Author Topic: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC  (Read 11037 times)

Offline LemonJello

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Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« on: February 05, 2019, 09:41:58 AM »
I'm in the early design stages with this one.  Photos to follow once I have something to show.

Base kit is the Trumpeter 1/144 LCAC (JMSDF version).  It's getting scaled up to 1/35.  I plan to use many of the original parts to detail the sheet styrene superstructure.

Armament will be a remote weapons station and some TOW launchers taken from a 1/35 AH-1W. 

Offline finsrin

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2019, 11:58:31 AM »
Large scale change.  Concept sounds sound !

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2019, 12:36:51 PM »
Sounds like the PGAC from Seafighter by James Cobb.

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2019, 05:06:16 AM »
It's gonna take a bit for this lily-livered civilian to parse all that alphabet soup but I'm right pleased you're joining in the fun, Mr Jello!

Your models are always an inspiration!

Brian da Basher

Offline Steve Blazo

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2019, 09:13:45 PM »
The SLB Heavy Industries spies will be watching ...... :icon_ninja: :icon_ninja:
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Offline jcf

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #5 on: February 07, 2019, 02:58:05 AM »
How are you going to deal with the shallow skirt? I looked at doing something similar
but the skirt just doesn't scale, it needs to be three to four times deeper to look right.
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Offline LemonJello

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #6 on: February 07, 2019, 03:30:44 AM »
How are you going to deal with the shallow skirt? I looked at doing something similar
but the skirt just doesn't scale, it needs to be three to four times deeper to look right.

I remember you mentioning that previously. It was the first thing that struck me when I started perusing the sprues.  That, and the fans may be woefully small for the primary engines when I scale this up.

My first inclination it to just say "to heck with it, it's shown deflated" but I've also considered trying to make something more convincing...suggestions are most welcome.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #7 on: February 07, 2019, 03:35:40 AM »
Use the 1/72 kit of it instead maybe ?

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #8 on: February 07, 2019, 03:41:43 AM »
Use the 1/72 kit of it instead maybe ?

That may be a future project.  I figured I'd start with the 1/144th one and see what the possibilities are before committing to the larger scale.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #9 on: February 07, 2019, 09:49:56 AM »
Suitable rubber or soft plastic tubing might be useful.

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #10 on: February 07, 2019, 09:52:33 PM »
You could try up-scaling only up to 1/48. ???
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline jcf

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #11 on: February 08, 2019, 07:59:36 AM »
Even to 1/48th it looks funny, the 1/72 to 1/48th would probably work pretty well.

I've been kicking around going the other way, in 1/350 you'd have an ACV a little over 213'
in length. Which is a bit larger than the 58m (191'), 1,000 ton ACV 1 Point Design studied
in the ANVCE (Advanced Naval Vehicles Concepts Evaluation) Project of 1976 - 1979.
“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
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actually is than they ever are about
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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #12 on: February 08, 2019, 11:29:49 AM »
Going to 1/350 might work - the Russian Zubrclass is 187 feet long.

In 1/35, it's going to be 21 feet long. Something like the 6.5m Wildfire
or the Kaiman-10 (a little longer):



Edited to show photo
« Last Edit: February 08, 2019, 05:48:34 PM by GTX_Admin »

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #13 on: February 08, 2019, 09:55:21 PM »
I'm sticking with 1/35 for this one as I envisioned it as, at most, a 2 or 3 person vehicle used as an escort for the LCACs and AAVs on the trip to the beach, with the ancillary duty of harbor interdiction and ARG protection while at anchor.  My (future) 1/72 scale-up to 1/35 will be the heavier Assault Craft, Air Cushion.

Now to actually get something done with my card stock templates and post some photos...


Offline Frank3k

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2019, 03:32:33 AM »
For the skirt - how about a 1/2" - 3/4" dia. tube cut in half or 3/4 leaving a "C" cross section. Then drape an old t-shirt over it and give it a very thick coating of primer?

Offline jcf

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“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline finsrin

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2019, 06:31:37 AM »
Good detective work find.  A service to BTS humanity  :smiley:

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #17 on: February 10, 2019, 10:20:53 AM »
As promised, the first photos.  I have a solid idea of where I'm going, just not translating it from thought to physical construction as quickly as I'd like.  Enjoy.

Obligatory box photo of the base/donor kit:


Card stock mock up of the hull:


The center box will be the crew cabin.

Photo showing the problem with the kit's inflation skirt size for 1/35 scale:


Edited to Add

I think the mock-up is done and we can move to cutting styrene. 
« Last Edit: February 11, 2019, 01:18:18 AM by LemonJello »

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #18 on: February 11, 2019, 06:53:13 AM »
Did a little more planning/card stock work today.  Now, I think I'm ready to start transferring this to plastic.


Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2019, 07:07:55 AM »
Now that, Mr Jello, is some very intense, serious engineering indeed.

I never thought about mocking things up with index cards or paper before. Will add it to the knowledge base. Seems very useful.

Thanks for the update and the great tip!

Brian da Basher


Offline kitnut617

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2019, 09:45:56 AM »
You know -- you might not have to do anything to the skirts. This was something back in the day ---

I remember seeing something about British hovercraft on TV, there was all sorts of types ranging from small personal types (even racing ones) to the huge ones

Offline Frank3k

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2019, 09:49:10 AM »
I agree - look at the Kaiman-10 picture - the skirt looks about the same. The mockup looks good. I say go for it - full speed ahead.

Offline jcf

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #22 on: February 13, 2019, 05:24:02 AM »
Proportionally the lightweight Kaiman-10 skirt is much deeper, almost half the machine depth
when inflated, than the 1/144 LCAC skirt.

The RNLI hovercraft in the photo is also a low weight machine, and the skirt depth is still
about a third of total depth, an armed/armoured craft will be quite a bit heavier which will
effect the skirt depth.

Physics is physics.
“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline finsrin

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #23 on: February 14, 2019, 07:34:44 PM »
You guys doing super job on research and ideas.
Those photos provide insight on skirt height.  Be a sweet range (probably narrow) where skirt size works for kitbash. 
Interesting challenge.  Sure you will do well.

Offline LemonJello

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Re: Combat Craft, Air Cushion USMC
« Reply #24 on: February 19, 2019, 06:09:03 AM »
Progress report:

Engines mocked up:

(more detail has been added since this photo was taken)

Look at all that white styrene:




Got to cut some windows and start on the crew cabin.