The Ship Model Forum

I have Mighty Midgets too... as well as LCI(L) and Hellcats, Corsairs and Landing Craft... about the Invasion of Okinawa and the use of the LCI and LCS types as protection for the Radar Picket Destroyers... Lots of individual ships called out in that one. I never knew my father's LCS(L) had been hit by a kamikaze till I read that book a year after he'd passed.

Wayne,
Welcome to the forum and great work! I've thought of the LCSL conversion as well. Somewhere in my book collection is the "Mighty Midgets" about the LSCL's. A lot of inspiration. Your build is a great tribute to your father and looks great! I did a conversion of the same Lindberg kit in to a LCI(G) -not nearly as involved as your conversion though. I never thought of doing the hull conversions that you did to build the LCS(L)-maybe I should dig out that other LCI kit buried in the closet!

Welcome to the forum and can't wait to see your work on the USS Bush. I also have the Revell kit in the collections as well (but the box is too big to fit in the closet)!

David

Growing up I always wanted to build an LCS(L)(3) model for my father who served on the LCS(L)(3)-24 during WWII. His ship picked up 42 Survivors of the USS Bush (DD-529) after the Bush was sunk on 6 April 1945 at Radar Picket Station #1.

After my father passed in January of 2009 there were a few books that came out specifically about the LCSL and the Okinawa campaign that helped me find out that the LCS(L) design was a conversion of the LCI(L). Armed with that knowledge I was able to find the old Lindberg LCI kit to attempt a conversion.

The line art I had of the LCSL design figured out to about 1/130th scale on my computer so I was able to convert the measurements to 1/160th scale pretty easily. I started by cutting away those sections of the deckhouse sides and bow that were a part of the main hull halves. Using the deck house roof to fill the gap in the deck, I then cut a new deck of .020 styrene. I sanded the ramp extensions from the hull halves and cut the forward splinter shields from the main deck and moved them outboard to the deck edge. I knew the armament mounted on the -24 so I looked up on Shapeways and picked up a 3"-50 cal deck gun, two twin 40mm guns and a set of 20mm guns. Other fittings from shapeways included the anchor on the fantail, the winch, the Ship's Wherry and the lifeboats, Mk.51 gun directors and Rocket Launchers. At the time, no one made Mk.7 Rocket launchers so I had to settle for Mk.20 launchers. Not the best solution but all I could get at the time. I've recently found someone who produces them and have them on order. PE rails and ladders were added where needed.

The kit recently took a silver at the IPMS Contest in Cincinnati Ohio on October 19th.