Amtrac

David Chou builds a USMC LVTP-5 from the Vietnam War.

As a former marine myself, serving in the Taiwanese Marine Corps, building one of AFV Club’s LVT series always takes me back, it’s like being on the shore during a landing ... This is my sixth LVT model, the previous ones all representing Taiwanese vehicles, but this time I wanted to make a realistic model of a United States Marine Corps vehicle from Vietnam, 1969. The LVTP-5 (Landing Vehicle Personnel Tracked) was first accepted into service in 1956 and some 1,124 vehicles were produced. As well as the United States and Taiwan, it also served with the Philippines, South Vietnam, and Chile. It saw extensive service during the Vietnam War, where it carried up to 34 marines into battle in each vehicle.

The Kit

AFV Club’s LVTP-5A1 was first released twenty years ago, but it still a very fine kit. I dressed mine up with the additional resin crew and sandbags from Hobbyfan (ref. HF516) and some M16 rifles from their M113 kit. Like any kit, improvements can be made and details added, but, as I always say, the most necessary ingredient for any successful modeling project is patience!