N scale prototype shown. Production models have slight corrections to window size and rub strips.

Introduced in the mid-1960s for the US Navy, this design has been modernized and adapted for commercial service around the world, and new versions are being built today.

It can be painted as a Navy ship, or in the colorful livery of the many firms that provide harbor service around the world.

At 109′ long, these are the tugs that handle today’s larger container ships, often by two and threes.  This ship features a large, 360-degree vision pilot house, four or six rollers, capstans and towing bitts bow and stern, and collapsible masts and antennae for traversing low clearance waterways.

The kit features a cast resin hull, stack(s) and lifeboat, styrene main house and pilot house, custom railings and ladders, and all the customized deck fittings and machinery needed to build a complete model.

The kit is $115, plus $15 shipping and handling.

The kit with a built-up pilot house is $145, plus $15 shipping and handling.

Note: The pilot house structure itself is moderately difficult to build, with sharp styrene curves that cannot be hurried. It also requires a lot of manual dexterity to installI the acetate windows, which is why I recommend Kyrstal Klear for this model.

I considered compromising the design to make it easier to build, but the pilot house is a distinctive design feature, so I’ll build it for you for the extra $30 with the original order, or $35 ($30 plus $5 shipping) if I do it later. I encourage you to try it yourself and, if it doesn’t work out, let me know and I’ll build it and charge you the $30 plus $5 for the extra shipping.

A built-up model is $350, plus $40 shipping (includes a custom shipping box).