Building a Fletcher

Subfixer's right. It builds into nice kit out of the box.

However, if you just have to spend some money or want it 'uber' realistic, there's several options.

L'Arsenal produces several components (5" turret, Bofor gun mounts,etc) that enhance the kit.

Here's a link to thier 1/350 offerings

http://www.larsenal.com/GB/catalogue/Arsenal/1_350.php

You can get their products direct from their site or from White Ensign Models and Pacific Front Hobbies' websites. They'llalso have other vendor listings for 1/350 Fletcher parts.

But to put things in perspective, I just purchases a Trumpeter 1/350 The Sullivans Fletcher class destroyer kit. L'Arsenal has a comprehensive upgrade kit to do everything - turrets, 20MM & 40MM gunmounts, radar sets, etc. Now my kit from Hobbytown USA cost $30.00. The upgrade set is going for $60.00. 

I don't do this for every kit but I have a select few I like to be more lavish about.

Hi Smokey,

Just be aware that the 5" gun turrets in the Tamiya kit are under-scale, so if you want it to look right you really do want to get the replacement gun mounts from L'Arsenal.

Cheers,

John Snyder, White Ensign Models, http://WhiteEnsignModels.com 

Thanks for the info folks,

I've ordered the L'Arsenal 5 inch turrets (AC 350-14 - I hope these are the correct type) some 5"38 barrels and the Squadron Signals Fletcher book, so I don't think I'm going completely over the top on this build, at least not when I compare it to my last few armour projects! 

Thanks again for the tips

Smokey 

(edited to add - I'm hoping to build her into DD562 - the USS Robinson)

Smokey- wrote:

(edited to add - I'm hoping to build her into DD562 - the USS Robinson)

The Robinson (DD 562) was a square-bridge Fletcher.   The Tamiya kit is of a round-bridge Fletcher.    So thats problem 1.   You need the Trumpeter Sullivans kit instead.

Problem 2 is the Trumpeter Sullivans.  The shapes are right but all the weapons are bad, either totally out of scale or devoid of detail. The Trumpeter designers just royally screwed them up!   I just received the L'Arsenal Sullivans Upgrade set and it may be expensive, but it is a bargain!  Instead of having to buy the individual aftermarket sets ala carte,  they are bundled together.   The Sullivans upgrade set fixes almost all of the weapon problems with the Trumpeter kit. I'm working on a review of the set right now -- hope to have it done over the weekend.

Even if the Robinson was a round-bridge variant - there arn't enough twin 40s in the Tamiya kit to make a decent mid-war Fletcher.   You'd have to go the aftermarket route to get there

Ed,

When you do the review of the L'Arsenal set please post a link here so we can find it.

Aurora-7 wrote:

When you do the review of the L'Arsenal set please post a link here so we can find it.

Didn't get around to it this weekend -- its on my list of things to do.

Smokey -- Here's some research for the Robinson

According to the shipcamouflage.com database, the Robinson was in Measure 32/13D in 1944.  And here is a copy of the camouflage design sheet from the USNHC via Nautilus Models

Opposite side here http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/g100000/g160562.jpg

In 1945 she was painted into Measure 22 -- 5-H Haze Gray over 5-N Navy Blue.

According to the Domeisland Fletcher class info her armament was consistent throughout the war -- 5x 5"38 guns, 5x twin 40mm guns and 7 single 20mm guns.

http://www.destroyerhistory.org/fletcherclass/

Thanks very much Ed, thats great info!

 Looks like my return to the ship building fold may be a little more detailed than I'd initially thought, but what the hell, the more detail the merrier!