The Ship Model Forum

[quote="KotoBuilds"]Was SC-1 radar the square shaped one mounted atop the main mast?[/quote]

All of the SC Series are squere shaped just theirdimensions are different:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SC_radar

https://www.radartutorial.eu/19.kartei/11.ancient/karte011.en.html

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/img/infini-models-imp-35004r1-ww2-us-navy-radar-set-xe4-153629_1.jpg

Was SC-1 radar the square shaped one mounted atop the main mast?

Timmy,

Another error I didn't mention, the USS FLETCHER as depicted by Trumpeter for her Shakedown Cruise and actually for her period prior to upgrading to the five twin 40-mm mounts in mid-1943, she DID NOT have the SC-2 radar. She had the SC-1 radar. When first installed on FLETCHER's, the SC-2 radar antenna didn't have the IFF antenna attached on a few units. The BL "stovepipe" antenna IFF system was used on units with SC-1, SA, and early SC-2 radars until the integrated antenna/system was installed.

The shield on the front of the twin 40-mm mounts (to protect wiring, etc.) was an upgrade. I have not tried to find out when "exactly" it was first installed and if it was back-fitted. There was an early version drive (Ford Instrument Co.) used on the 40-mm mounts that had problems and was replaced with another drive on REPLACEMENT mounts after used on the first 466 units. Replacement drives were made by York (which also had problems and was discontinued) and General Electric, plus other contractors. Bottomline, twin 40-mm mounts were replaced/rebuilt throughout WWII and difficult to determine on when and which ships. For use of the shield, I look at images for specific units I wish to model or comment on. If I can find images for a specific timeframe.

As for accuracy, come on, this is a Trumpeter kit. Being accurate is something they DON'T worry about. :roll_eyes: Even the "built-up" kits may well have parts added in random from sprues. The aftermarket guys will be happy to produce correct replacements. :big_grin:

Anyone building a model from any of the "new" 1/200 scale FLETCHER kits will need to get references to see if making corrections is needed. The USS STEVEN's Aircraft-Handling FLETCHER and Post-WWII THE SULLIVANS will be interesting to see what they got correct. The catapult and crane on the STEVENS are ones that there are no accurate engineering drawings, only some pretty good photos.

[quote="FFG-7"]KotoBuilds, there is no shields on the twin barrel 40mm gun mounts as shown in these pictures.[/quote]
My bad, not the splinter shield to protect the mount crew, but rather for the electronics/wiring on the base of the mount (if there was one. I'm aware of one on the quad mount). However if there wasn't a shield or box to cover the wiring, the mount is still very plain.

[quote="KotoBuilds"]

That was something I found interesting, yes. The instructions ask you to make 3 mk 51s, one of course for the twin 40mm, but the two on the bridge for what...? The parts all say Stevens on them, so my theory is that Stevens was designed first, then Fletcher.
[/quote]
Also possible they messed up and are mixing up parts from Fletcher's later post-August 1943 configuration: https://www.navsource.org/archives/05/pix1/0544520.jpg

Some photos of the built-up kit on Squadron, showing well Koto's observations and the lack of detail on the 40mm and other things: https://squadron.com/1-200-trumpeter-uss-fletcher-dd-445-destroyer-plastic-model-kit/

Also noting the incomplete SC-2 antenna, with the PE and CAD seeming to depict only the bottom larger rectangle.

KotoBuilds, there is no shields on the twin barrel 40mm gun mounts as shown in these pictures.

[quote="Rick E Davis"]I think it is pretty early to expect upgrade/mod parts for the 1/200 scale FLETCHER kits. In the only images I have seen of the completed kit and not knowing what other parts are in the kit, I have noted several omissions that in the 1/200 scale need to be corrected. The buildup FLETCHER on Squadron shows her in her Shakedown configuration before she returned to NYNY and had the fantail twin 40-mm mount and Mk 51 director installed. Also, during her shakedown, she still was painted in Ms12R(mod). The box art shows a solid color of unknown color. :scratch: How FLETCHER was painted after her post-shakedown yard period is unknown ... still in debate as to when and where she was painted into Ms21.

For some reason Trumpeter's kit on Squadron shows TWO MK-51 directors atop the pilothouse. Those should not be installed. Several details that should be on this kit, include radio antenna trucks at the back of the bridge.

I can't access this website on my apple devices and I hate Windows 10 or is it 11, on the laptop I have with that OS. Apple says the security level is a threat. Sigh. Even then Microsoft says my password is a problem half the time. So my replies will be delayed.[/quote]

That was something I found interesting, yes. The instructions ask you to make 3 mk 51s, one of course for the twin 40mm, but the two on the bridge for what...? The parts all say Stevens on them, so my theory is that Stevens was designed first, then Fletcher.

From initial overview of parts, there are a few things that disappoint me for a 1/200 scale Fletcher.
The Mk.37 director feels incredibly lacking in detail for this size, with no photoetch for the hatches. Speaking of hatches, the two on the left side of the director are missing. The type seems to be the correct one, a Mk.37 square back for the Mk.4 radar, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

The searchlights that are included are nicely molded, but for the front, it is just a flat surface with no detail of shutters or grillings. Strangely enough, the search lights for the funnel wing mounts do have a rounded piece for the front, but again no detail of grillings or shutters.

For their scale, the twin 40mm Bofors is lacking in detail. The recoil springs are detailed nicely, but for the mount itself, it is bare bones. The front is entirely flat, when there should be some sort of shield that would cover the firing stop mechanism.

I will add more as I look through the kit.

Rick, it is most likely it is Win 11 you do not like.

