Gents,
Especially Tread.......anyone have some really good info on the LCM's ? As I stated in an earlier post, I have Friedman's book. But this has limited pictures and NO internal diagrams.

If I'm going to really get carried away, I need some diagrams of how the Mike 3 boats were modded. The I could really get carried away with detailing. As always, I'm more than willing to pay for reproduction, etc. So if anyone has some good info to share, or even books, etc. to recommend, please drop a line. We can all use some help, and maybe more modelers will join in.

Thanks in advance.................................................Bruce

Hi Gordon

Now that is a little tid bit of info I would love to find out a bit more about too!

Dus

Hi Murphy

I would like us to remain within the timeframe with this one.

Also if you want to change things a bit and you have access to accounts of unofficial modificactions and such like feel free to make 'em. There must have been loads of changes made to the 'standard'.

Cheers
Dus

Ok Guys

Roll call so far: Murphy, Kenny, Bruce, Mark, Rui, Gordon, Steven and Me.

WELCOME ABOARD SHIPMATES!

As some of you chaps have mentioned we need to get to a minimum of ten participants to get this campaign rolling, so if you know any guys who may be interested please let 'em know.
I am going to post on the Armorama board in case any of the lads over there are interested in building an amphib or diorama (Or indeed maybe they might with to build a 'floaty thing'?! ).

Sorry 'bout the delay in replying, was at a model show in Folkestone (UK)yesterday, bit of a late finish.

Any questions, info requests anything, drop me a line!

PS Gordon, I thought you might be up for this campaign!
:-) :-)

Cheers
Dus

Me thinks I can have somethin done by Jan................... OOB or Scrath IDK yet.... but somethin will progress...........

Welcome aboard Dave, Matt and 'imodeller'(sorry I don't know your name).

Just been informed by Gunny that we have got the minimum entrants and this is now in the demarkation zone.

Looking good for July 1st gentlemen!

Cheers
Dus

Welcome aboard Gino!

Dus

Here are some BWN/Riverine/PBR related sites that I researched while working on my 1st PBR, thought you guys may find them useful.

http://www.brownwater-navy.com/vietnam/BoatsPBR.htm
http://my.eiis.net/cmart/
http://www.pbr-fva.org/betasite/
http://www.pbrmb1.org/
http://www.tf116.org/
http://www.warboats.org/pbr.htm

Steven

Fellow River Rat Modelers,
Ahhhh well................. a little research goes a long way. Earlier I had put out a post about the LCM 3 "Mike Boats".....Wrong ! The LCM 3 boats were WWII vintage. In 1959, the US replaced them with the LCM 6 & 8. So what, you ask ? Well, it depends just how correct you want to be in your modelling. The French did modify and use LCM 3's in Vietnam, but the US boats were generally the bigger boats. The Trumpeter and DML in the various scales are of the -3. So now we have some mods just to get to the 6 or 8.....nahhhh, not for this Ole Jarhead.

But...... the French made some neat mods to the basic LCVP, and used them all over the place. Now this shows quite a bit of promise. Very little is shown on the Naval War in Nam - even less about the French Navy....soooo, this could be extremely interesting.

As always, if I can be of any assistance to anyone, just give a shout. See Ya later..................Bruce

Howdy Frigate,

You said earlier....." ...Gents,
Especially Tread.......anyone have some really good info on the LCM's ?... "

Here's some quick, and hopefully useful information on the LCM's

Here is a pic of a WWII vintage LCM (3)



And here are the stats for the above configuration of the early LCM (3)

Displacement: 26 tons; (52 tons, loaded)
Length: 50'
Beam: 14'1"
Draft: 3' forward, 4' aft
Speed: 8 knots
Armament: 2 .50-caliber mg
Complement: 4 crew; 60 troops, or 1 30 ton tank, or 30 tons of cargo
(2) 110-225 hp. Diesels engines; twin screws


Now, on to the LCM (6). This craft was the original LCM (3) hull that was lengthend by approx. 6 linear feet. The added section was almost exactly amidships and fairly easy to see in the photograph below by the darker, unpainted section in the middle of the craft.



