Scratchbuilding a 'Nam era, Program IV, Armored Troop Carrier, "Tango" boat

Oh My!

 That is developing into Quite a formidable beast!

 There was, Back in the late 90s a company or individual selling 8 and 6 hulls in fibreglas. They showed and demonstrated them at the Golden Gate Model Yacht club Yearly event in the park. I remember I was impressed , but, I was running " Minis" at the time.

 "Minis"( By GGMYC standards) any vessel intended to be a static model out of the box in scales smaller than 1:32. Most of mine were 1/456 and 1/535-Yup, Revell and others " Box Scale" . Renwal Cruisers worked a wee bit better than Revell's though. Don't know why. 

So, despite the limited availability of Tango boat drawings, progress is being made using those that are available and what photos are around.

I drove an LCM-8 at Assault Craft Unit ONE in 1970 at USNAB Coronado and loved that boat. Sure, it really was a "pig",  but one could park that 73-footer in a 70' space (with twin screws, who needs a rudder?). My boat (LCM736) was an old steel boat, but it sure seemed more sea-worthy than the newer aluminum boats, especially when retracting and making that u-turn past the surfline.

Hi;

 Well, that is looking good. !

That's a fact. The 8 Boat is a pig! We used to bring them into the ship's well deck two at a time, married together, side by side. That was before I went diver, back in my Snipe days in the Gator Navy.

Anyway, here is the Tango Boat so far. Basic ATC hull is done, and I'm into the bow ramp sub-assembly. Now it's time to break out the Bondo .  .  . Fun, Fun, Fun !

One more thing.

      The " Slab Side" model was a bear to control as was an " 8 " boat. Didn't like the way they wallowed responding to Helm Input!

Well Yeah;

      Based on that info, mine were Mod 2 units. Still the LCM any-Mod was a useful ole cuss! Shoot, Ferry Boats, Inter-Island Cargo Boats in the Pacific ( Post-War) ( Even now in Alaska).Coast Guard Boats( Foriegn Navies) Salvage Boats, Oil Spill Skim Boats, Garbage Scows, Shallow River Freighters and Passenger Vessels, And various oceanic Offshore and Inshore command research craft too. Shall I continue?  Oh, and lastly River and Inlet Construction Service and Gravel haulers.!!!

Looks like a nice kit, lots of detail. I prefer the LCM 6 vice the 3 boat. It would be nice if they gave you the option to extend it to the 6 boat (LCM 6 Mod 0) length.

Frankly, If someone produced these commercially, as a wood kit, I'd probably pick up a couple. Aside the Tango Boat I'm building now, I could build other 'Nam era craft and models of the Navy dive boats I've run / worked off of. And then, there is the Specialty craft I'd like to build also.

Speedline Models in the UK had a 1/16th scale LCM.  

The following is my understanding, and could very well be not quite right or complete. As for the American LCM 6 landing craft, The Mod 0 is simply an LCM 3 lengthened by 6 feet. It has the same lower freeboard and raised engine cover. On the Mod 1, they raised the entire freeboard height to match the engine cover height and I believe changed the tunnel configuration. The Mod 2 brought about an engine change from the Grey Marine 64HND or HN9 to the Detroit Diesel 6-71. There may be a few other alterations among the models as they were produced by several manufacturers. Later alterations included the "slab-side" model which has no taper at the stern and an aluminum armored pilot house. I think that model also had V8-71 or V12-71 engines and kort nozzles. That thing was a beast, and almost looked like an narrow LCM 8!   

Hello!

Now isn't this a nice, no-BS-technical-dscussion! But I wouldn't be so sure if enough people gave a damn to justify a mass production of a model like this... A decent LCM6 isn't even available in 1:35 nor in 1:72... You have to stretch a LCM3 to get one - and that's what I want to do one day to build a Tango from Vietnam, but I don't I have enough place for a 1:35 version - I think it would have to be 1:72. One with a helo deck would make a very nice display with a Huey or an OH-23 for that mattter...

If you want 1:12 or 1:24 weapons, look 'em up on Shapeways for pricing - the thing is the bigger those babies are, the more they cost. Please keep in mind that most sellers are willing to rescale a model for you if thay have something that's close - I mean if you find a 1:15 Ma Deuce you like, ask the seller to do it for you in say, 1:12, and most of them can do that.

