Allen M. Sumner class destroyers

Which time period?  The Sumner-class served from 1945 to the 70s. 

In 1:700 scale, styrene, PitRoad makes a couple of WWII-era Sumners

Their W-33 is the Allan M Sumner (original bridge format)

and their kit number W-56 is sold as the Maddox,  a later bridge format

Iron Shipwright sells a 1:350 scale resin & brass FRAM Sumner as the Laffey

YankeeModelworks also makes a 1:350 scale resin & brass Sumner.  (Can't show a picture 'cause their website is still getting reconstructed)

JAG Collective makes a 1:700 scale resin & brass FRAM Sumner

Or you can do like I once did, before these kits came available.  Scratchbuild everything from the deck up onto a Fletcher hull.   Ignore the difference in the hull widths (measured in inches).  The lengths are the same.

   The JAG 1/700 is the best looking one of the group(the VDS on the fantail looks perfect!). The gun director radar reflector is not quite what I expected, the prototype reflector is much lighter built, and doesn't sit as high as on the model.  The Iron Shipwright "Laffey", is no Sumner, or FRAM II, I've ever seen. The bridge is wrong, and what is the structure just forward of the aft stack, on the 01 level? There should be a 5" loader trainer there. The 1/700 Sumner I started with, to do DD-770, was an Albatross Ltd. waterline kit.

Funny you should mention that, sumpter.  That structure on Laffey forward of the after stack looks like an ASROC control station.  Hmmm.  'twould be appropriate on a FRAM with an ASROC amidships...

That structure on Laffey forward of the after stack looks like an ASROC control station.  Hmmm.  'twould be appropriate on a FRAM with an ASROC amidships...

  Yes, it would.......on a FRAM I, Laffey is a FRAM II, and did not have ASROC. The model also has a 5" twin mount on the 01 level forward of the bridge, Most ASROC ships had weapon Alpha there. Yes, The model referred to is actually neither a FRAM I, or FRAM II. FRAM I was applied to Gearing class DDs, and not to Sumner, and some Fletcher, which got FRAM II. Laffey is, to my best knowledge, the only remaining FRAM II Sumner class DD .

I'd be interested in a Gearing, too.

 But not a boxy FRAM. I want a 50-60s version. With the 12 spigot hedgehogs on the 01 level P/S of Mount 52, the 3" 50 singles P/S abaft the bridge and the 3" 50 twins, port and midship on the after end of the 01 level. Those looked like destroyers. And they were fun to ride.

Mike K.

Thank you for your detailed response.  The pictures are much appreciated.  The time period would be WWII.  I will look for the models you suggested!

Any of the models suggested above would be a great starting point. Just depends on your scale of choice. While looking thru my vault of ancient models from the Cro-Magnon era I found an Albatross model of the Sumner and another of the Gearing. Relax guys, gonna build both of them. Does anyone else remember Albatross models? As I recall they had plans to do all the Pearl Harbor BB's with PE details, especially for the cage-masted ships. Rick Martin

Yes, as a matter of fact, I really did like the Albatross Gearing/ Sumner kits.  But I stopped holding my breath for the promised Big Five battleships about fifteen years ago.

 And, since you served up such an obvious offer for horn-blowing, I will comply and try to provide a link to the photo of the Albatross kit that I took to the IPMS USA Nationals last week, the the kit that placed somewhere lower than third in class - .  I built it as USS DeHaven, DD-727.

I've never been able to photograph the critter, due to the dark Navy Blue scheme, but somebody did on the IPMS USA site, and I saved their photo here - thanks!:

I fixed the kit up with a bunch of details, starting by straightening out the stem by adding some sheet plastic and putty, and then replacing weapons, adding railings, cable reels, splinter shields, pe radars, and various other stuff.

 My biggest concern for Gearing/Sumner models is below the fwd twin 40mm platforms, where most of the ships have distinctive oval-shaped openings.  The JAG resin kit represents these correctly.  DeHaven was one of a group that had just three vertical posts there, and that is what I modeled.  The third group was wide open.  Skywave didn't represent any of the three groups correctly, and that is what I like least about the Skywave Gearing/Sumner kits.

 Other folks hold the Skywave deckline against it - instead of having a gracefully curved shear, it is composed of two straight lines, if you look for it.  I know that fouled-up shear is there, but it doesn't bother me as much as the side below the 40mm platforms.

 As for the Albatross kit, most folks just discount it because it was the first one on the market, and it doesn't have any sharp detail of its own.

 There's my $.02 worth, in an area where we all have $.02 or an opinion.

 Rick Heinbaugh 

   At the time I went looking, the Albatross kit was the only Allen M. Sumner I could find. Here she is with FRAM II in progress: