Tango boat.......

[Army of One]

.......was I think the name given to old Higgins boats/landing craft that were converted/modified for use in Vietnam by the Americans.....this involved a helo landing pad on top for re-fuel n re-arming......I would like any thoughts n suggestions on using the revell 1/35 which is going cheap at the moment and scale'a'rama (?) it saying it's a big landing craft and using it for 1/72 helicopters....it would be a mobile base/fuel station around the Coastal waters of Malta.....I'm thinking bigger as the helo's I'll be using all have wheels which appears to need more space than skids...from the limited amount of pics I seen....got the idea from a resin kit I saw in the back of a mag......any thoughts......? It will be armed for self defence....!

[philp]

So you are talking of converting the kit to look like this:



and then setting the scale to 72nd?  

Do you plan on keeping the bow ramp or making a bow like the Monitors had?  If you are planning for use in Coastal waters I would probably add a proper bow.

Just going to do one pad in the front with a wheelhouse, etc at the back or put a pad at the front and rear and put the wheelhouse in the middle?  Think it might look cooler with two pads and would help make it different from the Riverine craft.

I say go for it.

[Army of One]

Philp......thats it...!!! Yes....the 1/35 to use 1/72 helo's........thinking more of hugging coastal shores around the island giving the helo force mobile bases....I'll see 1) if I can get one of the half price Revell 1/35 ones....and 2) how big it is......will a pad at either end work....less guns but prob a few MANPAD stations.....seen some pics of seats with various twin/quad launchers for stinger/Iglaa n other shoulder mounted SAM's.......not to nautical so not sure about the bow.....prob keep it to make loading stores easier.....dunno....??

[Army of One]

Right.......got the Revell 1/35 kit...!!!!  
Anyone got any ideas about the landing decks..? I was thinking of scratching a structure and mounting a sheet of plastic card on it. What would the deck be made off...? I was thinking of a simulated wood as opposed to armoured as it would not be exposed to the fire from shore the Tango boat in Vietnam would be. It will have some self defence stuff for anything that gets to close but nowhere as near as much as the Tango boat......my aim is for a moveable heli pad around the waters of the Islands to give the helo's alternate fuelling/re arming than be tied to a base.....yes I know....a truck or APC loaded with stuff so it can land anywhere.....but where's the fun in that...!!!!  


Got my made up Havoc out to look at the possibilities of two pads n wheelhouse amidship.....can be done.....but I will have to move the tail wheel forward from the position its in to maybe the area where the fuselage narrows for the tail boom bit like the SeaHawk......the wheel base is to long otherwise. The Hokum's n Hinds's would be ok with their gear the way it is......

[chrisonord]

Hya H
The Heli deck would be best done in metal with an anti slip coating on it. To simulate this, just use your plastic card with some black wet and dry glued to it, 400 grit should be ok for this.White glue should do the trick, but glue the wet and dry on to the deck first and apply plenty of pressure so as to avoid creases and bubbling, put it between a few heavy books. I have done this before when building scale R/C boats. A wooden deck would get water logged and very slippery and would be more of a fire hazard too.
I have an unfinished scratch built assault landing craft in my shed that was going to get a Heli-deck, I will dig it out and take some pictures of it for you, it may give you a few pointers.
Chris.   

[Army of One]

Chris......great...many thanks......I was considering a fine grey wet-n-dry sheet for the pad....that or loadsa Mac D stirrers as planking.....I wasn't sure about fixing the paper to the pad....thanks for clearing that up..

[Army of One]

As I have said....on the to do list.....I got a 1/35 Revell 50ft landing craft and want to scale it to 1/72 as a support unit for helicopters around the Maltese islands...anyone got any ideas re defensive weapons....?? Any equipment....radar.....what else would it need....bridge may be moved to centre n have a pad either end.....maybe......

[philp]

I would do 2 pads if you want to be able to land 2 choppers at the same time (avoids rotor interference).

For self defense probably need some anti air assets and anti ship or small craft.  A couple of dual purpose 40mm guns would be good as well as some 20mm and .50cal guns.  Maybe have some shoulder portable SAMs for additial air defense.

[Army of One]

Cool......I do have a set of Warpac 1/72 figures n one has what appears to be a SAM7 on his shoulder.....a couple of 20/40mm guns seem cool....maybe a high mounted CIWS with a 360' coverage....

[Weaver]

The wet'n'dry deck idea is a good one (done it myself), but I'd advise you to paint it matt black as well. The wet'n'dry has a slight "jewelled" look that's wrong for what's supposed to be rubberised paint.

[Army of One]

Great idea........!! I think I'll need to get some of that cross beam/girder stuff from the Airfix pontoon.....

[Army of One]

Hopefully if done properly there will be a pic of something to think about to protect my helicopter tender...

Bugger...! Obviously not..!! Was a pic of a Red-Sky II....