I can't figure why so many modelers have trouble doing this, it's as easy as silly putty.

 When building models it's something important and very helpful to understand.

This makes it as simple as possible....... hope it helps someone.

If you have the real full size measurements, (in this case the m-46, 47 or 48 Patton) you divide by the scale.......

                                 in this case that's 285.

Example:

(For clarity I'll use these numbers........)

If it was 285 feet long, divide it by the scale ...... 285.

answer is 1 foot..... same thing to get the width.

If it was 28 feet and 5 inches long, convert all that into inches.....28 x 12 = 336 inches plus 5 inches = 341 inches.

divide the 341 inches by the scale...... 285

341 ÷ 285 = 1.1964912 inches

So, the answer for 28 ft 5 inches would be 1.1965 inches (rounded up to the fourth place).

Now, how to go in the other direction.

If you measure (and it's scaled correctly) the model and want to know the measurements of the real thing, you multiply the measurements of it instead of dividing.....

One half inch wide, that's .5  times the scale 285 = 142.5 inches divided by one foot (12 inches) would be 11.875 ft feet.

 Hope this helps.

                                                       ***********************************

Give a man a fish and feed him for a day,

           teach him how to fish and he can feed himself for life.

I can do it just fine, in fact, I can compute engine displacement in my head, as long as I know bore and stroke.

okay, my rude response is deleted

I did say "(the math from 1/1 down to 1/285 won't help me)"

I said that because I can compute the width of a Sherman, an M-48, M-60, M-1 etc, etc, all day long, but that won't tell me how wide the GHQ company made their models.

I guess I'll just go with Plan B, then. Just buy 5-packs of each tank until I find the lastest types that fit in these landing craft. It's only money. Which tanks will fit will determine all the other vehicles in the loadout, and that will determine what era to build the ship in. I really wanted to do 1964 off the coast of Vietnam in July before the Tonkin Gulf Incident.

forget I asked

Rex

Not the longest, but I've been on this forum exclusively for 13 years.

 In that time I've tried try to put forth information in a humorous and friendly manner. Your initial rude response was noted (yes, I saw it). What's wrong with you to go off on someone like that?  I've never received such a rude and hostile response from anyone here in all the time I've been here. The smileys that I put up with my replies are meant to convey good intentions and I frequently use the Comic Sans MS font to help add to the effect.

  Sorry that I missed the mark in what you wanted. You could have said, "Hey thanks, I understand all that but it isn't exactly what I was looking for".

 I don't know you or your background, but I did spend a bit of time typing that up to help you or others ..... no one else did.

 Hopefully, this will at least help others that may have a problem with scaling.

 We're all here to encourage, help and learn from each other. I'm also sorry again if I hurt your feelings or possibly made you feel insecure or deficient in your mental abilities.

 Since you can't seem to understand when someone is trying to be helpful and also being that you lack any humility whatsoever, I will forget that you asked for assistance (that you obviously didn't need) and ignore any future postings or replies that include your name. You apparently have some anger issues and your bullying attitude would probably only contain more of your preliterate idioms. I'll just bet that when you get mad, you probably can't even spell correctly.

 It's tragic to see a crusty old blow hard

             finish their life out with such childish insecurity.

                         So, good bye kiddy. ............. you are now forgotten.

I got something for you

Instead of insulting someone and then getting bent out of shape because they call you on it,,,,,,how about this

Get you one O' them thar readin' comprehendin' klasses

yeah, you took the time,,,,,,to shout out in bold type to COMPLETELY miss the point of my query

I tutored tech math, business math, economics and accounting while taking my college courses back in the eighties,,,,,,,so, I very CLEARLY stated that the 1/1 to 1/285 math wouldn't help me, and that I needed to know the dimension ACTUALLY chosen by the model company

now, I know, I know,,,,,,I am "in the wrong" for considering your condescending BS as unhelpful,,,,,

awww, forget it,,,this just isn't worth it,,,,,,,you are RIGHT, because you typed,,,,,,I am wrong because you don't understand that no matter what something calculates out to doesn't matter if you are trying to fit an actual object that you don't have into an actual object that you do have.

I know, I was supposed to thank you profusely, and let everyone else that read this think that I got a highly intelligent answer, and then go buy 5 packs of tanks until I know what era I can build the ship in.

well, here you go, the real answer to "how do you compute scale" (which is not what I asked), is far simpler than your answer

it is "Scale multiplied by Dimension equals Scale Dimension" ie: "1/285 Times 285 Feet equals 1 Foot",,,,,,then you have to sort of assume that the person isn't measuring in feet and inches and trying to get an answer in oranges and apples

I can't wait until I see you ask for a measured item on a forum,,,,,I will "help you" a ton, lol,,,,,,,and then of course flip it onto you when my condescension offends you

Rex

While I still own some of the GHQ WWII armor purchased during the 1980s, I do not have their modern line.

