Call Me Crazy...

Okay,
You're crazy.
Join the club. I am starting the 1/350 Tamiya Fletcher. . .early version.
I have some detail sets on order and eagerly await their arrival.
My belief is that 1/700 scale ships should only be attempted by masochistic people with really good eyesight.

Don

The Tamiya 1/350 Bismarck is a nice kit, even if built OOB.   Like aircraft models, ships are improved by the addition of PE aftermarket parts, but you don't have to try to build the ultimate model on your first attempt.  I'd suggest the Tamiya Bismarck, with the addition of PE railings and a few other details, will yield a model you'll be proud of.  If you're comfortable with PE, from your aircraft experience,  you can always go for a more involved PE upgrade set.....

Hi gtother, Welcome to the forum !

I primarily build ship models, and will build aircraft as a change of pace. I have all the kits you have mentioned, and they are all fine builds. I agree with the others that it all depends on your PE experience with your aircraft builds as to how far you should take it. If you are experienced in PE application, then get a set for your Bismarck and go for it. If not, I suggest the 1/350 Fletcher kit. It's a good starter kit to gain PE experience on.

As far as 1/700 vs 1/350, that's a matter of choice. The 1/700 ship will look very nice, especially if set on a base underway with "water" made from acrylic gel or some other medium. But the 1/350 will have a more overall impact due to the increased size. It's all a mater of taste and the space you have available. The 1/350 kit pieces and PE are easier to handle due to the increased size, but there is a lot more of it. Whichever scale you choose, I would recommend getting a magnification aid. I have something called an Optivisor, and would not sit down at the workbench without it. It makes even 1/700 PE look managable.

Hope this helps. Good luck !

Ted 

I agree with Ted, start with the Fletcher. If you're already leaning towards a 1/350 Bismarck, then chances are you're leaning towards 1/350 overall.

Later this year, I'm doing a 3-model story on building the Fletcher in 1/350 scale. One will be an OOB Tamiya kit, the second is a resin Yankee Modelworks kit, and the third is a tricked out Tamiya or Trumpeter kit.

The purpose of the story, aside from giving you everything you can possibly want to know about Fletchers, is to demonstrate the various levels you can achieve with your builds, from basic OOB to practically scratchbuilt.

If you have any Fletcher questions, don't hesitate to ask. I know this guy who wrote a book on them awhile back, and he's got lots of detail photos and drawings.

Jeff

Jeff -- do you have any information on the configuration of the Trump Fletcher offering that will be sold as the USS The Sullivans?  Will it be the mid-war configuration or the late-war Emergency Max AA refit?