20mm Modern: U.S. Riverine Patrol Craft

One of my numerious projects involves scratchbuilding some water patrol craft for my U.S. forces.  I'd like to use them for duty in Modern Iraq/Afghanistan games as well as anti-piracy and/or Somali amphibious operations in Africa. 

 

Here are some of the inspirational photos I was using.

This is what I started with: a cheap, dollar store, Chinese-made, wind up boat. 

Here, the model has had the rear engine removed, bottom cut/flattened out, and the seating area cut out. Scrap Plasticard (old credit cards and etc.) are used for the new interior.

 Here, the rear platform and the driver control station is installed.

 Yes, I'm working on 4 at the same time, 3 are shown here.

 Here, the 'equipment bar' has been installed as well as the pintel mount on the bow for the automatically controlled 50 cal. MG. (The MG is from http://www.stanjohansenminiatures.com/)

 Here, we see them from the back.  2 of them are standard, while the other 2 have the added side armor plating to protect the soldiers in the boat.

 Here's the armored boat before priming and painting.

 Here's the un-armored boat before priming and painting.

Here's one of the boats after priming. It really does fit a 4-man squad and a boat driver/pilot. 

Two of them will be painted black for special ops, while the other 2 will be painted tan with some camo for use in the daytime.