Tamiya 1:35 USN River Patrol Boat Pibber

As military movie icons go, it’s hard to beat the PBR from Apocalypse Now’s journey into Vietnam’s heart of darkness.

The little US Navy patrol craft is as much a part of the film as the stories of its fictional crew & passengers. The vessel is dwarfed by the enormity of its mission & the vast terrain it faces.

It was in an ill-fated attempt to master the winding waterways of Vietnam that the PBR found its way to the country’s river systems & deltas between 1966 & 1971.

As part of the so-called “Brown Water Navy”, the PBR was tasked with riverine patrols, reconnaissance, stop & search & the disruption of arms shipments.

In the end, a fleet of some 250 boats joined the effort on the Mekong Delta, Saigon River & other smaller tributaries.

Powered by two Detroit Diesel engines, the boat could reach 53km/h (28 knots) & lay down heavy fire thanks to its powerful on-board armaments.