I think it is pretty early to expect upgrade/mod parts for the 1/200 scale FLETCHER kits. In the only images I have seen of the completed kit and not knowing what other parts are in the kit, I have noted several omissions that in the 1/200 scale need to be corrected. The buildup FLETCHER on Squadron shows her in her Shakedown configuration before she returned to NYNY and had the fantail twin 40-mm mount and Mk 51 director installed. Also, during her shakedown, she still was painted in Ms12R(mod). The box art shows a solid color of unknown color. :scratch: How FLETCHER was painted after her post-shakedown yard period is unknown ... still in debate as to when and where she was painted into Ms21.

For some reason Trumpeter's kit on Squadron shows TWO MK-51 directors atop the pilothouse. Those should not be installed. Several details that should be on this kit, include radio antenna trucks at the back of the bridge.

I can't access this website on my apple devices and I hate Windows 10 or is it 11, on the laptop I have with that OS. Apple says the security level is a threat. Sigh. Even then Microsoft says my password is a problem half the time. So my replies will be delayed.

Hey all. The Trumpeter 1/200 Fletcher has been released, with hints of Stevens and Sullivans for further release. Got my hand on the Fletcher variant. With two other Fletchers already (Tamiya Fletcher 1/350 as herself, and Trumpeter Sullivans 1/350 as Kidd), I was thinking of turning the 1/200 into Johnston. Did I bite too early in geting Fletcher (I'm not even sure if the 1/200 Sullivans will copy the 1/350 cousin, with a 1943 and '45 option)? As of right now, there are 1/200 options for the square bridge Fletcher (via ModelMonkey), but not even in 1/350 are there options for the midships twin 40mm platform abreast the second funnel. Is scratch building the platforms the best choice at this time?

Well, yes. Thanks.
The idea was if the choosing of arabic or roman numbers has some sense.
I saw both on some hulls and that confuses me.

Does this answer your question??

Hi guys,
another funny query for you...
What type of numerals were used on Fletcher's draught marks please? I saw roman, arabic...and of course they were in imperial or metric system?
Do you have some detailed photo? :thumbs_up_1:
Thanks!

Folks

Trumpeter is coming out with a Fletcher in 1/200 scale.

There are at least 3 different models, including Fletcher and The Sullivans.

Here is a video from The Midwest Modelshop with a review of the testshots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKqjsTiSWNE

Cheers
H.

[quote="dhenning"]From the recent Anatomy of a Ship: USS Kidd, 108" x 60" x 12"

The Floating Drydock has a very good CD on the Fletcher class. As I recall, it has a table of all of the different sizes and dimensions of the carley floats.[/quote]

Thank you, dhenning! :)
BTW, I did try look into Anatomy of the Ship: The Sullivans (I do not remember if there is some different one with USS Kidd), but I didn't find it there. Maybe I missed it somewhere...
Anyway, my mistake and thank you again!

From the recent Anatomy of a Ship: USS Kidd, 108" x 60" x 12"

The Floating Drydock has a very good CD on the Fletcher class. As I recall, it has a table of all of the different sizes and dimensions of the carley floats.

Hi guys, do you have a dimensions of balsa life rafts used on Fletchers please? I saw (somewhere) they are 5ft width, but how long and height they are? Thanks! :smallsmile:

I know it has bee a while but I started building my Revell big Fletcher. I have purchased several Model Monkey parts for the conversion to a square bridge Fletcher. However, he does not have everything and I did contact him about doing that late war AA fit funnels for the USS Kidd. As he has posted here, there just is not enough demand for him to do that. There are some funnels over on Shapeways but they are very expensive. I'll have to add to my parts stock slowly. MM's parts are very nice AND reasonably priced. I do need to get a few more pieces from MM. I am also looking for the Edward Big Ed pe set for the Revell Fletcher. It is currently OOP at Edward so I need to scour the net for the set.

Alexey,

My reply to Takibi was to his request for drawings of USS BLACK (DD-666) specifically in 1944. FLETCHER's were built by eleven builders, some had/used unique building methods and even designs to things like bulwarks. The basic layouts were the same (weapons, deckhouses, etc), but bulwarks around 20-mm and 40-mm guns saw a lot of variation as did locations for things like floats. USS BLACK was a Federal-built unit. The drawings you reference (... https://abbot.us/plans/grid.shtml?5541-2 ...) are for Bath Iron Works (BIW) built units. The other link is for USS SIGSBEE (DD-502) (... https://abbot.us/dd502/ ...) an early Round-Bridge unit, which is quite different than the Square-Bridge units like USS BLACK. Further, even if units were built by one yard, if that unit was modified/repaired by another USN or Private Yard, the resulting configuration may end up being unique.

I don't have drawings for USS BLACK in her WWII configuration. Drawings for Federal-built sister units (DD-666 THROUGH 680) built during WWII likely would be representative of USS BLACK's configuration for 1944. The BIW drawings "could" be used if differences from photos in configuration with the last group of Federal-built units were noted and adjustments made for making a model.

PS; If one wanted engineering drawings of USS BLACK (or Federal-built units in general), going to NARA and extracting images from Microfilm is about the only option. Unless someone "happens" to have paper copies from other sources. The BGP paper drawings at NARA for the FLETCHER class destroyers are largely 1950's to 1960's post-WWII configuration, except for a very limited number of BGP's from WWII for select units.

[quote="Rick E Davis"]Takibi,

Sorry, but I don't have any detailed drawings of USS BLACK (DD-666) in WWII. The digital camera snapshots I have of USS BLACK's BGP date from 1966 in her 4-Gun configuration, which aren't complete coverage of all of her BGP and aren't really helpful for her WWII configuration.

[/quote]
?
https://abbot.us/plans/grid.shtml?5541-2
https://abbot.us/dd502/