And if you could write a little about the differences between Mod 0 and Mod 1 - that could be interesting!

Good luck with that LCM6 - I think it's coming along great for now, looking forward to more WIP pictures, and have a nice day

Paweł

Until the Navy came out with the "Standard Navy Dive Boat" back in the 90's, every other dive boat I've worked off of was either a converted LCM 3, or LCM 6. Most had an auxiliary generator of some sort, and had either a fixed or modular air system, or combination thereof. Yours and my backgrounds (and many other's like us) are the reason I'd like to see a commercially produced kit, of decent RC-able size. I have no doubt that others out there would love to build their own landing craft / dive boats / work boats. And, if a company like Dumas did it, it could get popular fast. I know i'd buy at least one if not more.

Hi;

       I am well aware of the differences. But, I can tell you this, they had a long enough flat area aft in the Well-Deck that I went 10 foot forward and created a W/T bulkhead with two doors for a Generator room. Using them in Oil Spill work required the extra power.

      The thing that was most noticeable was this. Not remembering the Model numbers , the One boat had " Wet" exhaust and the Two boat had " Dry" exhaust. You sure as heck could tell the difference too!

       Boat Three, Dry Exhaust, in single stack aft of the Wheelhouse, was a great platform for Salvage work. The Crane base was in the Well-Deck just forward of the Wheel-House on the centerline. That way we could use moveable weights for stability when doing a lift Port or Starboard.

      The advantage was that if the vessel being salvaged came up in pieces we could set the stuff centerline forward of the crane in the lowest part of the boat. She didn't have the Generator room cause her engines produced enough power for that work.

      I went so far as to convert one for a friend as a live-Aboard alongside an L.C.V.P. I had done too. The V.P. Retained it's forward ramp as a " Deck" connecting it to the dock when the owner was home.

I am very aware of the configuration of the '6-boat, I used to drive one back in the day. The well deck is level from the ramp to frame 3, then angles down to frame 8, then goes level again. The other thing to be aware of, especially in conversions, is what model 6-boat you are starting with. As mine is an early model Tango Boat conversion, I'm building the LCM 6 Mod 0. Later Tango's were built on the LCM 6 Mod 1.

Aha!

    Don't forget too that the well deck drops deeper in the boat as you come aft from the bow. Also There is the thing with Armaments. Mine didn't even have hard points. Hmmm.

I had originally considered doing G.I. Joe scale (1:6), but that would have made the 6 boat model about eight foot, 4 inches long. Would be fun, but not my idea for a first time try. Instead, I went 1:12 scale / 1"= 1', for a realizable 56"'s long. Most fitting are either available or fairly easy to scratch build, but the weaps are slim. I've found .50 BMG's. but no 20mm's or M60's. Bummer. I'm wondering what the cost would be to get them 3D printed?

As for the model, I'm doing the rounded tunnels, per the LCM 6 Mod 0 drawings I have.

Now:

       Here's one for you. The Hulls don't cost that much. Get one and Scale it up. They are fairly accurate. Don't forget as well, the L.C.M had two styles of Screw Tunnels. This depended on the Navy Specs sent to and proven by the manufacturers. 

      My boats,( I had four) were unique in that respect. Two had the round tunnels and two had the squared tunnels. The round tunnel version created less of a Roostertail at speed.

      At speed of course was 6.5 Mph! It's quite comical watching a boat literally crawl along putting out a roil at the stern that looked like it should be going like a Bat outta H$&& and it could only go 8 knots max! 

      As far as equipment, most would have to be scratchbuilt, including any weapons. I don't know what scale G.I.Joe was, But I always envisioned one of my boats Rigged for Oil Spill work in that scale  - R.C.d of course

True, But I'm thinking at 1:16 and 1:12 scales, sizes suitable for RC. A 1:96 scale LCM 6 is only smaller than a shoebox. The realistic minimum would be 1:24.

Of course, in that light, I'd also like to see suitable scale accessories, weaps, etc. too.

Hi There;

     If you look around carefully on R.C.Sites you should be able to find 1/96 scale L.C.M.- 6 model hulls. I remember seeing them as far back as 1995