Good learner kit

Lee,

Welcome aboard. Like you and a great number of us, I started building again after a 40 year sabbatical. You'll find that we're mostly harmless around here.

In my opinion, the Tamiya 1/350 USS Fletcher is an excellent starter kit. Great fits, well engineered and fairly simple. PE wise, you can go with Gold Medal, Eduard, Tom's and a newcomer Five Star.

Gold Star is a great choice for beginners as it is fairly sturdy. Eduard is a good second choice because I like their instructions the best and it hold up well. Tom's and Five Star can be on the delicate side so not a great choice for beginners.

Trying to teach your fingers how to finesse tiny peices of metal is a learning experience in itself! But once you get good at it, PE can add so much to the look of a ship model.

I hope this helps a bit,

Steve

Welcome! 

You are so right to ask the question.

In my view, given several parameters you list; both Trumpeter and Tamiya make a very nice Fletcher class destroyer. I don't think either comes with photo etched brass. At a minimum you'd want a set of railings, but that's true for either kit.

Trumpeter also makes a really nice Buckley class destroyer escort, USS England.

My copy came with the basic photo etch. Everything you need to complete the model is in the box except paint. And the paint scheme is attractive but straightforward- blue.

Both classes of ship are attractive, a great place to get started.

Bill

I've never done the 1/350 Fletchers, but I heartily second Bill's recommendation of the Trumpeter USS England. It's a beauty of a kit on its own, and a perfect starter or return-to-the-hobby kit with clean lines and manageable detail without sacrificing a satisfying level of complexity. I think you'd enjoy it.

Cheers

Tamiya Fletcher or the Trump England are great choices. You cannot go wrong with either of them.....Cheers Mark

Hi There!

     I have to go along with Bill here. But, for heavens sake if you get the England, Please don't make the mistake I did. Sea Blue Hull and Upperworks with Deck Blue Decks makes this poor, beautifully detailed and details added, little ship, just disappear !

 I have had to finally put her in a Model Car case, high on the bookshelves. Everyone kept trying to sink her with an aerial Coffee Cup or Teaglass Bomb! Plus, I forgot( Beginner's Mistake) to tone the paint for the scale, My Bad !