One problem with so many hobby shops going belly up is that I didn't realize that GHQ was still in business, much less operated a website.

Even a GHQ forum turned up on the website.

Hopefully, someone in that forum would have the modern armor and be able to give you the information you need.

http://www.ghqmodels.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=fe40c7727388a8c388d367eb190f0d49

If you can wait until tomorrow, I have a large collection of micro armor, although it's been ages since I went through them so I am not sure if I have M46/47 Pattons. I know I have Shermans, M60s, M1s etc.

I've just seen this message (1:30 PM) and am heading off to work and won't get back until 1 AM so my morning begins after 9:30 AM.

Thanks Sprue and Rob

Rob, I think I can get a close enough feel by knowing the width of their M60 and their Sherman, if you don't have a Patton. (I would just extrapolate an M47 width from those two datum)

Bob was only a Cpl in July 1964, with artillery before going to Memphis to get started in Navair. I thought a Tortuga with all the Landing Craft filled would be a cool model for him to have, since the 1/288 LSD is same class and markings.

There is another option, GHQ lists an LCM with Sherman on their site, but, that shoves me back to WW II again, unless those LCMs have sufficient clearance for wider tanks to be carried.  But at $10 each from their site, I would sooner just give these plastic ones a load of Stuarts and Jeeps to invade Vietnam with, lol. ( I would have to waste a Sherman each time I put something else in the LC's, also)

Rex

Rex: When you finish her I hope you'll post some photos over in the ships section. I had an uncle who served on a LST back in the Second World War and I bought a resin kit of his ship but it's been just sitting around since I really don't know much about the subject and don't want to screw it up.

Gamera, here are some LST/LSD links that you might find useful.

www.navsource.org/.../phibidx.htm

www.mightymidgets.org/page9.htm

you have to scroll down on this one to Landing Ships www.ibiblio.org/.../USN-ships.html

there is or was a Landing Craft/Landing Ship Association web page, but, I don't see it on my bookmarks

Rex

Thanks a bundle Rex!

Will be bookmarking them when I get home. 

I didn't locate my WW2 set, so if I had an M26, it would have been in that case. The M60 AVLB has a chassis of 1" long (fender to fender) and ½" wide.

Thanks Rob.

I did come up with a "plan C" if the tanks turned out to be too wide for my LC's. I can just scratch together an LCU, and either make multiples as I do it, or pull a mold and make copies. (or both depending on the shapes. Then put "little stuff" into these LC's to go in the well deck, to the maximum pattern in "Invasion condition" (which is different from the transport condition for transit across the ocean)

Okay, your measurements saved me some money, I will just get samples to work with for now.

When I buy my MEF, I will check this section of the forum for painting info for all the AFV's.

Thanks again

Rex

Yeah, this problem needs to be "worked" the other way around.  

Really, the only issue is you can get LCM- or LCM-9 in that scale.  LCU and LCU(L) are really going to be the main LC used.

The well deck dimensions are not the restriction--it's the weight.  Rge well deck of a LCM-3 is larger than a Sherman, but attempting to fit one aboard would only be an exercise in how to learn rather considered profanity and expletives from the coxswain of said boat (even more so if  a CPO--E-7).

I found some pages on the GHQ site that will help me. I wasn't going to "rivet count" the Landing Craft, just do a "modeler's depiction". (If I could get a Vietnam era tank into it, it was going to be a "landing craft with a tank in it", I wasn't going to worry about "make, model and year")

But, I can let my "inner Rivet Counter" run free, ever since I found the Tortuga history pages and the Landing Craft and Riverine pages on GHQ. They make an LCM-8, along with the LCM-3s, and they have PBRs, PACVs etc.

So,  a mixed load, LCM-8s with "Patton sized" things, LCM-3s with "Truck stuff", the kit's LCVP with "jeep stuff", and some of the Riverine stuff, including one PACV.

I'll install the temporary flight deck/vehicle deck and one Helo. PE and guns were already covered by the ship model parts people. That vehicle deck will allow even more vehicles to show when the model is done.

I will end up with a sort of "Vietnam mission combo" model in the end,,,,,,,,,and will probably spend more time on the AFVs and LCs than on the ship itself.

I will even place a couple of Ontos here and there on the ship. (his favorite "tank"   ) , just to see if he spots them.

Rex