Airfix DUKW, 1/76 +++FINISHED+++

[Ray S]

Hello all. At the moment I am planning two builds for this GB, one complex, one simple. I will start with the complex one, and I have chosen the Airfix 1/76 DUKW:

 

 

It comes with a lovely set of transfers, but I am not sure if I am going to use them or not, I have a slightly more colourful idea in mind. If you google Sefton Lifeguards DUKW and check the images, there are a couple of options, a red one, and a red/creamy-yellow one - I could not work out how to make a link to them, sorry!.

 

The Airfix parts are very similar to the numerous times I have built one of these in the past, and for a Vintage Classic it scrubs up quite nicely:

 

 

There is surprisingly little flash, and it may be easier than an IBG 1/72 Bedford QLR that I have just completed.

 

I am looking forward to the start date, but at least I now have a placeholder for the build. Which I have just realised is the easier one.

 

Ray

Edited April 3, 2023 by Ray S
Edited Title

[TonyOD]

Fab choice. Some great picks going on, it gets better every day. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

I remember this from the sixties. I believe it floats in the bath!

 

Following!

[TonyOD]

On 12/23/2022 at 4:44 PM, Ray S said:

I have a slightly more colourful idea in mind. If you google Sefton Lifeguards DUKW and check the images, there are a couple of options, a red one, and a red/creamy-yellow one

 

I did, and they are very striking. Like the unholy lovechild of Baywatch and Saving Private Ryan. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

As we say in Derby Hey up, mi DUKW.

 

When will you be starting this one Ray. I need my nostalgia injections. 😁

[Ray S]

Hello me old fruit, this one will be started when I have finished my 1/48 Boulton Paul Defiant, which is my 'easier' build while dealing with HMS Alynbank. It will be a little while yet, unless we get blocked in by snow in the next week!

 

I love nostalgia injections, and over the last few years the majority of my builds have been, like me, old 'uns.

 

Ray

[Ray S]

Okey dokey @TonyOD, you can turn this green now if you like!

 

I know I said that I was going to start this when I had completed another kit, but I have decided to begin this one now, and have three on the go, two of which are in this GB.

 

The first thing I want to address is the 'there are large attachment points connecting the parts to the runner' comments in various reviews of other models that I have seen. Well, they are not attachment points, THIS is an attachment point (with apologies to Crocodile Dundee!):

 

 

Hmm. Anyway, to an intrepid modeller like me, that soon bit the dust, as did the one on the other hull half. Another nice thing I had to deal with was a few injection pin marks, and a perfectly placed part number, in full view:

 

 

My weapon of choice is a rather agricultural item, none of your motor tools here in the Forest of Dean, but a handy knife with a curved, old blade does the job for me, and it has had plenty of practice, especially on Sword EE Lightnings, which unfortunately cannot belong in this GB, unless you will allow one that fell into the 'oggin while the pilot became a seaman in his dinghy (of which there were a few):

 

 

This knife is perfect, except the blade is not the correct one for the handle, and the chuck will not tighten up properly. That is one reason the knife is not used to cut anything, only shave.

 

Withing two shakes of a dolphins' tail, the DUKW had taken shape:

 

 

After cleaning up the edges of the parts, removing a few smidges of flash and mould seams, the fit was pretty good, and I have only used filler (so far) under the bow (or is it bonnet), okay then, 'hood'. A few bits of masking tape held things in place for a while:

 

 

I then had to address the rear compartment footwell. There were five ejection pins marks (three raised, two sunken) and that part number to remove, then afterwards I cut out some thin plastic card and made a new floor, and scribed in the boards using the kit part as a guide:

 

 

This was stuck down with some Humbrol liquid poly which has started to thicken a bit, and is not quite so aggressive as some other cements. Thankfully I had no buckling of the sheet.

 

 

The rear compartment is just dry-fitted at the moment. Having looked on google, I have not found many images of the interior, and precious few of the Sefton Lifeguard's DUKWs at all' especially those that I can download for reference. I did however find one of the cockpit or driver's compartment, and it showed a little bit of detail for the instrument panel, which was more than Airfix supplied, oh, so long ago when we were less demanding:

 

 

The final thing I would like to say is just how big the DUKW was. This is 1/76 scale, and here it is next to a 1/72 IBG Bedford QLR 4x4 3-ton Wireless Truck I built just a few weeks ago, it was massive!

 

 

Well, that is it, the Duck is on it's way, I am glad I have started it. 

 

Which way this ends up depends on how I get on with trying to make the Sefton Lifeguard wording and colouring for that bar, I will have to do it on paper and size it to fit between the 'corrugations' and get it stuck onto the model that way (never have tried using decal paper) but have done ship's names this way in the past. If I cannot get something close, this will be a military vehicle after all, but I would prefer it to be civilian.

