DUKWs were designed for military use in the Second World War. Their principal use was to ferry troops and equipment ashore in conditions where conventional docking was not available. They were used extensively during the war, including in the D-Day landings.
Following the end of the war, police, fire and rescue services across the world took ownership of some of the thousands of DUKWs that had been manufactured and some also became tourist transport attractions.
The Service
MGDUFF was commissioned to work on three of London Duck Tours' nine DUKWs.Band of Brothers DUKW
As part of a refit of the Band of Brothers DUKW at Ken Ware Engineers, the vehicle received treatment with several MGDUFF Zinga products.
All of the exterior surfaces that become immersed when entering the water (except the prop-shaft tunnel) were coated with Zinga and Zingaceram. These products will protect the vehicle against repeated contact with debris, both on land and in the water, and against the chlorides in the River Thames.
The prop-shaft tunnel was given an additional layer of Zinga but was not coated in Zingaceram, owing to the composition of the wiring, wiring components and wiring housing within it.
All of the exterior surfaces not subject to immersion were coated with Zinga, Zingaceram and a polyurethane topcoat. All interior surfaces were coated with Zinga and Alufer N, giving protection against various abrasions, including scuffing from footwear.
Once the Zinga product coating work was completed, a final coat of bright yellow polyurethane was applied to match the London Duck Tours' livery.
Amazon River DUKW
Two DUKWs, which are bound for the Amazon River in 2011, were stripped down, blasted clean and coated with Zinga.
Owing to the destination of these vehicles, special attention was paid to the internal panels and other fittings that are inaccessible after reassembly.
To provide the highest possible level of protection, the interior faces of some panels were coated in Zinga before being welded together (face to face). The exterior faces were then also coated in Zinga.
