On the DUKW, does anyone know how the engine hatch or hood (Bonnet for our British members) opens? It is separate in the Italeri kit and I plan on leaving it either open or off to show my scratch built engine and compartment. Does it come completely off like a boat hatch or hinge up at the rear like a nornal engine hood?

yes the dukw hood is separate.
so u can have it open.
i have the dukw with the 105 howitzer kit number 6429.
and i just looked at the build sheet for u

HeavyArty,

That will be really cool with your scratchbuilt engine. I'd like to see some pictures of it when you get a chance.

-Armorguy-

Gino,
The hood hinges at the rear. Check out http://www.kmk-scaleworld.be/WalkAround/DUKW/index.html for some useful pics

Jim

The above link is where I got my referances for the engine compartment, great link. It still doesn't show if the hood/hatch is hinged or comes completely off. Anyone know for sure whether it comes off or is hinged? Below is the only referance I can find showing the set-up of the hood. Anyone know if it is correct? I am assuming so in the absence of any other referances.

Gino- If you look closely at 3 of the pictures on that site, it seems that your configuration is correct. Counting down & to the right:
Row 19, Pic# 3 has the hood open in that config. (Viewed from the front of the vehicle)
Row 20, Pic# 1shows a closeup of the same config, looking down into the engine compartment.
Row 21, Pic# 2 A closeup of this area as viewed from the port side of the vehicle.
It also appears that the smaller panel forward of the main hatch hinges open forward. No hinges are readily apparent from the pics, but you'll notice the hatches are slightly raised as if on external sprung hinges. This may not be any more information than you had already, but I hope it helps...

Gino,
Try this one. http://www.dana-nield.com/vimy/DUKW.asp
The second photo from the bottom shows the hinges.
HTH,
Jim

Well, Fitz, Thanks a lot for making all of my investigative nitpicking worthless...
An interesting note, it seems that they use a set of hood hold downs (similar to those on Jeeps) to hold the hood in the open position as well. You'll notice the set which holds the hood closed about 1/2 way up the hood. I wonder if this was a later modification? Don't recall ever seeing pics of this type of hardware on period pieces...

Thanks guys. Looks like I will go with the photo I have. Looks to be hinged from the rear.

LD -- I'm not so sure those hold downs have anything to do with holding the hood open. I have seen them used to secure the windshield down when it is folded. (This is assuming we are talking about the same hold-downs.)

Those hold downs are for clamping the windscreen when it is in the down position.

You have done a marvelous job on this one Gino

Mr. Roo,
Thanks, but the photo is not mine, it is from the net of someones conversion set. Mine is still in the works. I tried taking some in-progress photos, but my cheap digital camera doesn't take good close up shots. They looked like blurry blobs of plastic. Hope I can get some better shots when it is completed.

What would be nice is if somebody knew anybody that lived around the Wisconsin Dells so you could check out their DUKW's, their hoods still should be the same, they just painted them different I think.
I know they have a lot of them, that you see on commercials every now and then, saying about taking a ride in them while your there.

O.K. NOT trying to argue with such stellar fonts of wisdom as 'Roo & HP, but I'm a bit confused. I do understand that my supposition about the spring loaded hold downs (yes, I mean the little T-shaped doohickeys used to hold down Jeep hoods) being used to secure the hood on the DUKW was a bad guess. But if that's the case (windshield holddown) then what are the two on the bottom of the windshield MOUNT doing there? Once again not arguing, just seeking clarification...

sorry Rob not sure which ones you meant so I will assume you mean the two that are pretty close to the back of the open hood in the model pic above.

When the windscreen is opened it folds down onto the flat mounts above the hood. These two clamps (like the jeeps ones) then clip top the screen to hold it in the down position so the wind does not lift it.

Hope that helps

They are used to hold down the windshield and its folded side panels. Here are some photos of them in action.




Hope that clears it up.

O.K.- Got that, 'Roo, Gino. Now I'm going to make a bigger idiot out of myself by clarifying that the photo of the DUKW on this site http://www.dana-nield.com/vimy/DUKW.asp (that shows the same latches midway up the hood) shows hood hold downs?

[EDIT- wow, look at that. Idiot Sergeant!]

nNot sure which picture you mean, I don't see them. But, this looks like a later model or post WWII DUKW than the Italeri model. For example, the bow splash plate is of a different design, the square where the tow hooks are on the bow is above the deck line on this one too. I'm sure many changes were made throughout the production runs. Maybe hood hold down were added later.

Gino all I can say is that you are building another great example. You building just keeps getting better and better. I hope that you will still talk to us underlings. :-) really Gino this is turning out to be a superb example. I am looking forward to seeing it all painted and weathered.

LD -- If you're talking about the pair of T-handles that are closer to the bow, those were part of the surf plate system. When the surf plate is up, they help secure the ends of the support rods.

Check out the 8th row of pics on this site: http://www.kmk-scaleworld.be/walkAround/DUKW/

Lots of good pics there, but watch out for the post-war/restorer mods.

This site helped me add details to my DUKW.

Thanks HP! that clears it up! I'm sticking to my own from now on, made some assumptions there- and we all know what happens when we ass u me...