 

Thanks for looking, and, as usual, please feel free to offer any advice or comments'

 

Ray

[Bertie McBoatface]

Oh the joy of a hull that goes together in the first session!

[danbuoy]

Built this kit when I was 14 or 15, having purchased it on a school trip to the Imperial War Museum in London. Happy to say, I still have it! Always fancied having a go at another and doing it in "what if" RNLI or US Coast Guard livery. 

[Ray S]

8 hours ago, danbuoy said:

Built this kit when I was 14 or 15, having purchased it on a school trip to the Imperial War Museum in London. Happy to say, I still have it! Always fancied having a go at another and doing it in "what if" RNLI or US Coast Guard livery. 

 

Go for it, there is always room in a suitable Group Build, you know!

 

Ray

[danbuoy]

Just now, Ray S said:

 

 a suitable Group Build

 

Ray

Hmm, do you know of any??

[Ray S]

4 minutes ago, danbuoy said:

Hmm, do you know of any??

 

I don't really know, you know (in best Coronation Street accent), but to save your clicking fingers I suppose it could just possibly maybe qualify for, oh,  The Salty Sea Duck GB?

 

PS I have just checked the first page of the Chat section and What-ifs are not mentioned as being out, so...

 

Cheers, Ray theeverhelpful

Edited January 17, 2023 by Ray S
Tidy the post

[Bertie McBoatface]

 

9 hours ago, Ray S said:

PS I have just checked the first page of the Chat section

 

Er, Ray the chat section isn't the definitive rule book. You'll find that What Ifs are prohibited in SSD in the first comment of this thread>>>>>

 

 

 

 

[danbuoy]

2 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

 

 

Er, Ray the chat section isn't the definitive rule book. You'll find that What Ifs are prohibited in SSD in the first comment of this thread>>>>>

 

 

 

 

Phew! Got out of that cul-de-sac I thought I'd backed myself into! Three builds is enough. For now. I think. 

[Ray S]

15 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

 

 

Er, Ray the chat section isn't the definitive rule book. You'll find that What Ifs are prohibited in SSD in the first comment of this thread>>>>>

 

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, danbuoy said:

Phew! Got out of that cul-de-sac I thought I'd backed myself into! Three builds is enough. For now. I think. 

 

Whoops, sorry about that! I am SO glad we have good people keeping tabs on us miscreants!

 

Ray the apologetic

[Bertie McBoatface]

Ray just needs a 'sad' to collect the whole set up there. I've never seen all five together before. Please help.

[Andwil]

2 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

Ray needs a 'confused' and a 'sad' to collect the whole set up there. Please help.

Happy to help!

[psdavidson]

And mine completes the set

[Bertie McBoatface]

Hurrah! We did it! 🤣🥧🦄

[Ray S]

Oh crumbs chums, I feel right honoured here now! All five emojis, whatever next?

 

Ray

[Bertie McBoatface]

49 minutes ago, Ray S said:

Oh crumbs chums, I feel right honoured here now! All five emojis, whatever next?

 

Ray

 

More medals than an American Admiral!

[Col.]

4 hours ago, Bertie McBoatface said:

More medals than an American Admiral!

Almost as many as a North Korean general. Any more and he'll need to start pinning them to his trouser leg!

[ArnoldAmbrose]

8 hours ago, Col. said:

Almost as many as a North Korean general. Any more and he'll need to start pinning them to his trouser leg!

Gidday, I think I've seen photos where the NK generals have done that. They must have an awful lot of wars, to win that many medals.

 

And congratulations @Ray S, for achieving a 'Full House' so to speak. 🙂

[PeterB]

Can't remember exactly where it was but as  kid I remember seeing one or two painted in bright colours being used to give holidaymakers trips from the beach at a seaside resort. May possibly have been Skegness where they have/had  a very flat beach which caused the local lifeboat a few problems - took ages for the caterpillar tractor to get it in the water at low tide if my memory is correct! Of course that would have had a good few seats in the load space.

 

Pete

Edited January 19, 2023 by PeterB

[Ray S]

2 hours ago, PeterB said:

Can't remember exactly where it was but as  kid I remember seeing one or two painted in bright colours being used to give holidaymakers trips from the beach at a seaside resort. May possibly have been Skegness where they have/had  a very flat beach which caused the local lifeboat a few problems - took ages for the caterpillar tractor to get it in the water at low tide if my memory is correct! Of course that would have had a good few seats in the load space.

 

Pete

 

Yes, I have seen quite a few on Google showing them to be very colourful. I am hoping that this one will be red and creamy yellow if I can deal with the lettering - I still need to experiment with that! I don't mind making up plenty of seats, I had plenty of practice a year or so ago when I popped a load into a 1/72 Twin Otter - I kept the dimensions handy just in case.

 

Ray