The statistics for the larger and more powerful LCM (6) configuration are as follows:

Powerplant:
Version 1) 2 Detroit 6-71 Diesel engines, twin shaft, 348 horsepower
Version 2) 2 Detroit 8V-71 Diesel engines, twin shaft, 460 horsepower
Length: 56.2 feet (17.1 meters)
Beam: 14 feet (4.3 meters)
Displacement: 64 tons (65 metric tons)
Max Speed: 9 knots (10.3 mph, 16.6 kmph)
Max Range: 130 miles at 9 knots
Military Lift: 34 tons (34.6 metric tons) or 80 troops
Crew: 5

Finally, there is the LCM (8), which was still essentially the LCM (3), only this time lengthened even more to a total of 8 linear feet amidships. The engines were more powerful, and there was also the addition of port and starboard floatation 'blister' extensions. Hence the increase in Beam, and Displacement.

The stats for this vessel are as follows:

Powerplant:
2 Detroit 12V-71 Diesel engines, twin shaft, 680 horsepower sustained, Kort nozzles
Length: 73.7 feet (22.5 meters)
Beam: 21 feet (6.4 meters)
Displacement: 105 tons (107 metric tons)
Max Speed: 12 knots (13.8 mph, 22.2 kmph)
Max Range: 190 miles at 9 knots (full load)
Military Lift: 1 M48 or 1 M60 tank or 200 troops
Crew: 4

Hope all of the above is of some help.....

Tread.

I'm happy to report
that I couldn't find my sampan....
but managed to find one on line. :-)

................how about the headgear?

I believe it comes with a piece of headgear. :-)

Grumpy in the hat should be our mascot!

Tread,
Thank you for the information on the LCM's. That is quite a help for everyone. The mods that were accomplished on these boats have got to be the most interesting part of the research and build for this campaign.

I have no doubt this will be an extremely popular build once we really get going. Thanks again, Bruce

I agree, Thanks for the LCM info tread.
If anybody doesn't fancy elongating the hull on the Trumpeter or Italeri LCM3's then check out the French types, they had a number in service during the Indochina war.

Must say that I am undecided between a PBR (Tamiya 1/35th) and a Helo pad equipped LCM6 (sorry don't remember the exact designation, but have a photo in one of my books) with a Huey on top!
Any plans out there fella's?

Cheers
Dus

Swift boat for me. I love the armament package.

Kenny

Count me in! Lots and lots to scratch-build and kit-bash! Some of you may have seen my PACV dio. Jump start - got 2 Monitors, Swift Boat and ASPB all under way - all in 1/35th - will post pics when possible to show progress.

Whoa Dave,
A 1/35th scale Swift Boat ? Now we're REALLY getting into size !!! I thought the PBR is big enough in that scale, but the Swift will dwarf that. It is a shame the kits from Viking models didn't continue. Granted, they were resin, and of mixed quality. But I have the LSSC and PBR in 1/72nd scale, and they are doable.

Actually 1/72nd would be a good scale for the Swift. Plus then we could always carry on to the SeaFox then the Mark III, and now the Mark V. Who knows whatever the latest examples are, the Mk V has been out for a while now.

But we'll leave the modern day stuff for another group build in the future. For me, it's back to researching the French Navy and their mods. Keep the ideas and info coming, gang, it will just get more interested....Bruce

Hi Dave

Glad you are up for the campaign, be sure and sign up

Just one point, the campaign starts on July 1st, so don't start building your entry until then mate.

Cheers
Dus

Ok Guys

State of play so far, we have 17 people signed up.
They are as follows
cfbush2000
Cuhail
Frigate
gator
Grumpyoldman
Gunny
Havoc
HeavyArty
imodeller
matt
mother
Sabot
sahariana
SGTJKJ
skipper
TreadHead
Vulcan20

Great to have you guys aboard!
It would be good if we can all pass on the word to any likeminded modellers.

Cheers
Dus