About the DUKW – Amphibious Truck:

Commonly seen today as transportation for sightseers and tourists in many waterways across the world, DUKWs, or “Ducks,” were once as important to the Allied war machine as the ubiquitous Jeep or “Deuce-and-a-half” truck. Developed and built by a subsidiary of General Motors in April of 1942, the project was cloaked in secrecy. The DUKW was only begrudgingly adopted by United States military leadership, who thought there would be no use for such a craft. The DUKW acronym was a code used by GM: D for year of production, U for utility truck amphibious, K for front-wheel drive, and W for dual rear-driving axles.

To sum up the DUKW, it was a 2 ½-ton cargo truck with a boat hull fitted around the exterior. It carried 25 troops or 5,000 lbs. of gear. The hull was designed by the naval architectural firm Sparkman & Stephens. GM then redesigned the transmission to create a seamless transition of power between wheels and propeller. Its top speed of 5 mph on water and 50 mph on land led to the punchline, “she’s better in water than any truck, and she’ll beat any boat on a highway.” DUKWs saw service throughout the war, both in the European and Pacific theaters, and were paramount in the United States’ executions of amphibious landings.

Specifications:

Weight: 13,600 lb (6,200 kg)
Crew: 1 driver, up to 24 passengers
Engine: 6 cyl gasoline, 91 hp (68 kW)
Payload: 5,000 lb (2,300 kg)
Range: 400 mi (640 km) on road

Additional information about this Brickmania® custom building kit:

This sleek and sturdy amphibious truck doesn’t actually float, but you’ll wish it did since the spinning aft propeller and posable bow wake breaker make it the spitting image of the real thing. With room for 8+ minifigs in the rear passenger compartment, and an included driver minifig up front, this kit is sure to fit in swimmingly with the rest of your collection.

Model Statistics:

Designed by Nathan Parker
594 LEGO® & BrickArms® Elements
1x custom minifig
Additional custom printed elements
Full-color printed building instructions
1/35th scale to match other Brickmania kits
Intermediate skill level (4-6 years building experience recommended)

All Brickmania® model kits are made of new-condition LEGO® bricks. This model comes disassembled and includes complete printed building instructions. This is a limited-edition kit and production may be discontinued at any time.

This is not a LEGO® Product. LEGO and the LEGO minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this product. The LEGO Group is not liable for any loss, injury or damage arising from the use or misuse of this product.