Calling all USN Landing Craft Utility (LCU) & Land Craft Mechanized (LCM) fans

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Expand view Topic review: Calling all USN Landing Craft Utility (LCU) & Land Craft Mechanized (LCM) fans

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by Diver type » Tue Jan 10, 2023 10:25 pm

I have been trying to convince Dumas Products to make a 56' LCM-6 kit, to no avail as of yet. I'd think that it would sell well as that particular craft is/was used so widely, from plain landing craft to base structures for Vietnam era riverine craft, to more modern harbor craft.

"Come on, Dumas, get with it!!"

Now, to clarify, there are several different LCM's out there, and in the last number of posts I'm seeing a mix of boats all mentioned as LCM's as if they were all the same boats. As an example, the boats built for the APA model are LCM-3's, and are (the real ones) 50 feet long and 14 feet wide. LCM-6's are 56' long and 14' wide. There are also like three different types of LCM-6's (Mod 0, Mod 1, and Mod 2) and are fairly easy to tell apart. LCM-8's are about 73 feet long and 21 feet wide. They are all generically called 'Mike' boats.

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by Fliger747 » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:20 pm

Thanks DH! Song is my inspiration for scratch building, I even tried replicating his feat of hand carving anchor chains, with lesser result. These auxiliaries, especially the amphibious gator navy were very busy with the business of war without a lot of time for anything else and aren't very square away which is some of their charm. They always seem to look like they pulled out of the yard with all the workers still busy with half finished projects. If there is a bare square inch, then I forgot something.

Cheers: Tom

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by dhenning » Fri Sep 18, 2020 9:33 pm

Fantastic work Tom! I have been following your build of the APA as well. Great craftsmanship and amazing that you are dedicated to scratchbuilding everything.

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by Fliger747 » Fri Sep 18, 2020 11:35 am

I have been working for some time on USS Randall, APA 224. The ship is completely scratch built in all pieces and parts. On the number 5 hatch sit two LCM's. Here they are, in 1:120 scale, made from basswood, Strathmore paper, styrene and wire.
LCM.jpg
The ship project is in the Scratchbuilds section.

Cheers: Tom

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by JoeP » Sat Jun 20, 2020 2:43 pm

If people are still looking you might find what you need on the Shapeways site.
I will be ordering some LCM-6s for a BB-LPH build someday, and I know there are manufacturers who offer Vietnam-era L-vessels.

JoeP

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by dhenning » Thu Jun 11, 2020 7:34 pm

Looking for plans/drawings of an LCM-8 from the 50s or 60s that would have seen service in Vietnam. So far, the only thing that I have been able to find are the overhead and side view in the Small Boats of the Navy booklet on the Historic Naval Ships Association website. Considering building one for a coworker's father in law who served on them with the Brown Water Navy in Vietnam.

Thanks for the assistance,
Dave

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by ShangHist » Tue Aug 25, 2015 11:42 am

I am interested in building Gitmo Ferry # 98 in 1/48 scale. She was converted from a 1610-class. A Google search has only turned up simple line drawings (overhead and starboard side). Are more detailed hull drawings available? Floating Drydock only lists drawings for the 119-foot boats.

Thanks,

Bob

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by jepot » Tue May 13, 2014 7:46 am

jepot wrote:
jepot wrote: Image
after 6 years of slooow work...

Image

Tadah! well, almost..... :heh:

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by NukeMM » Thu Apr 24, 2014 10:10 pm

Michael Potter wrote:Are 1/700 LCU and LCM-8 craft available from any source?
Is 7 years later too, late, Michael?

I released these at Back-Aft Models, last year.

Review - http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... eview.html

Image

Image

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by jepot » Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:30 am

jepot wrote:almost 2 years since a post here, hmm time to ramp it up a bit...
.... the LCU 1466 being sloooowly converted ...

Image
:cool_2:
slooowly seens to be an understatement for this project but still the outcome will be worth the wait, me thinks....

Image

some sloooooooow progress on the LCU.... :bash_2:

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by jepot » Sun Oct 16, 2011 9:03 am

,,,and its now a little ferry boat used at the main Philippine Navy operating base to the Headquarters, a converted LCM6..

Image

a quick but eye straining build... :cool_2:

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by jepot » Sun Oct 02, 2011 10:10 pm

almost 2 years since a post here, hmm time to ramp it up a bit...

ignore the tugboat- the LCU 1466 being sloooowly converted and found 2 LCM6's in my stash- and making them into an interesting local topic that hopefully will be a quick build...

Image
:cool_2:

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by commodore4 » Sat Dec 26, 2009 9:56 pm

Hi I happen to have a very slightly detailed set of plans of the "round tunnel" LCM 6 that was used by many firms as coastal oil spill response vessels.The one I worked on was converted with LORI gear and she was as unique as her sister.The thing I learned is,they ride rough, roll a lot ,and don,t go to fast.The hull plan is good enough to make her as fitted out by the NAVY.There are a lot of them and LCM8s that have lived through many conversions.I would like to see a good 1/72 model,with the correct parts.I have one hull started and I am going to do both the OSRV SQUEEGEE and the OSRV SPONGE.They could be seen if you had lunch in CROCKETT ,CALIFORNIA at the NANTUCKET restaurant.They were right there in the harbor owned by CROCKETT MARINE.Now they were workboats !!,but even the untrained eye could tell them apart,once they fired up their engines. One had wet exhausts and the other dry, boy,could you tell the difference!. Power -GMC marine engines with turbos!!They were old ,but, valuable OLD vessels. commodore4

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by packy » Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:36 pm

:wave_1:

Re: Calling all LCU Fans!

by jepot » Tue Dec 08, 2009 9:48 pm

im in the process of making or rather converting one- again if i have the time...check out one of my posts- its a 1/700 scale modified LCU to a 1466 type...

Calling all LCU Fans!

by wvan0901 » Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:59 pm

Am going to scratch build a 1/97 model of a 1466 class Landing Craft Utility I sailied on while in U. S. Army. Anyboby else ever did onw?

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by jepot » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:37 pm

jepot wrote:Im also trying to make another floating clinic from the hull of an LCI of a skywave kit into an LCU...later on that if i find the time to finish it...

:smallsmile:

this is what i was talking about...cant find the time to finish is...

Image

Re: Calling all US Navy LCU & LCM fans

by jepot » Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:47 pm

Sometime last year, I made this from a 1/720 scale i think LCM supplied from i believe a Revell iwo Jima i had eons ago:

Image

Image

i modfied the kit to look like a floating clinic the Philippine Navy had back in the 1970s, ther RPS DAKILA (TK-82).

Im also trying to make another floating clinic from the hull of an LCI of a skywave kit into an LCU...later on that if i find the time to finish it...

:smallsmile:

Re: Questions about LCMs

by les » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:58 am

I painted mine OD as it was a training boat for the Army. Most of them I've seen built go with grey.

Questions about LCMs

by Sherman Guy » Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:58 pm

I just started working on a LCM in 1/35 scale. Is the bottom just as wavy and the sides? How beat up did these boats get? Did the the US Navy put camo on any in Europe? Was the paint dark gray, or kinda blue?

Thanks for any help.
Jeff

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