REVELL,S 1/144 scale FLETCHER ,how good or bad is it?

tankerbuilder wrote:

Will they (REVELL) follow up with a square bridge FLETCHER?

I would bet against it.   James Corley at Nautilus Models has worked with Revell on their Gato and Fletcher projects (see - there is an instance where someone with a coherent business plan and useable research is paid attention by the mainline injected model manufacturers).   He told me of Revell's plan to do the Gatos two years before the announcement - then  swore me to silence.   James also got Revell to change the order of releases -- to do the US Navy Fletcher version before the West German Navy version.  

Anyway, James has the ear and confidence of Revell.   James is in the process of preparing for release an aftermarket square-bridge/gun tub set for the Fletcher.  I saw the master for the bridge two weeks ago at the IPMS Nats.  James is a smart enough businessman to not invest his capital in a project which will be replaced by a Revell in-house product.     

Revell Europe have just released a post-war federalGerman Navy version of their Fletcher-class DD, with, it seems,some minor refits.Here's an in-box review of the original kit:

http://www.hyperscale.com/2009/reviews/kits/revell05901reviewrh_1.htm

and here are some pictures of the completed,but unpainted model:

http://www.moduni.com/product_info.php/products_id/8105091

And FSM did a full-build review last month:

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/default.aspx?c=a&id=3313

Bear in mind that the price has been increased substantially since it was first released in December last year (originally £39.99 in the UK, now £59.99) so seek out shops with old stock if you can.

Cheers,

Chris.

Isn't the Zerstorer Z-1 a square-bridge post-war Fletcher?

Or has that kit not actually hit the shelves?

CapnMac82 wrote:

Isn't the Zerstorer Z-1 a square-bridge post-war Fletcher? Or has that kit not actually hit the shelves?

Announced in last mnth's Revell Europe new release list. and listed as 'in stock' by White ensign Models - but note the (undestandably) expensive shipping to the other side of the Pond.

Cheers,

Chris.

CapnMac82 wrote:

Isn't the Zerstorer Z-1 a square-bridge post-war Fletcher? Or has that kit not actually hit the shelves?

Pre-release photos show the enlarged, covered bridge on a round-bridge structure.

The great unwashed won't know that it isn't really a Z-1 which had the enclosed bridge on a square-bridge structure.   The West German Navy got both types

Well, having posed the question, and also bein insomniac as well, I spent some time trolling about the interweb.  Found the RevellAG site to see pictures of the kit.  SPS-10 and SPS-40 actually look pretty good, the 3"50 mounts also (a far cry from the blobish lumps on the box-scale kits I remember all too well).

The selection of the various items on this hull to depict any of the ten Z1 is fascinating.  It has the single whaleboat, but retains the quintuple torpedo tube configuration.  Now, I want to remember (and memory is a faulty thing) that USN had pulled quintuple mounts for two triples, as the use had changed from anti-surface ship to ASW torpedos.

But, I think I can put that down to the same way the WWII Fletcher is shown with the blast cab on the wrong set of torpedo tubes on the built-up model (and on the correct one i nthe box art).  That's why we "do" this stuff, isn't ? <g>

If we could just get some on this side of the pond . . .

A little OT from the OP's question.......

See this Revell of Germany link to the Z1 release (you can zoom, rotate, etc)

http://www.revell.de/en/products/model_kits/model_kits/ships/?id=208&KOKANR=01&KOSCHL=03&KGSCHL=01&L=1&page=1&sort=0&nc=1&searchactive=&q=&SWO=&ARMAS4=&PHPSESSID=9f076cb6ce71a0d661061ef509cf72ba&KZSLPG=%23NH%23&offset=8&cmd=show&ARARTN=05097&sp=1

And this discussion over on MW..

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43597