The FOV model accurately replicates the famous LCM3 used throughout the Pacific, North Africa, Sicily & Italy, and most famously, the Normandy invasion. It is in the 1:72 scale and is highly detailed! The ramp, framing, decking, ladders, hatches, vents, and the like are all meticulously detailed and weathered.
Some of the finer details include the keel, rudder, and propeller details, the .50cal machine guns, the life preservers in the main hold, plus the helmsman & wheel in the pilothouse. The ramp, siding, and pilot house are made of metal, though the hull consists of sturdy plastic.
Apart from the detail and weathering, the main features of the model include a movable ramp and rotating machine guns. The rudders and propellers do not move. The set comes with a few accessories that include two soldier figures, two beach obstacles, and two 55 gal drums. The gunner figure in some of my pictures is the figure from the FOV 1:72 US M3 Halftrack. FOV 1:72 WWII US Soldiers can be used to great effect in filling up the boat or creating a beach landing diorama. The soldiers (box marked as the US 7th Infantry Division, I believe) can be found easily online or at Target stores. I've got 17 troops and equipment in the hold, though a few more could fit! The setups would look a bit more realistic if one trimmed off the figure base-stands.
The actual LCM3 was rated to be able to carry up to a 30-ton armored vehicle, though they mostly carried troops and support equipment. Nevertheless, the FOV 1:72 M3 Halftrack and M4 Sherman tank fit easily within the hull of the LCM3 and look good disembarking.
Overall, this model is well worth its $22 price. It is not often that we get a boat of any type to add to our collections, especially one in the 1:72nd or larger scales. The model is also quite versatile in how it can be displayed and in what it can carry. In many ways the FOV landing craft is an imporvement over the earlier LCM3 set made by Dragon. The FOV boat is certainly better detailed and weathered, although the Dragon set came with the cool diorama base and more soldier figures. I would highly recommend this vehicle to those interested. It makes a unique and historically significant addition to one's small scale collection
