boats - General
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ť Topic: PT Boat building "a la carte" ? ? ?
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PT Boat building "a la carte" style: Take one from column 1, one from column 2 and one from column 3 -

Here is an interesting photo I just came across. Taken from the backside of Building 21, they seem to be loading sections of the Hull onto flat cars.

I have never seen that done before or even knew they did anything like that. From everything I have learned about ELCO, this is a new one on me. What type of hull is this, 70,77, 80. Where are they going with it, and why was it built in sections.

[image]http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/ptboats/FrankAndruss/ELCOSections.jpg[/image]

Frank

Posted By: Frank J Andruss Sr | Posted on: Jan 13, 2009 - 10:46am
Total Posts: 3547 | Joined: Oct 9, 2006 - 6:09am

Frank

Its my though that these are Pre-assembly Section which will be knocked down, crated and ship elsewhere for assembly, this process is commonly used through the manufacturing sectors, even today. In the knockdown version these could be the ELCO 80 kits sent to the west coast for assembly during the war. Since the assembly company wouldn't have a complete set of ELCO's 80 foot Tool Fixtures, Jigs, Clamping Frames and all the other specialized ELCO tools. ELCO would perform the standard practice of building each part, fit and adjust those parts as needed during a Pre-assembly, account for total parts, label and number the parts, then knock-down the temporary assembly, crate the components and ship out the kits.

The parts pre-fit would be necessary to maintain integrity, since the components are all wood it would be very hard to maintain tolerances over the entire 80 foot length if you just sent parts without some type of pre-fit. Today with all of the high-tech manufacturing processes, techniques and modern materials, large section are built and shipped with out complete knockdown.

This process is still done today with aircraft and ships as a small sampling. The new Boeing 747-8 aircraft section are built and pre-assembled at Northrop's Vought Aircraft division in Hawthorne CA. Some of the parts (components) are made locally and others are shipped in from other points in the US and overseas. The parts are then, drilled, milled, bored and finished as required and assembled in small fuselage sections with skin panels attached. Most are shipped pre-assembled in special railroad box cars while others are send disassembled to Renton or Everett Washington to Boeing plants for final assembly into one giant aircraft, the 747-8. In fact this has been done for decades at Northrop and involves many different aircraft.

Dick . . . .

Posted By: Dick | Posted on: Jan 13, 2009 - 10:47am
Total Posts: 1489 | Joined: Aug 27, 2006 - 6:36pm

Fascinating Frank, thanks.

Dick, I was going to make a joke about how "they were the boats we sent to Russia, along with several drums of glue" but they might actually be. The data section here mentions "731-760 - 80' - Elco - Transferred to Russia ( Knock-down Kits)". The list also has the "362-367 - 80' - Elco Kit - Assembled by Harbor Boat Building Co." as you mentions.

Any clues as to which in the construction?

Posted By: Jeff D | Posted on: Jan 13, 2009 - 11:48am
Total Posts: 2203 | Joined: Dec 21, 2006 - 1:30am